Big Ben scaffolding has taken some tourists by shock
It's one of many world's most instantly-recognisable vacationer sights.
But the Elizabeth Towergenerally often called Big Benis barely recognisable in the meanwhile, coated in scaffolding with only one clock face seen.
And it is leaving a number of the hundreds of thousands of tourists who flock there for a photograph yearly a bit confused.
Walk up the steps out of Westminster tube station and you will normally must push previous holidaymakers staring up on the 96-metre tower, residence to Britain's most well-known bell.
No shock that in keeping with the Visit London web site, it is the capital's number-one hotspot for selfies.
But with the summer season holidays approaching, tourists are realising that a few of their vacation snaps usually are not going to look fairly as they'd hoped.
"It's a little disappointing, it's all covered up," says Dan Ross, from Utah.
How would he describe it?
"Scaffold. I do construction, and I've seen a lot of scaffold, but I thought Big Ben would look a little different than that."
His spouse Kate was perplexed.
"We have been in search of Big Ben however we could not discover itproperly there it's.
"In sixth grade I drew a picture of Big Benit was something I wanted to see. Maybe next time."
A lady from New Zealand was equally confused.
"I didn't even realise it was supposed to be Big Ben," she says. "I thought it was an apartment block or something."
Sadia, visiting from New York together with her household, had "no idea" she'd be confronted by what is alleged to be the biggest instance of scaffolding of its sort on the earth.
"People told me that when you get off at Westminster station, you look outside and there you see Big Ben," the 38-year-old says.
"I checked out it and I used to be like 'hmmm, it does not look like Big Ben'.
"I was a little disappointed, but I understand."
Hayley and Lee Holden are visiting from Liverpool.
"I couldn't see it," Hayley says. "He was going 'there's Big Ben, I said 'where', it wasn't until we walked around and saw the clock. It's a lot different from when I first remember seeing it when I was about eight."
Lee is wanting on the brilliant aspect.
"You can still see the clock so that's good," he says. "It's a hell of a lot of work going into it."
Krista Brka from Latvia was additionally upbeat.
"It's still good enough, as long as we can see it," mentioned the 27-year-old.
But not all tourists are as understanding.
"I actually had one lady that cried," mentioned tour bus driver Andy Cousins.
"She had come all the best way to London simply to see Big Ben and it was on this state and he or she was in tears.
"It's a massive icon for London, and they've only got one clock face that's open, so they are very very upset at the moment."
What does he say to the disillusioned sightseers?
"Google pictures of Big Ben and you'll get the perfect picture."
Behind the construction Mr Cousins described as "the Transformer", the clock mechanism is being dismantled and repaired, masonry repaired, a leaking roof fastened and a raise put in.
And maybe all that scaffolding may develop into an attraction in its personal proper.
Placed finish to finish, the 24,000 elements would stretch from Westminster to Carlisle, and when the ultimate piece was slotted in at a particular ceremony final month, House of Commons director common Ian Ailles described the construction as "an absolute masterpiece of engineering".
"I'm sure some visitors are a bit disappointed not to see the clock tower itself, on the other hand of course this work simply had to be done," Tessa Blundy, of Parliament's structure and heritage crew, instructed the BBC.
"I'm afraid they have just to appreciate rather a special scaffolding tower instead at the moment."
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, a member of the House of Commons Commission which is answerable for upkeep issues, says the constructing additionally must be up to date to satisfy hearth and security rules.
What would he say to the disgruntled tourists?
"I would say to them that if we didn't have the scaffolding up, there's a real risk that in the not too distant future, something dramatic might happen to the Elizabeth Tower. putting the tower out of operation perhaps for a much longer period."
And they'd higher get used to itas a result of as soon as the tower is repaired, it will likely be time to revive the remainder of the Parliamentary propertya multibillion pound mission Mr Brake mentioned can be on a related scale to the 2012 London Olympics.
"So I'm afraid that probably for quite a time to come, people visiting will have the odd piece of scaffolding in their selfie," he additionally mentioned.