Tea-Time Zoom Talks – Great English Architects Series With Nicholas Merchant.
William Burges (1827-1881).
Wednesday 14th January at 4pm.
In the final talk for this series, we learn about the extraordinary William Burges who was the Victorian ages’ most original architect.
Throughout his career which saw him design ecclesiastical and domestic buildings he was drawn to the architecture of medieval times and not the despised neo-classical and industrialised architecture of his own generation. In this he was much in sympathy with the works of Pugin and later the Arts and Crafts Movement.
His greatest patron, in his short life, was the Welsh magnate, the Marquess of Bute. They shared not only an appreciation of the Gothic, but a love of the mystic and acrostic punning symbols.
These are seen most vividly seen in the architect’s own London house, the Tower House. For Bute he created the spectacular, polychrome interiors of Cardiff Castle and also his retreat at Castel Coch.
The work of Burges was like no other. Apart from buildings he designed interiors, silverware and furniture, all in his highly distinctive style, in order to achieve a unified and dazzling “medieval” effect.
