126. Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor,
Blenheim Palace, entrance, 1705-1725.

Oxfordshire.

 

 

After the example of St. Peter’s Basilica, Wren combined the structure with a dome. In the structure of the dome, he realized an independent idea through the selection of the free tambour-surrounded columns, of which none of his opponents or rivals, who attacked him for his severe strictness, was capable. As the completion of the cathedral occurred under the reign of Queen Anne, it is referred to as the Queen Anne Baroque Style.

After the destructive Fire of London in 1666, Wren undertook a comprehensive building plan that included fifty-one churches, of which fifteen still exist today, and many other public buildings. Other than Wren, the only other truly notable English architect of this period was John Vanbrugh. He made a name mostly in the field of erecting castles; his main works were Blenheim Palace (1705-1725), in which Winston Churchill was born, and the stately Castle Howard (1700-1712).

Although the deeply embedded Gothic style in England occasionally rebelled against the dominance of Classicism, it still ruled throughout the whole eighteenth century. For this, two architects were mainly responsible. One was the Rome-trained William Kent who founded the “English Style”, which had a great influence on the tastes of the times. The other was the builder of Somerset House, William Chambers; after extensive travels in the Far East, he used the knowledge that he had obtained there in his English architecture, especially in his gardens. Towards the end of the century, as attempts were made in Germany and France to renew the art of architecture through a return to the antique, the Romantic triumphed over the Classical in England. However, the Gothic style continued to be rather prominent until well into the nineteenth century.