The
architecture of England has a long and diverse history from beyond
StonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the centre of the...
to the designs of
Norman FosterNorman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM, FRIBA, FCSD, RDI, is a English architect whose company maintains an international design practice. He is Britain's most prolific builder of landmark office buildings.-Biography:...
and the present day. Below are listed some architects and examples of their work typical of the era in which they were created. The evolution of English architecture can be traced through these buildings.
Pre-Roman architecture
The earliest known examples of
architectureFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
in England are the many
neolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BCE in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age...
monuments such as those at
StonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the centre of the...
and
AveburyAvebury is the site of a large henge and several stone circles surrounding the village of Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire. It is one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe, about 5,000 years old. Although older than the megalithic stages of Stonehenge to the south, the...
.
Roman architecture
The earliest domestic architecture is that bequeathed to the country by the
RomansAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, who occupied Britain from 43 until 406. The Romans built the first cities and towns, which included
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, St. Albans,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
and Bath. Many fine examples of Roman architecture remain: of special note are the ruins of the Roman Baths in Bath,
Hadrian's WallHadrian's Wall is a stone or turf and timber fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England. Begun in 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall in what is...
near the Scotland-England border,
Fishbourne Roman PalaceFishbourne Roman Palace, in the village of Fishbourne in West Sussex, England is an important Roman archaeological site in Roman Britain. The large palace was built in the 1st century AD, around thirty years after the Roman conquest of Britain on the site of a Roman army supply base established at...
in West Sussex and the
London WallLondon Wall was the defensive wall built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in England. The name London Wall, as explained below, may also be used to refer to a road related to this wall....
. Following the Roman's departure architecture seems to have regressed and little remains of the period immediately after the Roman withdrawal.
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Following the battle of Mons Badonicus in 500, and the beginning of the
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
period a few isolated examples of architecture begin to appear; most notably some Saxon churches such as those at
StewkleyStewkley is a village and a civil parish within the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 5 miles East of Winslow and 4 miles West of Leighton Buzzard....
and
WingA wing is a surface used to produce lift for flight through the air or another gaseous or fluid medium. The wing shape is usually an airfoil. The word originally referred only to the foremost limbs of birds, but has been extended to include the wings of insects , bats, pterosaurs, and aircraft.A...
both in
BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury and the largest town in ceremonial Buckinghamshire is Milton Keynes....
.
Defensive architecture
After the Norman invasion of 1066, more consistent forms of design began to regularly appear.
William IWilliam I , better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from AD 1035 and King of England from late 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name...
and his law lords built numerous
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
s and garrisons to uphold their authority. Often these were built initially of wood, speed of erection being of greater concern than design or appearance; the best-known of these is the
Tower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London , is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames...
. However during the following two centuries of the Norman period further and even larger castles such as
Caernarfon CastleCaernarfon Castle was constructed at Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, by King Edward I of England, following his conquest of Gwynedd in 1283...
in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
and
Carrickfergus CastleCarrickfergus Castle is a castle with Norman architecture in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the shore of Belfast Lough. Besieged in turn by the Scots, Irish, English and French, the castle played an important military role until 1928 and remains one of...
in Ireland were built to suppress the natives.
Many
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
s remain from these medieval times and in most
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
s and
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
s the
parishA parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches...
church is an indication of the age of the settlement, built as they were from stone rather than the traditional
wattle and daubWattle and daub is a building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and is...
.
The Gothic
Whilst the Crown busied itself with the construction of defensive structures, the clergy, and indeed most of society, was dedicated to the glorification of God through the erection of
Gothic cathedralsGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
.
Tudor architecture
Large houses continued to be fortified until the Tudor period, when the first of the large gracious unfortified mansions such as the Elizabethan
Montacute HouseMontacute House, situated in the South Somerset village of Montacute, is described by its owners, the National Trust, as "one of the glories of late Elizabethan architecture", and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building...
and
Hatfield HouseHatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil...
were built. The
Tudor archTudor arch, a low, wide arch, was a common architectural element in the Tudor period in England.It is a flattened pointed arch usually drawn from four centers, the four-centred arch, which was a defining feature. The arch has a low elliptical shape....
was a defining feature.
Stuart architecture
The
Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
1642—49 proved to be the last time in British history that houses had to survive a
siegeA siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit"....
.
Corfe CastleCorfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage.The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
was destroyed following an attack by
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
's army, but
Compton WynyatesCompton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following action in the Civil War, half timbered gables were added to replace...
survived a similar event. After this date houses were built purely for living, and design and appearance were for ever more important than defence.
Just prior to the Civil War,
Inigo JonesInigo Jones is regarded as the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
, who is regarded as the first significant British
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
, came to prominence. He was responsible for importing the
PalladianPalladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
manner of architecture from
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
; the
Queen's HouseThe Queen's House, Greenwich, is a former royal residence built between 1614-1617 in Greenwich, then a few miles downriver from London, and now a district of the city. Its architect was Inigo Jones, for whom it was a crucial early commission, for Anne of Denmark, the queen of King James I of England...
at Greenwich is perhaps his best surviving work.
Following the
restorationThe English Restoration, often shortened to the Restoration, began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Commonwealth of England that followed the English Civil War...
of the monarchy in 1660 and the
Great Fire of LondonThe Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666 an opportunity was missed in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
to create a new
metropolitanA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
, featuring modern architectural styles. Although one of the best known British architects, Sir
Christopher WrenSir Christopher Wren was one of the best known and highest acclaimed English architects in history,...
, was employed to design and rebuild many of the ruined ancient churches of London, his master plan for rebuilding London as a whole was rejected. It was in this period that he designed the building that he is perhaps best known for,
St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill in the City of London and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and is generally reckoned to be London's fifth St Paul's Cathedral, not counting every major medieval reconstruction as a new...
.
In the early 18th century
baroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
architecture, a style exemplified by heavy embellishment and mass, popular in Europe, was introduced, the first baroque house in England was
Chatsworth HouseChatsworth House is a large country house at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, England 3½ miles north east of Bakewell . It is the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, and has been home to their family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
by
William TalmanWilliam Whitney Talman, Jr. was an American television and movie actor most notably remembered as the Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason.-Family and education:...
in the 1690. However, it is Sir
John VanbrughSir John Vanbrugh was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard...
who is remembered as the English master of baroque, his design for
Castle HowardCastle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh...
of 1699 is that of the first truly baroque house in England, dominated by it cylindrical domed drum tower it would not be in out of place in
DresdenDresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
or
WürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located on the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. Vanbrugh then evolved the style to suit the more solid English taste this he perfected at
Blenheim PalaceBlenheim Palace is a large and monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the only non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title "palace". The Palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1724...
and later
Seaton Delaval HallSeaton Delaval Hall is a country house in Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, between Seaton Sluice and Seaton Delaval. It was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1718 for Admiral George Delaval, and is a Grade I listed building....
.
Georgian architecture
In spite of Vanbrugh's efforts and those of his colleague and contemporary
Nicholas HawksmoorNicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born to a humble family in Nottinghamshire.His career formed the brilliant middle link in Britain's trio of great baroque architects...
baroque was never truly to the English taste, and well before the time of Vanbrugh's death in 1724 baroque was being replaced by a return of the Palladian form. The
Georgian architectureGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the...
of the 18th century was an evolved form of Palladianism. Many existing buildings such as
Woburn AbbeyWoburn Abbey, near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre 20th century :...
and
Kedleston HallKedleston Hall is an English country house in Kedleston, Derbyshire, approximately four miles north-west of Derby, and is the seat of the Curzon family whose name originates in Notre-Dame-de-Courson in Normandy...
are in this style. It was during this period that comfort and style became truly popular, and many of England's old fortified houses were rebuilt or remodelled, this is why today it is not uncommon to see country houses with facades in different styles, often the front of a castellated castle would be rebuilt in the palladian style complete with portico, while at one end of the same facade a medieval tower would remain untouched
Brympton d'EvercyBrympton d'Evercy is a manor house near Yeovil in the county of Somerset, England. It has been described as the most beautiful house in England, in a country of architecturally pleasing country houses; whatever the truth of that statement, in 1927 the British magazine Country Life published a set...
in
SomersetSomerset is a county in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The ceremonial county of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west...
is typical of a house partly modernised at this time. Among the many architects practising in this era were
Robert AdamRobert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
, Sir
William ChambersSir William Chambers was a Scottish architect, born in Gothenburg, Sweden, where his father was a merchant. Between 1740 and 1749 he was employed by the Swedish East India Company making several voyages to China where he studied Chinese architecture and decoration.Returning to Europe, he studied...
, and
James WyattJames Wyatt RA , was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.-Early classical career:...
.
Victorian architecture
In the early 19th century the romantic medieval gothic style appeared as a backlash to the
symmetrySymmetry generally conveys two primary meanings. The first is an imprecise sense of harmonious or aesthetically pleasing proportionality and balance; such that it reflects beauty or perfection...
of Palladianism, and such buildings as
Fonthill AbbeyFonthill Abbey — also known as Beckford's Folly — was a large Gothic revival country house built at the turn of the 19th century in Wiltshire, England, at the direction of William Thomas Beckford...
were built. By the middle of the 19th century, as a result of new
technologyTechnology is a broad concept that deals with human as well as other animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment...
, construction was able to develop incorporating
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
as a building component; one of the greatest exponents of this was
Joseph PaxtonSir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing the The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
, architect of
the Crystal PalaceDesigned by Joseph Paxton, the Great Exhibition building was long, with an interior height of .After the exhibition, the building was moved to a new park in a high, healthy and affluent area of London called Sydenham Hill, an area not much changed today from the well-heeled suburb full of large...
. Paxton also continued to build such houses as
Mentmore TowersMentmore Towers is a large Neo-Renaissance English country house in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. It takes its name from the village in which it stands, and from its numerous towers and pinnacles. Historically it was always known simply as 'Mentmore', and by locals and estate staff as...
, in the still popular retrospective
RenaissanceThe English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the early 16th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that many cultural historians believe originated in northern Italy in the 14th century...
styles. In this era of prosperity and development English architecture embraced many new methods of construction, but ironically in style, such architects as
Augustus PuginAugustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
ensured it remained firmly in the past.
In
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
Alexander ThomsonAlexander "Greek" Thomson was an eminent Glaswegian architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was little appreciated outside of his city during his lifetime...
was a pioneer in the use of
cast ironCast iron usually refers to grey iron, but also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys, which solidify with a eutectic. The colour of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due to its carbide impurities which...
and
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
for commercial buildings, blending neo-classical conventionality with Egyptian and oriental themes to produce many truly original structures.
In the 18th century a few British architects had emigrated to the colonies, but as the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
became firmly established in the 19th century many architects at the start of their careers made the decision to emigrate, several chose the USA but most went to Canada, Australia or New Zealand, as opportunities arose to meet the growing demand for buildings in these countries. Normally the style of architecture they adopted was those which were fashionable when they left Britain, though by the latter half of the century improving transport and communications meant that even quite remote parts of the Empire had access to the many publications such as The Builder magazine that enabled colonial architects to stay abreast of current fashion. Thus the influence of British architecture spread across the world. Several prominent 19th century architects produced designs that were executed by architects in the various colonies. For example Sir George Gilbert Scott designed Bombay University (
University of MumbaiThe University of Mumbai , , is a state university situated in Maharashtra state of India. It has been given a five-star ranking by NAAC. The name of the University was changed from University of Bombay to University of Mumbai according to a Government Gazette dated 4 September 1996...
) & William Butterfield designed
St Peter's Cathedral, AdelaideSt Peter's Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is situated on one acre of land on King William Road in North Adelaide....
.
Twentieth century architecture
At the beginning of the 20th century a new form of design,
arts and craftsThe Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, Australian, and American aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century...
became popular. The architectural form of this style, which had evolved from the 19th century designs of such architects as
Charles Rennie MackintoshCharles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, and watercolourist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main exponent of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom...
and
George DeveyGeorge Devey was a British architect, born in London, the second son of Frederick and Ann Devey. Devey was educated in London, after leaving school he initially studied art, with an ambition to become a professional artist...
, was championed by
Edwin LutyensSir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA, LLD was a leading 20th century British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
. Arts and crafts in architecture is symbolized by an informal, non symmetrical form, often with
mullionA mullion is a structural element which divides adjacent window units.Mullions may be made of any material, but wood and aluminum are most common, although stone is also used between windows. Mullions are vertical elements and are often confused with transoms, which lie horizontally...
ed or
latticeLatticework is an ornamental, lattice framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, usually wood or metal, but it can be made of any building material. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a decorative network...
windows, multiple
gableA gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns...
s and tall chimneys. In the 1930s the
Art DecoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
style influenced domestic architecture and some public buildings, for example the
Hoover BuildingThe Hoover Building on the Western Avenue in Perivale, Middlesex is an example of Art Deco architecture, designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners...
. These styles continued to evolve until
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Public buildings and commercial buildings were often executed in the
neo-classicalNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, both as a reaction against the Rococo style of anti-tectonic naturalistic ornament, and an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque...
style until the late 1950s.
LutyensSir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA, LLD was a leading 20th century British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
designed new civic buildings in this style as did
Herbert BakerSir Herbert Baker was a British architect.Baker was the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, 1892–1912. He designed the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa; and with Edwin Lutyens was instrumental in designing New Delhi...
,
Reginald BlomfieldSir Reginald Theodore Blomfield was a British architect, garden designer and author.- Early life and career :...
,
Bradshaw Gass & HopeBradshaw Gass & Hope is an English firm of architects founded in 1862 by Jonas James Bradshaw . The style "Bradshaw Gass & Hope" was adopted after J. J...
,
Edward MaufeSir Edward Brantwood Maufe was an English architect ....
,
Albert RichardsonSir Albert Edward Richardson K.C.V.O., F.R.I.B.A, F.S.A., was a leading English architect, teacher and writer about architecture during the first half of the 20th century...
and
Percy ThomasSir Percy Edward Thomas OBE , was a Welsh architect and twice RIBA president .He was born in South Shields, the son of a sea captain from Narberth with whom the family often travelled. They moved to Cardiff during the 1890s, and Captain Thomas died at sea in 1897...
. A notable example of the style is
Manchester Central LibraryManchester Central Library is a circular library next to the extended Town Hall in Manchester, England. It acts as the headquarters of the Manchester Library & Information Service, which also consists of 22 other community libraries....
by
Vincent HarrisEmanuel Vincent Harris OBE was an English architect who was most notably responsible for the design of several important public buildings....
. With the exception of Lutyens, the reputations of these architects suffered in the later twentieth century. Some architects responded to modernism, and economic circumstances, by producing stripped down versions of traditional styles; the work of
Giles Gilbert ScottSir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, FRIBA was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station....
illustrates this well.
Following the Second World War reconstruction went through a variety of phases, but was heavily influenced by the late work of
Le CorbusierCharles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and also painter, who is famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called Modern architecture or the International Style...
, especially from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Significant movements in this era included the British 'New Brutalist' style such as the Economist Building by
Alison and Peter SmithsonEnglish architects Alison Smithson and Peter Smithson together formed an architectural partnership, and are often associated with the New Brutalism ....
, the
Hayward GalleryThe Hayward is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute...
, the Barbican Arts Centre and
Denys LasdunSir Denys Lasdun CH was an eminent English architect of the 20th century. Probably his best known work is the Royal National Theatre, on London's South Bank of the River Thames, which is a Grade II listed building and one of the most notable examples of Brutalist design in the United...
's
Royal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company....
. Many Modernist-inspired town centres considered unappealing by some, are today in the process of being redeveloped,
BracknellBracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of London....
town centre being a case in point.
However, it should not be forgotten that in the immediate post-War years many thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of
council houseThe council house is a form of public or social housing, primarily referred to in the United Kingdom. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well built homes on secure tenancies at below market rents to primarily working class people. Council house development...
s in mock-
vernacularVernacular architecture is a term used to categorise methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it exists...
style were built, giving
working classWorking class is a term used in academic sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe, depending on context and speaker, those employed in lower tier jobs as measured by skill, education, and compensation....
people their first experience of private
gardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form is known as a residential garden. Western gardens are almost universally...
s and indoor
sanitationSanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
.
Postmodern architecturePostmodern architecture was an international style whose first examples are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but which did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
that started in the 1970s was especially fashionable in the 1980s when many shopping malls and office complexes for example
BroadgateBroadgate is a large, office and retail estate in the City of London, owned by British Land and managed by Broadgate Estates. The original developer was Rosehaugh: it was built by a Bovis / Tarmac Construction joint venture and was the largest office development in London until the arrival of...
used this style, notable practitioners were
James StirlingSir James Frazer Stirling FRIBA was a Pritzker Prize-winning British Architect and among the most important and influential architects of the second half of the 20th century...
and
Terry Farrell (architect)Sir Terry Farrell, CBE, RIBA, FRSA, FCSD, MRTPI is a leading English architect. His typical style is a combination of high tech and post-modernism...
, although Farrell returned modernism in the 1990s.
Modernism remained a significant force in British architecture, although its influence was felt predominantly in non-domestic buildings. The two most prominent proponents were Lord Rogers of Riverside and
Lord Foster of Thames BankNorman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM, FRIBA, FCSD, RDI, is a English architect whose company maintains an international design practice. He is Britain's most prolific builder of landmark office buildings.-Biography:...
. Rogers' iconic London buildings are probably
Lloyd's BuildingThe Lloyd's building is the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London, and is located at One Lime Street, in the City of London, England.-Design:...
and the
Millennium DomeThe Millennium Dome, often referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
, while Foster created the
Swiss Re Buildings30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin and the Swiss Re Building, is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened on 28 April 2004. It is tall, with 40 floors...
(nicknamed
The Gherkin) and the
Greater London Authority H.QCity Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority which comprises the Mayor of London and London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, stands on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. Designed by Norman Foster, it opened in July 2002.The building has an unusual bulbous...
. Their respective influence continues past the millennium, into the current century.
Traditional styles were never fully abandoned in the late twentieth century. In the 1980s,Prince Charles controversially made known his preference for traditional architecture and put his ideas into practice at his
PoundburyPoundbury is an experimental new town — or more correctly an urban extension — on the outskirts of Dorchester in the county of Dorset, England....
development in
DorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town has been Dorchester since at least 1305, situated in the south of the county at . Between its extreme points Dorset measures from east to west and north to south, and has an area of...
. Architects like
Raymond ErithRaymond Erith was an English architect known for his restorations and work in a traditional styles. Critic Ian Nairn described his work as "genuinely Georgian, not 'neo'".He formed the partnership Erith & Terry with his pupil Quinlan Terry....
,
Francis JohnsonSee Francis Johnston for Irish architect of similar name.Francis Frederick Johnson CBE, , was an English architect, born in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire.-Education and Early career:...
and
Quinlan TerryQuinlan Terry is a British architect. He was educated at Bryanston School and the Architectural Association. He was a pupil of architect Raymond Erith, with whom he formed the partnership Erith & Terry....
continued to practice in the Classical style; many of their buildings were new country houses for private clients.
Contemporary architecture
- David Adjaye
David Adjaye OBE is a British architect.-Early life:David Adjaye was born in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, where his father was a Ghanaian diplomat...
: Dirty House, Whitechapel Idea StoreThe Whitechapel Idea Store is a library in Whitechapel, London, England. It opened in September 2005 and was designed by the architect David Adjaye and constructed at a cost of £12 million by William Verry with engineering by Arup....
- Will Alsop
Will Alsop is a British architect based in London. He is responsible for several distinctive and controversial modernist buildings, most in the United Kingdom. Alsop's buildings are usually distinguished by their use of bright colour and unusual forms...
: Peckham LibraryPeckham Library is a library and community building situated in Peckham in south-east London. It was designed by Alsop and Störmer and won the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2000....
, North Greenwich tube stationNorth Greenwich is a station on London Underground's Jubilee Line, opened in 1999.Despite its name, North Greenwich is not in the area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the river; an entirely different North Greenwich railway station used to be there, between 1872...
- David Chipperfield
David Chipperfield CBE is an British architect, born in London. He has offices in London, Berlin and Milan, and a representative office in Shanghai...
: River and Rowing MuseumThe River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of...
- FAT
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are generally triesters of glycerol and fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at normal room temperature, depending on their structure and composition...
:
- Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid , CBE is a notable British Iraqi deconstructivist architect.-Biography:Zaha Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London...
: Phaeno Science Centre
- Caruso St John
Caruso St John is an architectural firm established in 1990 by Adam Caruso and Peter St John.In 1996 they won an open competition to design the New Art Gallery Walsall which opened in 2000. The gallery was short-listed for the 2000 Stirling Prize...
: Walsall Art GalleryThe New Art Gallery is sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery and additional money from the European Regional Development Fund and City Challenge.-Architecture:Designed...
- Ian Simpson
Ian Simpson is an English architect and one of the partners of Ian Simpson Architects, established in 1987 with Rachel Haugh. The practice is based in Manchester with offices in London.He has designed a number of buildings in England.-Biography:...
: Beetham Tower, ManchesterThe Beetham Tower is a landmark 47-storey skyscraper in Manchester city centre, England. Built in 2006, it is named after the developers, Beetham Organization, was designed by Ian Simpson and was built by Carillion. It is the tallest building in Manchester by a significant margin...
, UrbisUrbis is an exhibition centre located in central Manchester, England. The centre features changing exhibitions on the subject of city life, alongside talks, gigs and other events....
, No. 1 DeansgateNo. 1 Deansgate is the name and location of a medium-rise apartment building in central Manchester, England. It is the tallest all-steel residential building in the United Kingdom and one of the most expensive addresses in Manchester...
, Beetham Tower, Birmingham
- Wilkinson Eyre
Wilkinson Eyre Architects is a high-profile, international architecture firm based in London, UK. The firm has received many awards for outstanding and original solutions to design and engineering problems. They are best known for their design of Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The New Crystal Palace,...
: Gateshead Millennium BridgeThe Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead on the south bank, and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. The award-winning structure was conceived and designed by...
See also