To celebrate St George’s Day this year, we have found some of the most iconic or unique buildings and architecture in Southern England to set your nostalgia aglow – or even inspire your next project!

Spinnaker Tower

Image source: Louise Wilkie. Edited to black & White

A Millennium Commission approved project, the “Millennium Tower” (AKA Spinnaker Tower) began its life in 1995 and finally opened to the public 10 years later in 2005. The complex structure used enough concrete to fill five and half Olympic sized swimming pools and enough steel to stretch around the Isle of Wight twice.

The 27-metre spire was the final piece of the puzzle which saw its installation in September 2004. Since opening in October 2005, the Spinnaker Tower has welcomed over 2.5million visitors and is a celebration of Portsmouth’s unique maritime heritage. Read about the Spinnaker Tower History and construction here.

Bath Abbey

A much older example of English Architecture at its best is Bath Abbey. This intricately detailed sacred place dates back to the 15th Century following the disrepair of the previous cathedral built in 1088.

The abbey has been restored a number of times throughout the centuries, for example it fell into decay when King Henry VIII closed English churches and then saw restoration again in 1833 when Architect George Phillips Manners changed the design of the towers and added flying buttresses among other things. The beautiful stone fan vaulting replaced the wooden ceiling over the nave in 1863. Explore the history of Bath Abbey.

The Shard

Fast forward to the newest building in the list; The Shard is the brainchild of Italian architect Renzo Piano and after four years in construction, opened its doors in February 2013.

In 2018, talking about The Shard, Piano said: “This building is the tallest building in Western Europe. It goes up more than 300 meters in the air, to breathe fresh air. The facets of this building are inclined, and they reflect the sky of London, that is never the same. After rain, everything becomes bluish. In the sunny evening, everything is red. It’s something that is difficult to explain. It’s what we call the soul of a building.” (Piano: TED: 2018).

This 72-story skyscraper can be found in Southwark in London. While it is no longer the tallest building in Europe, the glass-clad pyramidal tower is still the tallest in the UK and is named after its appearance as a shard of glass on each side.

Brighton Pavilion

Brighton Royal Pavilion — Image source: Ana Simon on Unsplash

Back into the time machine, the 18th Century saw the start of construction of the exotic Indian and Chinese inspired Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Built for King George IV as a seaside palace and retreat, and then used by latter royals. It was eventually sold to the city of Brighton in 1850 by Queen Victoria who favoured the Isle of Wight and commissioned Osbourne House as her seaside retreat.

The domes and minarets are the work of architect John Nash who extended the building from 1815. Since then, Brighton Pavilion has seen many updates including a concert hall converted from the old royal stables, renovation work and in 1921 saw a new Indian style gateway.

Tudor House

Going way back to the 15th century again, Tudor House in Southampton is an exceptionally well-preserved example of the Tudor period. Frequented by school students learning about the Kings and Queens of old.

Tudor Architecture marked the final phase of medieval architecture between 1485-1558. Its distinctive style often saw houses designed with “zebra stripes”. The Tudor style was a mix of Renaissance with gothic and was often referred to as Perpendicular Gothic due to its vertical lines.

Onyx Property Finance are experts in providing financial solutions for all types of projects adopting many architectural styles like the properties mentioned here. Speak to an expert today and get your project up and running before you know it: info@onyxmoney.co.uk.