Britain’s oldest monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died at Balmoral Castle aged 96 Earlier this year, Her Majesty The Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70th anniversary on the throne At his coronation.
Which was televised for the first time, newspapers and TV stations spoke of a “new Elizabethan era” that would lift Britain out of its post-war gloom Now, seventy years later.
The longest reign in British history draws to a close, and people have come together to pay their respects to the Queen and reflect on her cultural, technological and architectural legacy.
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The reign of Queen Elizabeth II has been marked by a number of significant architectural achievements.
These range from the commissioning of new landmark buildings, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, to the restoration of older buildings, such as St Paul’s Cathedral.
This essay will outline some of the key architectural legacies of Queen Elizabeth II and discuss why it has been so significant.
Queen Elizabeth II has been responsible for a number of landmark building commissions
Most of them are world-famous buildings including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
These buildings have had a lasting impact on the landscape of Britain and the world. In the 1950s, at the start of the Queen’s reign.
The English landscape was still dominated by churches, castles and palaces as the most representative architectural forms. The Guardian noted that when she took the throne in 1952, the tallest building in the UK was St Paul’s Cathedral London‘s skyline now includes glass and steel office towers, many of which are over 150 meters high.
The end of low-rise buildings is one of the defining characteristics of the current era However, despite the dramatic changes, the term “Elizabethan Revival style” is not often mentioned to describe architectural developments in England.
Queen Elizabeth II has also been responsible for the restoration of a number of historic buildings
Including Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral. These restoration projects have helped to preserve important historical artefacts and architectural landmarks. The 15-year cleaning and restoration program at St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the largest restoration projects ever undertaken in the UK.
This is the first time in the history of Saint Paul’s Church that it has been completely restored inside and out. The culmination of the clean-up project coincides with Parliament’s announcement of the cathedral’s 300th anniversary.
The project cleaned and restored the west facade while transforming the interior of the cathedral using the latest conservation techniques
Rev Graeme Knowles, Dean of St Paul’s Church, said: “The two million pilgrims, pilgrims and tourists who come to St Paul’s Church every year can now witness [Sir Christopher’s] original vision Wren and see the cathedral fresh and complete as ever.”
Fabric expert Martin Stanchliffe, who oversaw the restoration project, described it as a “privilege – and an extraordinary experience”
“This magnificent building is now in sound condition and probably looks better than it has ever looked since it was completed in 1711,” he said St Paul’s is the cathedral of the Diocese of London, and it has served for over 1,400 years.
Queen Elizabeth II has also been instrumental in the promotion of contemporary architecture, and her commitment to the development of the new nation.
In contrast, the second Elizabethan era can only be described in terms of diversity. Modernism was characteristic of the post-war period in Britain and its variant, Brutalism, was a popular architectural style in Britain’s new housing estates of the 1970s
Large residential complexes such as the Barbican completed in 1982 or Park Hill Estate completed in 1961 were initially reluctant but have now been somewhat restored in the public eye.
However, investment in public and social buildings in the UK slowed in the 1980s, as did state influence on the building programme. The reporting structure of private capital has affected the UK’s development image. Glass and steel towers now define the appearance of major British cities
New landmarks such as Norman Foster’s Gherkin or Renzo Piano’s The Shard have little to do with English architectural tradition, seeking to create a globally recognized image and stimulate local economic growth
There is no linear style development, but the representative architecture is inspired by the high-tech movement of the 1990s
Illustrated by the Lloyds Building in London, postmodernism, as in the Sainsbury’s Wing of the National Gallery, designed by Robert Venturi and Dennis Scott Brown, or deconstruction, as in Daniel Liebers Kim’s Imperial War Museum North.
Determining the influence and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II can be difficult given the rapid development of the UK’s architectural landscape. On the one hand, it is logical to point out the erosion of the formally crucial tradition of royal patronage.
While the Queen’s ancestors carried on their legacy by building cities, palaces and cathedrals, the Queen wisely expressed her interest in having a direct impact on the built environment
Her son, originally named Prince Charles, now King Charles III, proved to have more of a say. Nevertheless, his intervention and penchant for imitations of other eras have sparked debate in the world of architecture.
On the other hand, the reign of a monarch is generally known for the social conditions he oversees. It may be too early to assess this. Perhaps in the future, however, in hindsight, we could see the era of Elizabeth II as a time of progress, innovation and ever-increasing comfort in everyday life.
Information Courtsey- ArchDaily
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