mobilePortcullis House and Embankment
The building on the corner of Bridge Street and Victoria Embankment is Portcullis House (pictured). Opened in 2000, it hosts the offices for British Members of Parliament. There is an underground walkway
leading from the building through to the Palace of Westminster.
Victoria Embankment, the road running alongside the Thames from Westminster
to Blackfriars, was completed in 1870 and is a classic example of Victorian
construction and design. It was the first electrically illuminated street
in London.
One of three main embankments in London, it involved reclaiming much of
the river bank as a form of flood defence. However, the idea of building
embankments wasn't unique to the Victorians - everyone from the Romans
through to Christopher Wren had earlier proposed them.
Did You Know?
You can see many examples of Victorian England along the Embankment. These range
from the granite blocks used to shore up the riverwalls through to the
streetlamps with dolphins at their bases.