Gothic London

I am lucky enough to pass by the Houses of Parliament most days on the way to work; this is a building that has fascinated me ever since I was a child. The intricate detail in the structure makes it look like it is made from matchsticks which would tumble in a strong gust of wind.


Taking inspiration from a recent blog from Nicky Haslam on the restoration of Strawberry Hill, I decided to take a closer look at my three favourite Gothic buildings in London, starting with the Houses of Parliament.

Houses of Parliament (also known as Westminster Palace) as we know it today, took around 30 years to build, starting in 1840. It was designed by Charles Barry.

The level of detail in this building is amazing, hundreds of narrow arched windows, prickly looking spires and miniature gargoyle heads. The yellow stone is contrasted with the grey roof, a combination which is common throughout all three buildings I visited. The gold detail in Big Ben brings an additional luxury (as if it needed it!) to the building. 

Natural History Museum - this beautiful building in South Kensington was completed in 1880, taking only 7 years to build which, considering the detail just on the exterior is incredible (Work began in 1873 and was completed in 1880).

The architect Alfred Waterhouse was inspired by Romanesque style, an architectural style from medieval Europe which developed into Gothic style in the 12th Century, and revived once again in the Victorian era.

I love the contrast of the sand coloured bricks with the blue-grey tones, making the building look fresh, even after 130 years. The aggressive pointed spires and turrets are off-set by the curved windows and the dramatic arch at the front entrance. My favourite feature is the stone gargoyle beasts that dominate the structure - snakes, lions, pre-historic and fantasy creatures guard the entrance, windows and roof; the air vents are adorned with bugs and I even found this guy in the grounds!

In a similar style to the Natural History Museum is the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

Originally built in 1873, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott (it was then called Midland Grand Hotel), has very recently been restored and is now re-open to the public after 76 years.

The exterior is classic red brick, with the features highlighted in sandy-yellow tones, with grey roof, which features sharp pointed spires and turrets. The windows are still arched, however they differ slightly from the NHM in that the arches feature a slight point. Whilst I was disappointed with the lack of scary gargoyles, this Gothic-revival style kicks the trend slightly with out of character adornments, mouldings and tiles that decorate the entrance, some of which border on Art Nouveau (see the blue tiles and corbels).

These buildings are all examples of Victorian Gothic revival. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is an example of original Gothic architecture. Although it was built 600 years before any of the above, the style has remained so similar.