Frederick James Gould

Explorer Tom Brighton's Royal Pavilion looks as if a palace decided plain stone was an insult and went out wearing every jewel it owned. Tom admires the confidence. Its domes and minarets are an English Regency fantasy, created for George IV, while the rooms inside turn the spectacle up another notch with dragons, colour and elaborate decoration. George first came to Brighton as Prince of Wales, and his seaside house grew with his appetite for entertaining. In 1815 he hired architect John Nash to transform the building. Nash made the famous Indian-inspired exterior, while designers including John and Frederick Crace shaped richly imagined Chinese-style interiors. The project took years and cost heavily. George enjoyed the result, but after the interior was finished in 1823 he made only two further visits. Tom calls that an expensive way to avoid becoming bored of one's own wallpaper. Walk through the Banqueting Room and Music Room and notice how strongly the spaces were designed to amaze guests. The private rooms reveal another side of the prince: comfort and modern conveniences mattered alongside display. Outside, the garden gives the building breathing room and lets you see its unusual roofline from several angles. The Pavilion is a ticketed museum in the centre of Brighton, with access arrangements that can vary for particular rooms or events. Check the current visit page before travelling. Its styles borrow freely from elsewhere and reflect George's own taste rather than an ancient palace tradition. That makes the building more revealing, not less: it is a very public confession of one man's extravagant imagination.