Architecture
‘The Southbank Centre suffers from architectural self-loathing’
Plans for a rooftop bar at the Royal Festival Hall have thankfully been scrapped, but questions remain over the stewardship of the Southbank centre
The novelty and nostalgia of the Victorian seaside pier
The great iron structures of 19th-century Britain are important parts of the island’s cultural memory
Remembering Robert Venturi – reluctant pioneer of postmodernism
The American architect, whose career spanned seven decades, has died at the age of 93
The eclectic country houses of George Devey
The Victorian architect fused styles past and present, inventing fictive histories for his buildings
How the church-building boom of the 19th century began
Two hundred years ago, the English parliament passed the Act for Building New Churches, allocating £1m for the task
The genius of Charles Rennie Mackintosh
The architect and designer’s reputation stands higher than ever – but the source of his talent remains elusive
The modern architect who gave Budapest a taste of the future
Béla Lajta was one of the most innovative architects of the early 20th century
Minnette de Silva was a great architect – and her buildings should not be left to crumble
Kandy should be prouder of the pioneering architect, who instigated the idea of ‘regional modernism’
The contradictory career of Decimus Burton
The architect was once best known for his neoclassical buildings, but his reputation now rests on the glasshouses at Kew Gardens
Britain’s most important 20th-century housing is under threat
The Alton Estate in London is at risk from proposals that will ruin the architecture and destroy social housing
The criminal genius of J.L. Pearson
How could such a gifted architect also be responsible for such appalling ‘restoration’ jobs?
Is the system for protecting historic buildings working?
The procedures for protecting England’s historic buildings are now 70 years old. Is the system still fit for purpose?
In praise of monumental cemeteries
The vast cemeteries built in 19th-century Italy can still tell us much about civic pride
The architects who designed their own homes
The houses that architects designed for themselves can tell us much about their attitudes to their work
Restoring Turner’s vision for Sandycombe Lodge
Sandycombe Lodge, built by J.M.W. Turner in 1812, offers an intriguing glimpse of the painter’s potential as an architect
Don’t expect England’s great cathedrals to look after themselves
The ancient cathedrals of England need financial help to stave off ruin
The museum building that expresses the tragedy of Cologne
Peter Zumthor’s Kolumba is a poignant monument for a city devastated by wartime bombing
How the Versailles of Yorkshire has been saved
The future of Wentworth Woodhouse, a preposterous yet beautiful country house near Sheffield, has been secured after decades of uncertainty
Glasgow must not forget its greatest architect
In his bicentenary year, the Scottish architect Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson should be getting more attention
‘Hull can boast buildings of national significance’
The UK’s City of Culture is home to a selection of great public buildings – from a late gothic masterpiece, to a state of the art ‘subquarium’
‘A Baroque tamed to suit a northern taste’
The chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte is rare among historic houses in France – for both the quality of its conservation and as a privately run property
‘It seems extraordinary that this great artist is so little known’
Gertrude Stein hailed him as the ‘new Michelangelo’ and he was consulted by statemen about Balkan politics, but Meštrović’s name has fallen into obscurity
How life goes on in a ruined Roman palace
The ruins of Diocletian’s Palace in Split are still inhabited – and they don’t look that different from how they did to Robert Adam in the 1750s
Westminster Cathedral’s ceilings like the sky
The influence of glittering Byzantine churches can be found in the impressive mosaics of Westminster Cathedral – including a new work by Tom Phillips
Cosmetic surgery – a Stuart beauty is restored to her natural state