User:Braej/Palace of Placentia

Architecture
The palace at Greenwich was built in the Tudor style. Although the structure is no longer standing, the size and design of Greenwich palace were said to be similar to that of Hampton Court which was built around the same time as Henry VII's rebuild of Placentia.

The original building was constructed primarily with brick and timber. The initial palace design had state apartments, a chapel, a five-story viewing tower, and two octagonal towers overlooking the tiltyard. The chapel, which was redone by Henry VIII, featured stained glass windows and black and white glazed tiles. The main face of the building looked out over the river Thames. It extended along 200m of the bank of the river and was accessible by boat. Piles from the original Tudor-era jetty remain today. Its red brick exterior showcased the monarchy's wealth as the material was expensive to manufacture and considered an extravagance. Aside from chapel renovations, Henry VIII also added an Armory, stables, and a banquet hall to the original palace.

During the early 17th century, as the palace was being rebuilt, Queen Anne of Denmark commissioned several buildings including the Queens House, three rooms along the garden, and a grotto aviary to be built in the gardens. The aviary was designed by Salome de Caus, a French architect and engineer. It was ornately decorated with pearls and shells and was covered in moss. The only surviving building of the 17th century additions to the palace is the Queens House. This building, designed by Architect Inigo Jones, is of particular architectural and historical significance as it is often credited as being the first classical building in England and was a clear departure from the Tudor style.

Archeological work in 2017 gave new insight into the architecture of the old palace. One of the more notable findings was lead glazed tile. These tiles were likely used as the flooring for the service areas such as the kitchen.