The principal facade of Buckingham Palace, redesigned in 1913, stands as a central contribution to the architectural landscape of London by Aston Webb. Born in Clapham on 22 May 1849, this British practitioner spent decades shaping the character of public and institutional buildings across the United Kingdom through a prolific career that spanned from the late nineteenth century until his death in 1930.
Early Career and Training
The son of Edward Webb, a watercolourist, Aston Webb began his professional training articled in the firm of Banks and Barry between 1866 and 1871. Following this five-year apprenticeship, he undertook a year of travel throughout Europe and Asia before returning to London in 1874 to establish his independent practice. His initial commissions included the 1877 almshouses for the Six Masters of the Royal Grammar School Worcester and the restoration of the medieval church of St Bartholomew-the-Great in Smithfield.
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Beginning in the early 1880s, Webb entered a significant professional association with Ingress Bell. Their collaboration gained prominence with their winning design for the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham in 1886. Over the subsequent two decades, the pair secured numerous high-profile public commissions, including the design for the University of Birmingham campus, completed between 1900 and 1912, which featured a large dome and a 100-metre clock tower. They also collaborated on the Newfoundland Museum in St. John's and a grain silo at Mumford's Mill in Deptford.
Institutional and Royal Works
Webb served as the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1902 to 1904 and the Royal Academy of Arts from 1919 to 1924. His institutional portfolio includes the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall, and the Britannia Royal Naval College in Devon. In London, his contribution to the urban core was marked by the Queen Victoria Memorial and the construction of Admiralty Arch as part of The Mall scheme.
Recognition and Later Life
Throughout his life, Webb received numerous accolades, including the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1905 and the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1907. He was knighted in 1904 and eventually elevated to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1925. In his final years, he was assisted by his sons, Maurice and Philip. He died in Kensington, London, on 21 August 1930.
Fast facts
- Born: 22 May 1849, London
- Died: 21 August 1930, London
- Presidency: Royal Institute of British Architects (1902-1904)
- Presidency: Royal Academy of Arts (1919-1924)
- Knighted: 1904
- Notable work: Buckingham Palace facade
- Awards: Royal Gold Medal (1905), AIA Gold Medal (1907)
Questions readers ask
What is Aston Webb's most famous design?
He is widely recognised for the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Did he work alone throughout his career?
No, he frequently collaborated with architect Ingress Bell and was assisted in his later years by his sons, Maurice and Philip.
Achievements
- Notable work: French Protestant Church of London
- Notable work: façade
- AIA Gold Medal
- Albert Medal
- Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
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