The death of the British Queen on September 8, 2022 moves the world. The 96-year-old monarch had an eventful life full of duties. This often included the opening of new buildings – an overview of what the Queen means for the world of architecture can be found here.
The Queen and architecture
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II began her reign at the age of 25. She was Queen for seven decades, from 1952 to 2022, adapting her role to the changing times time and again. The death of the 96-year-old on September 8, 2022 caused great sadness among people all over the world. Elizabeth II was a symbol of personal strength, a sense of duty and constancy. She was popular and well-known far beyond national borders.
During her record time on the throne, the Queen cut numerous red ribbons. She inaugurated important public and private buildings in the UK as well as in Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries. During this time, she saw architectural styles change dramatically.
A look at the buildings the Queen has opened epitomizes this: Modern, Brutalist, high-tech and contemporary architecture is all part of it. Names such as Basil Spence, Powell & Moya, Norman Foster and Herzog & de Meuron come to mind when looking at the houses, museums, airports, cathedrals, opera houses and Houses of Parliament honored by the Queen.
The second Elizabethan era
In Great Britain, it is still customary to name an era after the reigning monarch. In her long, fulfilling life, Elizabeth II shaped the country like no other person. It is therefore no wonder that the British are now looking back on the second Elizabethan era and paying their last respects to the Queen.
During her time on the throne, Elizabeth II opened over 100 buildings in London alone. These include the Victoria Line Underground, the Barbican Centre, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the BBC Broadcasting House and the Great Court at the British Museum.
This is a selection of the buildings opened by the Queen:
1950s and 1960s
- 1955: The Queen’s Building, Heathrow, England, by Frederick Gibberd: The airport’s central terminal from the late modernist period later became Terminal 2 and was demolished in 2009 to make way for the new building by Foster + Partners. Terminal 5, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and named after the Queen, was opened in 2008.
- 1962: Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, England, by Basil Spence: The Queen was present at the official consecration of this modern cathedral, which replaces a 14th century church. The building is an example of late modernism.
- 1963: New Zealand House, London, England, by RMJM: The 15-storey building was the third tallest building in London at the time of its opening by the Queen. It was the first office tower to be built in the city center after the Second World War.
- 1968: Euston Station, London, England, by William Robert Headley and Ray Moorcroft: This modern station was controversial as old parts of the building had to be destroyed. There are currently discussions to redesign the station to provide more space for the HS2 high-speed train.
1970s
- 1973: Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia, by Jørn Utzon: One million people attended the opening of the famous opera house by the Queen. With this iconic building, Danish architect Jørn Utzon and engineer Ove Arup created an important example of engineering-dominated late modernism.
- 1976: Museum of London, London, England, by Powell & Moya: The Queen opened both the City Museum and the Barbican Estate that year, two famous Brutalist complexes with an innovative museum design.
- 1976: Royal National Theatre, London, England, by Denys Lasdun: Prince Charles called the theater a “nuclear power station in the heart of the city”. Despite the complicated 25-year construction period, it is still an important theater today.
- 1977: The Beehive, Wellington, New Zealand, by Basil Spence: This brutalist building is home to the executive branch of the New Zealand parliament. It is reminiscent of a beehive.
1980s
- 1982: Barbican Centre, London, England, by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon: The Queen described this art center as “one of the wonders of the modern world”. It is part of the Barbican Estate and seats over 1,000 people.
- 1986: Lloyd’s Building, London, England, by Richard Rogers: This building is an early example of high-tech architecture. The building services and elevators are located outside the building to create more space inside.
- 1988: Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, by Mitchell Giurgola and Thorp Architects: To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the first British convicts in the convict colony of Australia, the Queen opened the new Parliament House in the Australian capital.
1990s
- 1991: Stansted Airport, Stansted, England, by Foster + Partners: This airport near London is an example of British high-tech architecture.
- 1998: Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, by Benson + Forsyth: This building is an extension of the 19th century Royal Scottish Museum. It is a modern addition to the old town of Edinburgh.
- 1998: British Library, London, England, by Colin St. John and MJ Long: Despite Prince Charles describing the library as an “academy for the secret police”, the Queen formally opened the building. It is the largest public building constructed in Britain in the 20th century.
2000s
- 2000: Tate Modern, London, England, by Herzog & de Meuron: The famous art gallery used to be a power station. The Queen had inaugurated it 37 years earlier.
- 2000: Great Court in the British Museum, London, England, by Foster + Partners: The inner courtyard covered with a cantilevered glass shell in what is probably the most famous museum in the British capital increases the exhibition space by 40 percent.
- 2004: Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, by EMBT & RMJM: The complex parliament building references the Scottish heritage and landscape by evoking, among other things, boats and flower paintings.
- 2006: Senedd Cymru, Cardiff, Wales, by RSHP: The building for the Welsh National Assembly consists of a large steel roof and timber as well as a glass façade. It is one of the first public buildings to incorporate sustainable elements such as a biomass boiler and rainwater harvesting system.
Since 2010
- 2011: Somerset House East Wing, London, England, by BDP: This reopening of the historic wing of the building emphasizes the history of the imposing house from 1547.
- 2012: Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London, England, by Grimshaw: The Cutty Sark was built in 1869 and was one of the fastest tea clippers in the British Empire. In 2012, the ship was restored and reopened as a museum by the Queen.
- 2015: Ministry of Defense, London, England, by HOK: The first plans for the redesign of the Ministry of Defense date back to 1990. An entire consortium of partners worked for years on the final design, which the Queen inaugurated in 2015.
- 2022: Elizabeth Line, London, England: The capital’s newest subway line was inaugurated just a few months ago. It is named after the Queen, and the monarch herself made a surprise appearance at the opening ceremony.
After Queen Elizabeth – a look into the future
Despite the prevailing mourning in Great Britain, eyes are now also turning to the future: the new king, King Charles III, faces many challenges. Architects and town planners are looking particularly closely at his plans, as the previous prince was known for always having an opinion on architectural experiments.
In May 1984, he made a famous speech about the proposed extension to the National Gallery in London, which he described as a “monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend”. This drastic statement was successful and the extension based on Rogers’ design was never built. Instead, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown built the so-called Sainsbury Wing. This extension is one of the most important works of postmodernism in Great Britain.
However, the Prince not only stirred up emotions, but also contributed to the construction of new buildings and communities. For example, he donated land in the Duchy of Cornwall to build the village of Poundbury. This planned community of 3,500 residents, due to be completed in 2025, will be dominated by traditional building styles and New Urbanism.
A vision of Great Britain
He also wrote a book called “A Vision of Britain” in 1989. In it, he argued that traditional building methods and aesthetics should also influence the future of Britain. He is known as an admirer of traditional architecture. In 2014, he wrote in The Architectural Review that it was time for a more mature architecture.
The question now is how King Charles will interact with architecture and urban planning in his new role – will he be able to inaugurate modern buildings as gracefully and dutifully as his mother?
One place that King Charles is sure to have an opinion on is currently under construction in the London borough of Greenwich – the London Design District. Eight renowned architecture firms from all over Europe have designed a total of 16 studio buildings here. One pair of buildings draws its charm from the sophisticated aluminum facades used by the architects. What does it look like? Here you go: studio houses by Barozzi Veiga.
