Cathedral...???
Yes ... but not of the religious ilk. This building was constructed to celebrate nature...
This image looks across Hintze Hall in the Natural History Museum in South Kensington at one of upper-level bays on the opposite side of the hall.
Unlike most of the rest of the upper-level bays on both sides of the hall, this one does not feature a display of any kind. Instead, a ramp has been installed to allow those unable to negotiate steps to move around the building. The sloping brass rail in the lower part of the image is to provide a handhold for those on the ramp who might need it.
The lack of a display allows the viewer to enjoy the profusion of superbly detailed and ornate geometric and carved architectural detail and the beautiful stained glass windows.
In 1864 Francis Fowke, the architect who designed the Royal Albert Hall and parts of the Victoria and Albert Museum, won a competition to design the Natural History Museum. When he unexpectedly died a year later, the relatively unknown Alfred Waterhouse took over and came up with a new plan for the South Kensington site.
Waterhouse used terracotta for the entire building as this material was more resistant to Victorian London's harsh climate. The result is one of Britain’s most striking examples of Romanesque architecture, which is considered a work of art in its own right and has become one of London's most iconic landmarks.
Cathedral...???
Yes ... but not of the religious ilk. This building was constructed to celebrate nature...
This image looks across Hintze Hall in the Natural History Museum in South Kensington at one of upper-level bays on the opposite side of the hall.
Unlike most of the rest of the upper-level bays on both sides of the hall, this one does not feature a display of any kind. Instead, a ramp has been installed to allow those unable to negotiate steps to move around the building. The sloping brass rail in the lower part of the image is to provide a handhold for those on the ramp who might need it.
The lack of a display allows the viewer to enjoy the profusion of superbly detailed and ornate geometric and carved architectural detail and the beautiful stained glass windows.
In 1864 Francis Fowke, the architect who designed the Royal Albert Hall and parts of the Victoria and Albert Museum, won a competition to design the Natural History Museum. When he unexpectedly died a year later, the relatively unknown Alfred Waterhouse took over and came up with a new plan for the South Kensington site.
Waterhouse used terracotta for the entire building as this material was more resistant to Victorian London's harsh climate. The result is one of Britain’s most striking examples of Romanesque architecture, which is considered a work of art in its own right and has become one of London's most iconic landmarks.