According to the Financial Times, the Palace of Westminster in London is on the verge of collapse.
Victoria and Albert Museum director Tristram Hunt said the building, which houses the British Parliament, smells damp, contains asbestos, is infested with rodents, has damaged masonry, and has outdated electrical wiring. And overall there is a “general atmosphere of disgusting decomposition.”
He recalled that in 2012, an examination showed that the building needed “fundamental reconstruction.” The renovation could have taken between six and 12 years and would have cost the authorities between £3.5bn and £13bn, but it never began.
Hunt called on Parliament to make an early decision on the restoration of the palace. It could be renovated to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the 1834 fire that damaged the building.