(Think Addam’s Family – not the unwatchable Addam’s Family Values – and you have the idea.)
Also referred to as Neo-Gothic or Victorian Gothic, this style of architecture began in mid-1700’s England, and grew in popularity through the 1800’s. It stood for many things, from religious nonconformity anti-industrialization, and has played an important part in buildings from houses to churches to office buildings.
Usually exceptionally ornate, Gothic revival properties featured asymmetrical floor plans, Oriel windows (projecting from exterior walls), leaded glass, pinnacles, grouped chimneys, and pointed windows with ornate decoration. Earlier buildings featured tall, buttressed buildings with interior columns, but technological innovations such as steel framing, the incandescent light bulb and elevators rendered them obsolete. Oddly and disappointingly enough, there were very few gargoyles in the residences I viewed online…
Examples of Gothic Revival include the Cologne Cathedral, the Palace of Westminster, and the Washington National Cathedral (begun in 1906 and completed in 1990).
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