People's Palace

People's Palace may refer to:

See also

People's Palace, Glasgow

The People's Palace and Winter Gardens in Glasgow, Scotland is a museum and glasshouse situated in Glasgow Green, and was opened on 22 January, 1898 by the Earl of Rosebery.

Early history

At the time, the East End of Glasgow was one of the most unhealthy and overcrowded parts of the city, and the People's Palace was intended to provide a cultural centre for the people. It was designed by the City Engineer, Alexander B. McDonald. At the opening ceremony Lord Rosebery stated: "A palace of pleasure and imagination around which the people may place their affections and which may give them a home on which their memory may rest". He declared the building "Open to the people for ever and ever".

Features

Originally, the ground floor of the building provided reading and recreation rooms, with a museum on the first floor, and a picture gallery on the top floor. Since the 1940s, it has been the museum of social history for the city of Glasgow, and tells the story of the people and the city from 1750 to the present day. The collections and displays reflect the changing face of the city and the different experiences of Glaswegians at home, work and leisure. Current displays (as of March 2009) include glimpses of typical Glasgow history such as life in a "single end" (a one-room tenement home), going to "The Steamie" (the communal laundry), nights out at "The Dancing" in the famous Barrowland Ballroom and trips "Doon The Watter" (down the Firth of Clyde) on steamers such as the Waverley. The palace is also home to renowned Scottish Socialist John MacLean's campaign desk, which can be found on the first floor.

Palais du Peuple (Kinshasa)

The People's Palace or Palace of the People (French: Palais du Peuple) is the seat of the National Assembly and Senate in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire. It was completed in 1979 with a line of credit from the People's Republic of China.

Construction

The structure (along with a sugar refinery built in Kisanga and destroyed in the civil war) was constructed with an interest-free credit line of US$100 million in cooperation with the People's Republic of China from 1975 to 1979, after being commissioned by President Mobutu Sese Seko following his visit to China in 1973. The architecture was inspired by the Great Hall of the People designed by Zhang Bo (1911–1999) in Beijing. The site also includes the Kinshasa Martyrs' Stadium, contracted at the same time as the palace, a FIFA-class venue built by the Chinese in 1994. The remaining debt of US$42.3 million was forgiven by the Chinese Government in 1983.

Post-Zaire period

In June 1997, after the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) under Laurent Kabila seized power, the Parliament of the Republic left the Palace of the Nation to settle in the Palace of the People.