The most beautiful and original buildings in the Victorian style (11 photos)

The Victorian style in architecture was formed in the most glorious century in the history of Great Britain - in the twentieth century, during the reign of Queen Victoria. At that time, Britain was an empire on which the sun never set and therefore Victorian buildings with their intricate gables, numerous towers, turrets and arches can be found in all corners of the world. What are the most famous Victorian buildings?





Palace of Westminster



The Palace of Westminster, built by the architects Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, is the most famous example of Victorian architecture, also bearing features of the Gothic style. Today, the former royal residence houses the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The palace is an important and recognizable architectural symbol in the UK and around the world. The current palace building was built between 1836 and 1860 after a fire destroyed the previous palace building.





London's Royal Albert Hall



London's Royal Albert Hall is one of the most famous and prestigious concert halls in the United Kingdom. The building was opened by Queen Victoria herself in 1871. Situated in South Kensington, the structure is an important element of London architecture and one of the most famous examples of Victorian architecture in the UK.

London's Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences is named after Queen Victoria's late husband, Prince Albert. It is shaped like an ellipse and is mainly built of red brick with mosaic details scattered throughout the building.



"Painted Ladies"



Technically, not all six of the famous "Painted Ladies" Victorian houses in San Francisco, California, are typical examples of Victorian architecture. The group of houses includes buildings in both Victorian and Edwardian styles. But what are Victorian houses? This is a general term that describes housing built under Queen Victoria to meet the demand for housing during the Industrial Revolution. The characteristics of this style spread beyond Britain, changing slightly as the Victorian style spread to different regions.

Typically, bright colors were not common in the Victorian style, and the vibrant colors of the Six Sisters, another name for the complex, were a nod to the festive character of San Francisco. San Francisco's houses were first described as "painted ladies" in a 1978 book called "Painted Ladies: The Magnificent Victorians of San Francisco."



Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport



Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai is an excellent example of Victorian architecture that has acquired a national identity outside the United Kingdom. It was originally called Victoria Airport until it was renamed after the warrior king Shivaji. The airport building is a mixture of several styles, including High Victorian Gothic and traditional Indian architecture. In particular, Indian architectural elements can be found in turrets, wood carvings, ironwork, pointed arches and other intricate building details.



Palm Pavilion at Kew Gardens



This classic greenhouse is called the Palm Pavilion because it contains almost exclusively tropical plants, mainly palms. Built by Richard Turner and designed by Decimus Burton, the Palm Pavilion at Kew Gardens was built as a symbol of the wealth of Victorian Britain. Its design uses wrought iron with massive glass panels.

The design of the greenhouse resembles an inverted hull of a ship. This is because the pavilion's designers used shipbuilding principles to create an innovative new type of building.