St James's Palace survive, but most were remodelled in the 19th century. The palace was commissioned by Henry VIII, on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less. The new palace, secondary in the king's interest to Henry's Whitehall Palace, was constructed between 1531 and 1536 as a smaller residence to escape formal court life. Much smaller than the nearby Whitehall, St James's was arranged around a number of courtyards, including the Colour Court, the Ambassador's Court and the Friary Court. The most recognisable feature is the north gatehouse; constructed with four storeys, the gatehouse has two crenellated
The Other Palace The Other Palace The Other Palace is a theatre in London's West End which opened on 18 September 2012 as the St. James Theatre. It features a 312-seat main theatre and a 120-seat studio theatre. It was built on the site of the former Westminster Theatre, which was damaged by a fire in 2002 and subsequently demolished. It was acquired by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatres Group in 2016, and given its new name. Described as "the first newly built theatre complex in central London for 30 years", the building was designed by Foster Wilson Architects. The theatre began