June 11 marked the first major addition to the Westminster Abbey in 273 years. This new tower will lead visitors to galleries 53 feet above the floor of the Abbey. The galleries, which till now had been used for storage, fill the medieval triforium.

MUMA (McInnes Usher McKnight Architects) designed the new galleries which will showcase among others, the funeral effigies of English kings and queens as well as the marriage certificate of William and Kate.
Photography: Alan Williams
The stair and elevator tower (named Weston Tower) is designed by Ptolemy Dean ? the consulting architect of the Abbey who is known for his appearances in British shows like Restoration. This tower is placed in the South-East, outside Poet?s corner ? where Charles Dickens, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Geoffrey Chaucer, and many others have been buried. Photography: Alan Williams
By using the motif found in other parts of the abbey ? a star formed by rotating one square on another ? as the plan of the tower, Dean has tried to maintain the tower in the same language as the rest of the Abbey. The exterior is made of 500 leaded glass windows, set into walls.
Photography: Alan Williams
Named The Queen?s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, this new addition will try to deepen the visitor?s understanding of the rich history of Britain. Inside the gallery, artifacts are placed within a glass vitrine. The triforium?s oak rafters form a beautiful background in which to view the pieces.

It showcases 300 never-seen-before tr...