Gothic Revival Architecture

Book excerpt: From the Houses of Parliament to the Midland Hotel at St Pancras and Strawberry Hill House, Gothic Revival buildings are some of the most distinctive structures found in Britain. Far from a copy of medieval buildings, it was a style full of colour and invention, in which its exponents created a daring new approach to design. Throwing out the old Classical rule book, Gothic Revival architects like Pugin and George Gilbert Scott designed buildings which were asymmetrical in form and visually expressive of their function. The movement went beyond just bricks and mortar and had a strong moral code, the influence of which was still felt into the 20th century. In this illustrated book, Trevor Yorke tells the story of the Gothic Revival from its origins in the whimsical fancies of the Georgian Period through to its High Victorian climax.