British Architecture

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british architecture
England under construction

001 London	005 Royal Pavilion Brighton	003 Durham

004 Oxford	002 Bath	006 Saltaire

007 Blenheim Palace	011 Ironbridge Gorge	009 Derwent Valley Mills

010 Hadrian's Wall	008 Canterbury Cathedral	012 Stonehenge & Avebury

026 The Lake District	014 Seaton Delaval Hall 0	015 Hardwick Hall 0

016 The Cotswolds	017 Wollaton Hall	018 Chatsworth

037 Lincoln Cathedral	020 Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire	021 Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire

022 Winchester Cathedral, Winchester	023 Osborne House	024 Leeds Castle

025 Sissinghurst Castle Garden	013 Studley Royal Park	027 Oxford University

028 Cambridge University	029 Ludlow	030 Cathedral Church Of St. Andrew

031 Cunard's QE2 & QM2	032 Stratford-upon-Avon	033 Warwick Castle

034 Salisbury Cathedral	035 Stourhead	036 York Minster

	019 Castle Howard

Scotland

S001 Edinburgh Castle	S002 St Kilda	S003 Skara Brae

S004 Caledonian Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh	S005 The Castle Trail	S006 Na H-Eileanan Siar

S007 Isle Of Skye	S008 Kinloch Lodge	S009 Skibo Castle

S010 Inverlochy Castle	S011 Balmoral Castle	S012 The Mackintosh Trail

S013 One Devonshire Gardens	S014 Balfour Castle	S015 Kinnaird Estate

S016 Trossachs	S017	S018

Wales
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd

W001 Beaumaris Castle	W002 Caernarfon Castle	W003 Conwy Castle

W004 Harlech Castle	W005 Blaenavon	W006 Bodnant Garden

Click here for London architecture


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London is not characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time. Few structures predate the Great Fire of 1666, notable exceptions including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Banqueting House and several scattered Tudor survivors in the City.

In itself, the City contains a wide variety of styles, progressing through Wren's late 17th century churches and the financial institutions of the 18th and 19th century such as the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England, to the early 20th century Old Bailey (England and Wales' central criminal court) and the 1960s Barbican Estate. Notable recent buildings are the 1980s skyscraper Tower 42, the Lloyds Building with services running along the outside of the structure, and the 2004 Swiss Re St Mary Axe building, known as the "Gherkin".

London's generally low-rise nature makes these skyscrapers and others such as One Canada Square and its neighbours at Canary Wharf and the BT Tower in Fitzrovia very noticeable from a distance. High-rise development is restricted at certain sites if it would obstruct protected views of Saint Paul's Cathedral. Nevertheless, there are plans for more skyscrapers in central London, including the 72-story "Shard of Glass", which will be one of the tallest buildings in Europe.

Other notable modern buildings include London City Hall in Southwark with its distinctive ovular shape, the British Library in Somers Town, the Great Court of the British Museum, and the striking Millennium Dome next to the Thames east of Canary Wharf. The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1933 Battersea Power Station by the river in the southwest is a local landmark, whilst some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably St. Pancras Station and Paddington (at least internally).

Several monuments pay homage to people and events in the city. The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area whilst commemorating the Great Fire of London which originated nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, at the north and south ends of Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Monument and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Nelson's Column is a nationally-recognised monument in Trafalgar Square, providing a focal point for the whole central area.

The Royal Institute of British Architects has today named Britain's best new buildings in their annual awards. The buildings will go on to be considered for the Stirling prize, Britain's most prestigious architecture award, which will be announced in June. Here are some of the highlights from RIBA's list of 92 contenders ...

Manchester: Hilton Tower by Ian Simpson Architects. Beetham Tower in Manchester is the tallest residential building in the country with 219 apartments and a five-star Hilton hotel in the 171m-high block

Photograph: Christopher Thomond

London: St Pancras International station by Alistair Lansley. RIBA's verdict: 'The design strategy has both coherence and drama ... that intentionally establishes the magnificence of the architecture.'

Photograph: Paul Childs

Nottingham: Old Market Square by Gustafson Porter. RIBA's verdict: 'A fluid inviting public space. It allows the surrounding buildings both to complement each other and stand out for their architectural character.'

Photograph: Dominic Henry/PR

Manchester: Civil Justice Centre by Denton Corker Marshall. RIBA's verdict: 'The largest court building to be built in the UK since the Royal Courts of Justice ... elegant and beautifully executed.'

Photograph: Christopher Thomond

East Beach Cafe, Littlehampton. Architect: Heatherwick Studio. The judges said: 'It is both strange and captivating; weird but lovable.'

Photograph: /PR

Glasgow: BBC Scotland, Pacific Quay by David Chipperfield Architects. RIBA's verdict: 'A singularly awe-inspiring volume.'

Photograph: David Woods/PR

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