Editing Savoy Palace (section)

==Savoy Barracks==
[[File:Savoy Hospital Wellcome V0013829.jpg|thumb|left|Ruin of the main Barracks (formerly Hospital) building in the late 18th century, following the fire.]]
The Hospital complex remained in use as barracks for most of the 18th century. In 1776 much of the structure was destroyed in a fire; at the time it housed a military infirmary, prison and recruiting station. As early as 1775 Sir [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]] (who was already responsible for rebuilding the adjacent riverside property, [[Somerset House]], to serve as government offices) was asked to draw up plans to replace the Hospital buildings with an entirely new Barracks for the Foot Guards (to accommodate 3,000 men). He drew up plans for a three-sided quadrangle of six-storey buildings, open towards the river, behind an elevated river terrace (akin to that built as Somerset House): details included pyramid roofs on the four corner pavilions, a large double-domed structure in the centre of the north wing (which would have served as a chapel) and a subterranean gallery where prisoners would exercise, beneath the main parade ground. He was paid for his design in 1795 but the scheme never went ahead, being finally dropped in 1804.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=John |last2=Snodin |first2=Michael |title=Sir William Chambers: Architect to George III |date=1996 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven & London |page=123}}</ref> In 1816–20 almost all the remaining hospital buildings were demolished to make way for the approach road to the new [[Waterloo Bridge]].<ref name="LondonEncyc"/>