Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

(1837–1901), called the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

, during which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. However, many elements of what is typically termed "Victorian" architecture did not become popular until later in Victoria's reign, roughly from 1850 and later. The styles often included interpretations and

eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...

revivals Revival most often refers to: * Resuscitation of a person *Language revival of an extinct language * Revival (sports team) of a defunct team *Revival (television) of a former television series *Revival (theatre), a new production of a previously p ...

of historic styles ''(see

Historicism Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying their history, that is, by studying the process by which they came about. The term is widely u ...

)''. The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme, it followed

Georgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

and later

Regency architecture Regency architecture encompasses classical buildings built in the United Kingdom during the Regency era in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to earlier and later buildings following the same style. The period co ...

, and was succeeded by

Edwardian architecture Edwardian architecture is a Neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular in the British Empire during the Edwardian era (1901–1910). Architecture up to the year 1914 may also be included in this style. Description Edwardian architecture is ...

. Although Victoria did not reign over the United States, the term is often used for American styles and buildings from the same period, as well as those from the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

Victorian architecture in the United Kingdom

Selwyn College Gatehouse Tower, Cambridge, UK - Diliff

Gothic Revival

During the early 19th century, the romantic

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style was developed as a reaction to the

symmetry Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definit ...

Palladianism Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

, and such buildings as

Fonthill Abbey Fonthill Abbey—also known as Beckford's Folly—was a large Gothic Revival country house built between 1796 and 1813 at Fonthill Gifford in Wiltshire, England, at the direction of William Thomas Beckford and architect James Wyatt. It was b ...

were built. By the middle of the 19th century, as a result of new

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

, construction was able to incorporate metal materials as building components. Structures were erected with

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

and

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...

frames. However, due to being weak in tension, these materials were effectively phased out in place for more structurally sound

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

. One of the greatest exponents of iron frame construction was

Joseph Paxton Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

, architect of

the Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibit ...

. Paxton also continued to build such houses as

Mentmore Towers Mentmore Towers, historically known simply as "Mentmore", is a 19th-century English country house built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. Sir Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George ...

, in the still popular

English Renaissance The English Renaissance was a Cultural movement, cultural and Art movement, artistic movement in England from the early 16th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that is usually regarded as beginni ...

styles. New methods of construction were developed in this era of prosperity, but ironically the architectural styles, as developed by such architects as

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

, were typically retrospective. In

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, the architect

Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was ...

who practised in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

was a pioneer of the use of

and

for commercial buildings, blending neo-classical conventionality with Egyptian and Oriental themes to produce many truly original structures. Other notable Scottish architects of this period are

Archibald Simpson Archibald Simpson (4 May 1790 – 23 March 1847) was a Scottish architect, who along with his rival John Smith, is regarded as having fashioned the character of Aberdeen as "The Granite City".Simpson, William Douglas, (1947) ''The Archibald S ...

and

Alexander Marshall Mackenzie Alexander Marshall MacKenzie (1 January 1848 – 4 May 1933) was a Scottish architect responsible for prestigious projects including the headquarters of the Isle of Man Banking Company in Douglas, and Australia House and the Waldorf Hotel in L ...

, whose stylistically varied work can be seen in the

architecture of Aberdeen The architecture of Aberdeen, Scotland, is known for the use of granite as the principal construction material. The stone, which has been quarried in and around the city, has given Aberdeen the epithet ''The Granite City'', or more romanticall ...

. While Scottish architects pioneered this style it soon spread right across the United Kingdom and remained popular for another forty years. Its architectural value in preserving and reinventing the past is significant. Its influences were diverse but the Scottish architects who practiced it were inspired by unique ways to blend architecture, purpose, and everyday life in a meaningful way.

Other Revival styles

Jacobethan The Jacobethan or Jacobean Revival architectural style is the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance (15 ...

(1830–1870; the precursor to the

British Queen Anne Revival British Queen Anne Revival architecture, also known as Domestic Revival, is a style of building using red brick, white woodwork, and an eclectic mixture of decorative features, that became popular in the 1870s, both for houses and for larger bui ...

style) *

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

(1840–1890) *

Neo-Grec Néo-Grec was a Neoclassical Revival style of the mid-to-late 19th century that was popularized in architecture, the decorative arts, and in painting during France's Second Empire, or the reign of Napoleon III (1852–1870). The Néo-Grec vo ...

(1845–1865) *

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

(1855–1880; originated in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) *

(1870–1910) *

Scots Baronial Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...

(predominantly Scotland) * British Arts and Crafts movement (1880–1910) Some styles, while not uniquely Victorian, are strongly associated with the 19th century owing to the large number of examples that were erected during that period: *

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

* Neoclassical File:Houses of Parliament.jpg,

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

, Neo-Gothic completed in 1870. Designed by Sir

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...

and

File:Royal Albert Hall, London - Nov 2012.jpg,

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, London File:Victoria Clock Tower, Liverpool University - geograph.org.uk - 374422.jpg, The "Red Brick" Victoria Building at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

, completed in 1893 in

style. Designed by

Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...

File:The Oval Pavilion.jpg, The Victorian Pavilion at

The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...

cricket ground in London File:Art&Science.jpg, Victorian School of Art and Science at

Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the Five ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

File:HardwickHouseEstate.jpg, House on the Hardwick House estate near

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

File:Manchester town hall.jpg,

Manchester Town Hall Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. It is the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments. The building faces Albert Square to th ...

File:The John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester.jpg, The

John Rylands Library The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is a late-Victorian neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. It is part of the University of Manchester. The library, which opened to the public in 1900, was founded by Enriquet ...

in Manchester File:BirminghamUniversityChancellorsCourt.jpg, The

Aston Webb Sir Aston Webb (22 May 1849 – 21 August 1930) was a British architect who designed the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other major works around England, many of them in par ...

building at the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

, UK File:Birmingham - Lawcourt 2.JPG,

Victoria Law Courts The Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street, Birmingham, England is a Grade I listed red brick and terracotta building that now houses Birmingham Magistrates' Court. History Designed by Aston Webb & Ingress Bell of London after an open compe ...

, Birmingham, UK File:University of Glasgow Gilbert Scott Building - Feb 2008-2.jpg, The Gilbert Scott Building of the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, as viewed from

Kelvingrove Park Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. History Kelvingrove Park was originally created as the West End Park in 1852, and ...

. An example of the

style File:North of Scotland Bank, 5 Castle Street, Aberdeen, Archibald Simpson, 1839-42.jpg, North of Scotland Bank in Aberdeen by

1839–42 File:Balmoral Castle.jpg,

Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen. The estate and its original castle were bought ...

, completely rebuilt for Queen Victoria, an example of the

Scots Baronial style Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...

File:Walsall Victorian Arcade.JPG,

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

Victorian Arcade, UK File:Barclay's Bank building, Sutton (Surrey), Greater London 03.jpg, Barclays Bank building,

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location * S ...

, Greater London File:Bridge III.jpg,

Forth Rail Bridge The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in ...

, Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh, Scotland, UK File:Somerville College.jpg,

Somerville College, Oxford Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. Among its alumnae have been Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dorothy Hodgkin, Ir ...

, UK

International spread of Victorian styles

During the 18th century, a few English architects emigrated to the colonies, but as the

became firmly established during the 19th century, many architects emigrated at the start of their careers. Some chose the United States, and others went to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Normally, they applied architectural styles that were fashionable when they left England. By the latter half of the century, however, improving transport and communications meant that even remote parts of the Empire had access to publications such as the magazine ''

The Builder ''Building'' is one of the United Kingdom's oldest business-to-business magazines, launched as ''The Builder'' in 1843 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom – architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom Cab. The journal was renamed ''Bu ...

'', which helped colonial architects keep informed about current fashion. Thus, the influence of English architecture spread across the world. Several prominent architects produced English-derived designs around the world, including

William Butterfield William Butterfield (7 September 1814 – 23 February 1900) was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement (or Tractarian Movement). He is noted for his use of polychromy. Biography William Butterfield was born in Lon ...

(

St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide St Peter's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Adelaide and Metropolitan of the Province of South Australia. The cathedral, a significant Adelaide landmark, is situ ...

) and

Jacob Wrey Mould Jacob Wrey Mould (7 August 1825 – 14 June 1886) was a British architect, illustrator, linguist and musician, noted for his contributions to the design and construction of New York City's Central Park. He was "instrumental" in bringing the Brit ...

(Chief Architect of Public Works in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Australia

Winsbury Terrace 75-79 Kent Street Millers Point

The Victorian period flourished in Australia and is generally recognised as being from 1840 to 1890, which saw a

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

and population boom during the 1880s in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. There were fifteen styles that predominated: The Arts and Crafts style and Queen Anne style are considered to be part of the

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

Period, from 1890 to 1915. File:Royal exhibition building tulips straight.jpg,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

's world heritage

Royal Exhibition Building The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage-listed building in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, built in 1879–1880 as part of the international exhibition movement, which presented over 50 exhibitions between 1851 and 1915 around the glo ...

, built in 1880 (Free Classical) File:General Post Office, Sydney.jpg,

General Post Office, Sydney The General Post Office (abbreviation GPO, commonly known as the Sydney GPO) is a heritage- listed landmark building located in Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The original building was constructed in two stages beginning in 1 ...

, in the Free Classical style (1891) File:The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne, Australia.jpg, Hotel Windsor, 1885 File:St Peters Cathedral.JPG,

St Peters Cathedral St Peter's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Anglican Diocese of Adelaide, Adelaide and Metropolitan bishop, Metropolitan of the Province of South Australia. The c ...

Adelaide, South Australia Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...

(Gothic Revival) File:SydneyTownHall gobeirne.jpg,

Sydney Town Hall The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings and ...

, in Second Empire style File:Sydney (AU), Queen Victoria Building -- 2019 -- 3580.jpg,

Queen Victoria Building The Queen Victoria Building (abbreviated as the QVB) is a heritage-listed late-nineteenth-century building designed by the architect George McRae located at 429–481 George Street in the Sydney central business district, in the Australian stat ...

in Romanesque style (1898) File:South Melbourne Townhall.jpg,

South Melbourne Town Hall South Melbourne Town Hall is a civic building located on Bank Street in South Melbourne, Victoria, South Melbourne, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It is of state heritage significance to Victoria being listed o ...

in Second Empire style File:StMarysSydneyCathedral1.jpg,

St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians (colloquially, St Mary's Cathedral) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the cathedra, seat of the Catholic Bishops an ...

, in Victorian Gothic architecture (1882) File:York Street, Sydney.jpg, Victorian Mannerist architecture lining a street in Sydney File:Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Australia.jpg,

Princess Theatre, Melbourne The Princess Theatre, originally Princess's Theatre, is a 1452-seat theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1854 and rebuilt in 1886 to a design by noted Melbourne architect William Pitt, it is the oldest surviving entertain ...

File:Vic State Library Facade Pano,19.07.06.JPG,

State Library of Victoria State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the ...

of the Academic Classical style (1870) File:OIC adelaide north terrace university bldg.jpg, Brookman Hall, UniSA City East Campus, Adelaide, South Australia File:(1)Italianate home Dutruc Street Randwick-1.jpg, Italianate home in

Randwick, New South Wales Randwick is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwi ...

File:(1) Nichols Street Homes.JPG,

Filigree Filigree (also less commonly spelled ''filagree'', and formerly written ''filigrann'' or ''filigrene'') is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewellery and other small forms of metalwork. In jewellery, it is usually of gold and silver, ma ...

style terraces in

Surry Hills Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surroun ...

with ornate iron-wrought detailing File:Goodrest corner leopold and domain road south yarra.jpg, Second Empire and Filigree residence in

South Yarra, Victoria South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Sto ...

Hong Kong

Western influence in architecture was strong when

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

was a

British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

. Victorian architecture in Hong Kong: File:St Andrew's Church 2017.jpg, St. Andrew's Church File:St John Cathedral Hong Kong.jpg, St. John's Cathedral File:1881 Heritage Overview 201108.jpg,

Former Marine Police Headquarters The Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound, completed in 1884, is located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. From 1884 to 1996, the Compound served as the headquarters for the Marine Police, which moved to Sai Wan Ho in 1996 The compo ...

(now officially named as '

1881 Heritage Events January–March * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The ...

', which is a hotel and a shopping mall)

Ireland

is more prominent in Ireland than Victorian architecture. The cities of Dublin, Limerick, and Cork are famously dominated by Georgian squares and terraces. Though Victorian architecture flourished in certain quarters. Particularly around Dublin's

Wicklow Street Wicklow Street () is an established shopping street located in Dublin city centre, running from Grafton Street in the east to Exchequer Street and South William Street in the west. History In 1776, the street was part of Exchequer Street, name ...

and Upper

Baggot Street Baggot Street () is a street in Dublin, Ireland. Location The street runs from Merrion Row (near St. Stephen's Green) to the northwestern end of Pembroke Road. It crosses the Grand Canal near Haddington Road. It is divided into two sections: ...

and in the suburbs of

Rathmines Rathmines () is an affluent inner suburb on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. It lies three kilometres south of the city centre. It begins at the southern side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to t ...

Ranelagh Ranelagh ( , ; ) is an affluent residential area and urban village on the Southside of Dublin, Ireland in the postal district of D06. History The district was originally a village known as Cullenswood just outside Dublin, surrounded by lande ...

Rathgar Rathgar (), is a suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It was originally a village which from 1862 was part of the township of Rathmines and Rathgar; it was absorbed by the growing city and became a suburb in 1930. It lies about three kilometres south of ...

Rathfarnham Rathfarnham () is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council a ...

, and

Terenure Terenure (), originally called ''Roundtown'', is an affluent, middle class suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is located in the city's D6W postcode area. Location and transport Terenure lies primarily in the administrative area of Dublin City ...

. The colourful

buildings of

Cobh Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...

are excellent examples of the regional Victorian style in Ireland. Further examples of Victorian architecture in the country include Dublin's

George's Street Arcade George's Street Arcade is a shopping centre on South Great George's Street in Dublin. It is a Victorian style red-bricked indoor market of stalls and stores. It opened in 1881 as the South City Markets. History The first purpose-built Victoria ...

, the

Royal City of Dublin Hospital The Royal City of Dublin Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ríoga Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) was a health facility on Baggot Street, Dublin, Ireland. History The hospital was first established by a group of doctors from the Royal College of Surgeons in ...

on Baggot Street and the

Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (also known as The Eye and Ear) ( ga, Ospidéal Ríoga Victoria Súl agus Cluas) is a public teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin was founded in 1895 and ...

on Adelaide Road. File:Cobh-Cathedral-West-Side-2012.JPG, A Victorian terrace in

known as the "deck of cards" File:South Great George's Street Dublin.jpg, Victorian shops and cafes, including the

, Dublin D02 File:Baggot Street Upper, Dublin.jpg, Victorian Upper

, Dublin D02 File:D6W pillar box.jpg, Victorian terraced houses in Dublin D6W File:Rathmines Road.jpg, Rathmines Clock Tower, Rathmines, Dublin D06

Sri Lanka

During the British colonial period of British Ceylon:

Sri Lanka Law College Sri Lanka Law College (abbreviated as SLLC), formerly known as Ceylon Law College, is a law college, and the only legal institution where one can enroll as a attorney-at-law in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1874, under the then Council of Legal ...

, Sri Lanka College of Technology, Galle Face Hotel and the

Royal College A royal college in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received royal patronage and permission to use the prefix ''royal''. Permission is usually granted through a royal charter. The charter normally confers a constituti ...

Main Building.

North America

Alamo Sq Painted Ladies 1, SF, CA, jjron 26

In the United States, 'Victorian' architecture generally describes styles that were most popular between 1860 and 1900. A list of these styles most commonly includes

(1855–85), Stick-Eastlake (1860–ca. 1890),

Folk Victorian Folk Victorian is an architectural style employed for some homes in the United States and Europe between 1870 and 1910, though isolated examples continued to be built well into the 1930s. Folk Victorian homes are relatively plain in their construc ...

(1870–1910), Queen Anne (1880–1910),

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque ...

(1880–1900), and Shingle (1880–1900). As in the United Kingdom, examples of Gothic Revival and Italianate continued to be constructed during this period, and are therefore sometimes called Victorian. Some historians classify the later years of Gothic Revival as a distinctive Victorian style named High Victorian Gothic. Stick-Eastlake, a manner of geometric, machine-cut decorating derived from Stick and Queen Anne, is sometimes considered a distinct style. On the other hand, terms such as "

Painted Ladies In American architecture, painted ladies are Victorian and Edwardian houses and buildings repainted, starting in the 1960s, in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. The term was first used for San Francisco ...

" or "

gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as ...

" may be used to describe certain Victorian buildings, but do not constitute a specific style. The names of architectural styles (as well as their adaptations) varied between countries. Many homes combined the elements of several different styles and are not easily distinguishable as one particular style or another. Victorian facades on 16th Street in San Francisco

Victorian facades on 16th Street in San Francisco

Notable Victorian-inspired cities during this era include

Alameda An alameda is a Avenue (landscape), street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada *Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan **Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile ...

, Astoria, Albany,

Deal A deal, or deals may refer to: Places United States * Deal, New Jersey, a borough * Deal, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * Deal Lake, New Jersey Elsewhere * Deal Island (Tasmania), Australia * Deal, Kent, a town in England * Deal, ...

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, the

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, an ...

and

Victorian Flatbush Victorian Flatbush is the western section of the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, bordering Midwood, that is characterized by Victorian houses. The neighborhoods of Victorian Flatbush were developed in the early twentieth century from fa ...

sections of New York City, Buffalo,

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Jersey City/Hoboken, New Jersey, Hoboken, Cape May, New Jersey, Cape May, Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul, San Francisco and Midtown Sacramento, Midtown in Sacramento, California, Sacramento. Los Angeles grew from a Pueblo de Los Angeles, Pueblo (village) into a Victorian Downtown Los Angeles, Victorian Downtown – now almost entirely demolished but with residential remnants in its Angelino Heights, Los Angeles, Angelino Heights and Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhoods. San Francisco is particularly well-known for its extensive Victorian architecture, especially in the Haight-Ashbury, Lower Haight, Alamo Square, Western Addition, The Mission, San Francisco, Mission, Duboce Triangle, Noe Valley, The Castro, San Francisco, Castro, Nob Hill, and Pacific Heights neighborhoods. The extent to which any one is the "largest surviving example" is debated, with numerous qualifications. The Distillery District in Toronto, Ontario contains the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America. Cabbagetown (Toronto), Cabbagetown is the largest and most continuous Victorian residential area in North America. Other Toronto Victorian neighbourhoods include The Annex, Parkdale, Toronto, Parkdale, and Rosedale, Toronto, Rosedale. In the US, the South End, Boston, Massachusetts, South End of Boston is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest and largest Victorian neighborhood in the country. Old Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, also claims to be the nation's largest Victorian neighborhood. Richmond, Virginia is home to several large Victorian neighborhoods, the most prominent being Fan District, The Fan. The Fan district is best known locally as Richmond's largest and most 'European' of Richmond's neighborhoods and nationally as the largest contiguous Victorian neighborhood in the United States. The Old West End District (Toledo, Ohio), Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio is recognized as the largest collection of late Victorian and Edwardian architecture, Edwardian homes in the United States, east of the Mississippi.Stine, L. (2005) Historic Old West End Toledo, Ohio. Bookmasters. Summit Avenue (St. Paul), Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota, has the longest line of Victorian homes in the country. Over-The-Rhine in Cincinnati, Ohio, has the largest collection of early Victorian Italianate architecture in the United States, and is an example of an intact 19th-century urban neighborhood.Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce
Over-the-Rhine Historical Sites
According to National Register of Historic Places, Cape May Historic District has one of the largest collections of late 19th century frame buildings left in the United States. The photo album ''L'Architecture Americaine'' by Albert Levy (photographer), Albert Levy published in 1886 is perhaps the first recognition in Europe of the new forces emerging in North American architecture. File:PAFA 1900 from Library of Congress (cropped).jpg, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, by Frank Furness File:AlleghenyCountyCourthouse.jpg, Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by Henry Hobson Richardson File:Santa Fe passenger terminal in San Diego prior to 1915.jpg, The California Southern Railroad's San Diego passenger terminal, built in 1887 File:Brooklyn Bridge Postdlf.jpg, Brooklyn Bridge, 1883, New York City File:Carson Mansion Eureka California.jpg, The Carson Mansion in Eureka, California, widely considered one of the highest executions of Queen Anne style architecture in the United States, Queen Anne style, built 1884–86 File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, John Steinbeck's childhood home in Salinas, California File:Emlen-physick-estate.jpg, Emlen Physick Estate in Cape May Historic District, New Jersey, by Frank Furness File:Saitta House Dyker Heights.JPG, The Saitta House, Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, New York, built in 1899 in architecture, 1899 is designed in the Queen Anne style architecture in the United States, Queen Anne style File:655 Wrightwood Avenue Circa 1880, Lincoln Park Chicago Illinois.jpg, 1880s photo of 653 W Wrightwood (now 655 W Wrightwood) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois File:Farnam Mansion 2.jpg, The

style Farnam Mansion in Oneida, New York. Built circa 1862 File:JamesJHillHouse.jpg, James J. Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota, built in 1891 File:Victorian Gazebo.jpg, Victorian gazebo in Ohio File:Over-the-Rhine-12th-and-Vine.jpg, Series of

tenements in Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio File:Ford Piquette Avenue Plant - Front Façade.jpg, Ford Piquette Avenue Plant,

, Michigan, built 1904 File:Cape may pink victorian.jpg, Gingerbread trim on an 1882 house in Cape May, New Jersey File:206 West Moore Street, Hackettstown, NJ.jpg, The Jacob C. Allen House (c. 1870) in Hackettstown, New Jersey

Canada

Canada's Chief Dominion Architect, chief dominion architects designed numerous federal buildings over the course of the Victorian era. Thomas Fuller (architect), Thomas Fuller's completion of the Canadian Parliament Buildings in 1866, in particular, established a High Victorian Gothic influence over Canadian architectural design for several consecutive decades, producing many public buildings, churches, residences, industrial buildings, and hotels. Cabbagetown houses

File:Banff Springs Hotel1.jpg, Banff Springs Hotel File:Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate.jpg, Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate File:British Columbia Parliament Building, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.jpg, British Columbia Parliament Buildings (main block) File:Canadian Museum of Nature - 06.jpg, Canadian Museum of Nature File:Michael Toronto.jpg, Cathedral Church of St. James (Toronto) File:Cathedral 006.JPG, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Saint John, New Brunswick) File:Central Chambers - 04.jpg, Central Chambers (Ottawa) File:2016-11 Château Frontenac 06.jpg, Château Frontenac File:Christ Church Cathedral day.jpg, Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal) File:Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick (2005).jpg, Christ Church Cathedral (Fredericton) File:Craigdarroch Castle just after sunset - view from the south, Victoria, Canada 01.jpg, Craigdarroch Castle File:Halifax Armoury.JPG, Halifax Armoury File:Residence H-Vincent-Meredith 01.jpg, Lady Meredith House File:Hotel de ville de Montreal 09.JPG, Montreal City Hall File:Langevin Block (2013)(cropped).jpg, Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council (formerly Langevin Block) File:Old Post Office Galt Cambridge Ontario cropped.jpg, Old Galt Post Office Building File:Torontos Old City Hall 2009.jpg, Old Toronto City Hall File:Dawn at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.JPG, Parliament Buildings (Centre Block and Library) File:Gare Viger 16.jpg, Place Viger File:London-OntarioChurch2.jpg, St. Paul's Cathedral (London, Ontario) File:The Algonquin in St Andrews.jpg, The Algonquin Resort, The Algonquin File:Brockville Fuller Bldg.JPG, Thomas Fuller Building (Brockville, Ontario) File:Uoft universitycollege.jpg, University College, Toronto Main Building File:City Hall and Volunteer Monument, Winnipeg, MB, 1887.jpg, Winnipeg City Hall (1887)

India

Because India was a colony of Britain, Victorian Architecture is prevalent in India, Especially in cities like Architecture of Mumbai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, In Mumbai (Formerly called Bombay) buildings like Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai, Municipal Corporation Building, University of Mumbai, Bombay University, Bombay High Court, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Asiatic Society of Mumbai Building (Former Town Hall) and the David Sassoon Library, David Sasoon Library are some example of Victorian Architecture in Mumbai. In Kolkata (Formerly called Calcutta) buildings like the Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, Victoria Memorial, Calcutta High Court, St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata, St Paul's Cathedral, The Asiatic Society of Bengal are some examples of Victorian Architecture in Kolkata. In Chennai (Formerly called Madras) some examples include Madras High Court, Madras High court, State Bank of Madras and St. Mary's Church, Chennai, St. Mary’s Church.

Preservation

Efforts to preserve landmarks of Victorian architecture are ongoing and are often led by the Victorian Society. A recent campaign the group has taken on is the preservation of Victorian Gas holder, gasometers after utility companies announced plans to demolish nearly 200 of the now-outdated structures.Sean O'Hagan
Gasworks wonders…
, ''The Guardian'', 14 June 2015.

References and sources

Citations

Sources

* * * *, includes descriptions of different Victorian and early-20th-century architectural styles common in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly Oakland, California, Oakland, and detailed instructions for repair and restoration of details common to older house styles.

External links

Decorative Hardware of the Victorian Era: An American. Perspective, Raheel Ahmad

Photographs of Victorian Homes in Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Victorian era architecture in San Francisco, California

Victorian era architecture and history in Buffalo, New York

Architectural influences on Victorian style

Victorian churches blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victorian Architecture Victorian architecture, 19th-century architectural styles 19th-century architecture in the United Kingdom 19th-century architecture in the United States American architectural styles Architectural history British architectural styles Revival architectural styles Victorian architectural styles Victorian architecture in the United States