Arrakeen governor's palace: the Residency of Arrakis

The Arrakeen governor's palace, also known as the Arrakeen Residency, was a central landmark of Arrakeen, the old capital of Arrakis during the era of the Corrino Empire. It was the largest building in the city, built to withstand the harsh conditions of the desert world even within the milder zone ringed by the Shield Wall mountains that encircled Arrakeen and the Plains of Arrakeen beyond.

The Residency under House Harkonnen#

The Arrakeen Residency was the largest building in Arrakeen and the seat from which Arrakis was governed during the Corrino Empire. While House Harkonnen held the planet, the Harkonnens preferred to administer it from the more modern, prefab-built capital of Carthag. During that time the Residency was home to Count Hasimir Fenring, a close friend of the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, and his wife, the Bene Gesserit lady Margot Fenring.

The Atreides seat#

When the stewardship of Arrakis was awarded to House Atreides, the family revived Arrakeen's traditional role as the planet's capital and took up residence in the governor's palace, re-establishing the city as the seat of the Imperium's power on the world. In the palace greenhouse, Lady Jessica found a coded message left by Margot Fenring. The shadout Mapes served as one of the household's housekeepers. The Atreides held a gala at the palace, meeting with local elites, honoured guests, and Imperium representatives, among them Doctor Liet-Kynes.

The siege and the retaking#

When Doctor Wellington Yueh carried out his betrayal of the Atreides, bargaining with Baron Vladimir Harkonnen over the fate of his captured wife, the city of Arrakeen and the governor's palace came under attack by Harkonnen and concealed Sardaukar forces during the Siege of Arrakeen. The city and the Residency fell into Harkonnen hands. They were held until the Battle of Arrakeen, when Fremen forces led by Paul Atreides, now known as the prophet Muad'Dib, outmanoeuvred the assembled forces of Shaddam IV and House Harkonnen and retook both the city and the palace.

Eclipsed by the Empire#

After the defeat of House Corrino at Arrakeen and Shaddam IV's forced abdication of the Golden Lion Throne in favour of Paul Atreides, the governor's palace was gradually superseded. New megastructures rose in Arrakeen during the years of the Atreides Empire, easily overshadowing and replacing the old governor's palace, itself already a very large and impressive structure.