St Pancras Hotel, London

Which is the most notable Gothic Revival building in London? Most people might, not unreasonably, nominate the Houses of Parliament, even though A.W.N. Pugin, one of its two architects disparagingly described it to an acquaintance as "All Grecian, sir; Tudor details on a classic body." My vote would be split between Alfred Waterhouse's Natural History Museum (1881) and the St Pancras Hotel (1876). The latter was built by George Gilbert Scott after he was, surprisingly, declared winner in the competition for the project. Why surprisingly? Because his design was much bigger and much more expensive than was stipulated in the competition rules. This would usually have ruled him out of contention but here the judges were overpowered by the magnificence of Scott's vision. One can still feel that today.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Gothic Revival

The nineteenth century revived the use of the Gothic style of architecture. Probably the two UK buildings that most celebrate the "Gothic Revival" are the Houses of Parliament (though this has a classical plan onto which Pugin applied Gothic decoration) and the railway hotel at St Pancras. The latter, which opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel, was the work of George Gilbert Scott. He was one of the most prolific of Victorian architects, known mainly for his churches, but also for many notable public and commercial buildings. My photograph shows one of the pedestrian tunnels that connect the outside front of the hotel with the platforms of the station. It is a splendid example of Scott's mastery of brickwork, terracotta detailing and light.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2