London Trip – British Museum

This weekend just gone, me and my girlfriend went and spent a long weekend in Cambridge. While there,  we decided last minute to get the train down to London (it being a 40 minute journey). Our capital city is somewhere where I have only been once before, and that was with the university last year where we had to gather project specific information, meaning there was no time for sightseeing. I have always wanted to go to London when I was younger; however being a boy up North (From the Wirral) this was never an option, although now I had the chance to go and finally be a tourist in our capital.

When we arrived in King Cross Station, we had our plan of action to walk from there in Hyde Park and then work our way back. With Google Maps in hand we set off down side streets to avoid the pedestrian rush, however on our way, by chance we ended up walking past one of the most iconic building in London; The British Museum.

Panoramic of British History Museum (Bagnall, 2014)

Designed by Sir Robert Smirke in 1823, the building was built in a Greek Revival style, which was common in the early 19^th century in Western European civilization. It has been built in a quadrangle shape creating 4 spacious wings; north, south, east and west. (TheBritishMuseum, 2013).

This was the first time I had seen the Museum in its full, and the first thought that came to me was how photographs of this magnificent building do not do it justice (which can be said about all building; only until you stand right next to it and see it with you own eyes will you only begin to grasp and understand its design). From first viewing, I could identify the style was Greek, which due to the fact that the building was built in the mid-19^th century meant I could identify it as being more specifically the Greek revival style. The key features which helped me identify this style are the use of ionic columns along the facades and also the addition of a beautiful crafted pediment seen from Great Russell Street.

This museum is a true landmark in the City of London, in an ever evolving city this buildings ancient style emphasises the power that it has in its design and function.

Bibliograpgy

TheBritishMuseum,2013. https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/the_museums_story/architecture.aspx