The architects
Charles Barry 23.5.1795–12.05.1860
By the time Charles Barry won the competition to build the new
Palace of Westminster, he was already a well-respected architect.
Born in Westminster in 1795, opposite where Big Ben would later
stand, he was apprenticed to a London surveyor and architect’s
office at the age of 15 before embarking on a grand tour of
Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East.
On his return, he opened his own office in 1821 and soon gained
a reputation for his Church designs and remodeling of older
country houses.
Though the Palace of Westminster project would further enhance
his name, the stress caused by delays and cost overruns would
affect his already fragile health. He died at home of a heart attack
on 12th May 1860. Having been knighted by Queen Victoria in
1852, he was buried at Westminster Abbey and a life-size marble
statue of him was later placed at the foot of Committee Stairs in
the Palace of Westminster.
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