The Royal Pavilion in Brighton is a stunning Grade I listed former royal residence known for its exotic Indo-Saracenic architecture. Built as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV), it blends Regency grandeur with Indian and Chinese influences.
Construction began in 1787 as a modest villa, expanded by architects Henry Holland and later John Nash from 1815 into its iconic form with onion domes and minarets. Queen Victoria sold it to Brighton in 1850 for £53,000 after removing furnishings, and it later served as a hospital during World War I before restoration. Today, Brighton & Hove City Council owns it, hosting cultural events year-round.
The exterior features bulbous domes, slender minarets, and arched colonnades evoking Indian palaces like the Taj Mahal, while interiors are furnished in Chinese wallpapers, chandeliers, and gilded details. An exotic set piece for a Britian which was admiring far off lands.
For the architecture geeks it's amazing as it uses a cast iron frame to hold the stone allowing slender forms. Additionally many of the facade elements were cast in concrete. Two very modern approaches ro construction.
 
Interesting facts...
George IV’s £500,000+ spending (over £250 million today) on the “pleasure palace” sparked national outrage amid his gambling, mistresses, and debts, nearly bankrupting the crown. Queen Victoria deemed it too small, indiscreet, and indulgent, selling it cheaply in 1850 after stripping furnishings.