Architecture
What photographs can and can’t tell us about buildings
Since the invention of the medium, photography has always had an ambiguous relationship with architecture
The architect whose greatest achievement was the world’s first miniature village
Wolf’s Cove, the model village in Gloucestershire designed by Charles Paget Wade, is proof of the architect’s commitment to creating ideal communities
The restoration of the ruins of York Castle is a towering achievement
All that remains of the city’s two medieval castles is the empty shell of a single tower, now imaginatively restored by Hugh Broughton Architects
Theaster Gates’ big idea – the Serpentine Pavilion, reviewed
The American artist’s ‘Black Chapel’ is an imposing addition to the manicured lawns of Kensington Gardens but is it where you’ll find perfection?
Why are New York’s new skyscrapers so bad?
As the Manhattan skyline keeps getting higher, the quality of the skyscrapers crowding the horizon seems to be getting lower and lower
How the Versailles of Yorkshire was saved from ruin
Wentworth Woodhouse, the largest stately home in England, has at last been restored to something of its former glory
Full circle – the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice returns to its social roots
Formerly home to the Venetian officials who cared for the city’s poor, the newly restored historic building now serves the local community as well as tourists
Bastion House – the passing of a London landmark
140 London Wall is an imperious piece of 1970s architecture – so why is it being replaced by a generic office block, at great environmental cost?
‘It has always been a museum of the future’ – at the original Smithsonian
The Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall has finally reopened – and it remains as forward-looking as ever
Are New Towns a thing of the past?
The ambitious post-war planning programme was an extraordinary achievement – and one that is ripe for reassessment
Richard Rogers was as significant an architect as Lutyens
The architect who created some of the most memorable buildings of the last century and was a major influence on urban policy in Britain has died at the age of 88
The visionary artist who saw into the mind of John Soane
Joseph Gandy’s dramatic paintings turned John Soane’s neoclassical designs into full-blown Romantic fantasies
The architect who did up Downing Street without a fuss
Raymond Erith adapted classical architecture for a modern age
Flight of fancy – the spectacle of the Spanish Steps
Sitting on the steps is now forbidden – but for centuries, the monumental staircase has been one of Rome’s most theatrical attractions
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?
How Issey Miyake brought art into fashion