Architecture
What did Napoleon really want from his architects?
The emperor of France longed to rival the emperors of ancient Rome, reorganising the great cities of Europe and creating a few of his own
Shutting up shop: an elegy for the department store dream
These vast, bustling buildings were once emblems of city life – but they’ve been in decline for years and the pandemic has only hastened their demise
Keep cool: the concrete castles of Louis Kahn
The architect wreathed his buildings in mystical language – but his modern citadels are clearly among the great achievements of 20th-century architecture
An architectural frieze is the icing on the cake, for a building
They’re the classic way to embellish a building – and for all their suspicion of ornament, even modern architects went in for them
The school that gave us starchitecture
The Architectural Association in London has always been a quirky place, writes Douglas Murphy, but its pupils still go on to dominate the profession
From the Apollo archives – Gavin Stamp on the sorry saga of Edinburgh’s Royal High School
As the future of one of Edinburgh’s greatest buildings hangs in the balance, we republish Gavin Stamp’s call from 2015 to preserve its architectural integrity
Making an appearance – architectural copies and cover versions
Replicas and reconstructions are often regarded as inauthentic, but what does authenticity mean in the case of a building?
From Buxton to the Barbican – the enduring appeal of the crescent
Whether for grand prospects or compact residential buildings, it seems as though architects never tire of the crescent form
Why are Berlin’s new buildings so intent on looking backwards?
The reconstruction of the Berlin Palace is just one example of the city’s nostalgia for the past
In defence of Coventry’s post-war architecture
Why is the city so determined to destroy one of the best civic centres of the post-war period?
Redeeming features – how Palladio marked the end of the plague in Venice
Built to give thanks for Venice’s deliverance from the plague, the church of Il Redentore remains the centre of an annual festival marking the event
Down to earth – the revival of building with mud
The Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy breathed new life into this ancient material in the 1940s – and it’s time it made another comeback
‘Like the sudden revelation of something ancient’ – in praise of contemporary follies
The best recent takes on this architectural form have a hint of magic about them
‘Living in it would be delectable but exhausting’ – at the Villa Majorelle
The art nouveau house Henri Sauvage designed for the manufacturer Louis Majorelle has been restored to its richly decorated former glory
Instant classic – the many versions of St Martin-in-the-Fields
Commissioned 300 years ago, James Gibbs’ design for the London church was soon replicated around the world
Cooling towers are a powerful presence in the landscape – and deserve to be saved
It’s time to appreciate the gracefulness of power stations before more of them disappear
‘These remarkable examples of Mughal technology spoke to an India freed from British rule’
An 18th-century observatory in Delhi has inspired many architects in the post-Independence era
‘If James Wines’ greatest works were still around, they would be Instagram sensations’
Perhaps it’s time to catch up with the sculptor-turned-architect who has always been ahead of the pack
What can be done to save England’s neglected parish churches?
The Church of England may be one of the UK’s biggest landowners, but surprisingly little of its wealth is spent on the historic buildings in its care
When Palladio came to Cheshire – in the 1980s
Henbury Hall is a fine example of neo-Palladian architecture. But what does it mean to recreate a historical style?
Going concerns? The Victorian market halls of Horace Jones
Once feted for infrastructure projects in London, the architect is now better known for designing Tower Bridge and Leadenhall and Smithfield markets
From cinemas to service stations – the modernist marvels of Eritrea
The buildings erected in Asmara during Italian rule are remarkably forward-looking – and should not be allowed to crumble
‘Thomas Mawson’s designs are never nostalgic’
The civic-mindedness of the visionary landscape designer and architect set him apart from his contemporaries
The variety, delicacy and wit of Lina Bo Bardi
In her drawings as in her architecture, the Italian-born Brazilian modernist was ‘radical and magical’
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What’s the point of old postcards?