The period of architecture we can loosely term Regency spans the first thirty years of the 19th century. In many respects
it is a natural continuation of the Georgian style which preceeded it. the term Regency refers to the Prince regent
(the son of George III,1760-1820) who became King George IV (1820-1830) but also refers to the reign of his brother William
IV (1830-1837).
The Prince Regent was perhaps made famous by his construction of his Chinese Pavilion at Brighton. This period also saw
the extensive refurbishment of the exterior of Windsir Cadtle.
One of the styles to emerge in this period is that which is more usuallyassociated with the Victorian period- that of Gothic
Revival, but which had its beginniings in the Regency period with an interest in medieval architecture, turrets, castles and
churches. Architects like James Watt, emulated the Gothic tracery and other decorative elements of the Gothic period,
but used more modern methods of construction and substituted cheaper materials. Thus, many Gothic Revival buildings used stucco
in place of medieval stone, and braced fanciful Gothic curves with hidden iron struts.
Later in the Victorian period a purist school of design gained popularity, based
on writings by A.W. Pugin, John Ruskin, and William Morris. These
"philosophers of design" viewed the work of men like Watt with horror, and called for a more rigid adherence to medieval materials,
structure, and craftsmanship.
But the main style associated with the Regency period of course is the final
flowering of the Classical, which had been growing from the Baroque of the 17th. century and the Classical of the Georgian/18th.century.
It used the philosophy and traditional designs of Greek and Roman architecture.
The typical Regency upper or middle-class house was built in brick and covered in stucco or painted plaster. Fluted Greek
columns, painted and carefully moulded cornices and other decorative touches, were all reproduced in cheap stucco. The key
words to describe the overall effect are "refined elegance".
The Regency period saw a great surge of interest in classical Greece, popularized
by men like Lord Byron and his outspoken advocacy of greek nationalism. A whole generation of aristocratic amateur archaeologists
from Britain scoured the Greek world - and occassionally absconded with classical Greek remains. The resulting popularity
of Greek style reached beyond architecture to include painting, furniture, interior decoration, and even dress design.
Regency Terraces. First a mundane
definition: a terrace is a fanciful term for row housing, that is, a string of houses, each sharing a wall with the house
beside it. The most characteristic Regency designs survive today in terrace housing.
Many of the more upper class terraces, such as those designed by John Nash surrounding
Regents Park in London, are entered through triumphal arches reminiscent of ancient Rome, These arches, generally in stucco,
lead to grand rows of houses, with carefully balanced pediments fronted by massive pilaster columns. The best remaining terraces
built in this grand style are in London, Cheltenham, and Brighton.
Characteristics. Windows are tall
and thin, with very small glazing bars separating the panes of glass. Balconies are of extremely fine ironwork, made of such
delicate curves as to seem almost too frail to support the structure. Proportions are kept simple, relying on clean, classical
lines for effect rather than decorative touches.
Windows and doors, particularly those on the ground floors, are often round-headed.
Curved bow windows are popular, and detached villas often featured garden windows extending right down to the ground.
