Belgravia Living
Georgian
Georgian architecture covers the period from 1714 to 1830. It relates to the reigns of King George I (1714 – 27), his son, George II (1727 – 60), George II’s grandson, George III (1760 – 1820) (the first George to speak English) and his son, George IV (1820 – 1830). (They weren’t christened George. For most of English history it has been the custom for a king to take a different name on ascending the throne.)
The Early Georgian period (1714-1750) saw a revival of interest in Palladio, whose plans and writings were a source of inspiration to designers such as Lord Burlington. Georgian buildings are characterised by their symmetry and regularity of detail. Great houses and public buildings were fronted with massive pediments and colonnades inspired by ancient Greek and Roman temples.
The increasing wealth of the middle classes in the Georgian period, partly due to the Industrial Revolution, led to a demand for new and spacious houses. Demand meant expansion into new areas such as Kensington, for which new streets had to be laid out. The Building Acts - laws passed to protect against fire, and to ensure high building standards - banished wood and replaced it with more permanent brick as the basic house building material.
