The Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London stand as the defining achievement of George Edmund Street, a central figure in the Victorian Gothic Revival. Active throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, his career spanned over three decades of prolific ecclesiastical design, restoration, and scholarly research into historic European masonry traditions.
Formative Years and Early Career
Born in Woodford in 1824, Street attended the Camberwell Collegiate School until 1839. Following a brief period in his father’s solicitor business, he transitioned to architecture, training under Owen Browne Carter in Winchester and later serving as an improver for George Gilbert Scott in London. In 1849, he established his own independent practice, eventually securing a position as the architect to the diocese of Oxford in 1850.
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Street was a frequent traveller who studied and documented Gothic structures across Europe. His 1855 publication, The Brick and Marble Architecture of Northern Italy, reflected his commitment to the principles of the Gothic Revival. This research influenced his use of constructional polychromy, a signature style he employed in projects like St James the Less in Pimlico, where the incorporation of red and black brickwork deviated from traditional English aesthetics.
Professional Standing and Final Projects
Throughout his life, Street maintained a significant presence within professional architectural circles, holding membership in the Royal Academy of Arts and serving as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1881. His contributions were formally acknowledged with the Royal Gold Medal in 1874. He continued to manage large-scale commissions until his death in London in 1881, after which he was buried at Westminster Abbey.
Fast facts
- Born: 1824, Woodford
- Died: 1881, London
- Education: Camberwell Collegiate School
- Awards: Royal Gold Medal (1874)
- Professional Role: President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1881)
- Notable Work: St James the Less, Pimlico
- Notable Work: Royal Courts of Justice, London
- Burial place: Westminster Abbey
Questions readers ask
What is Street's most famous building?
He is best known for the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London.
Was Street only an architect?
No, he was also recognized as an art historian and a talented draughtsman.
Achievements
- Notable work: Church of St. Margaret of Antioch, Liverpool
- Notable work: Church of the Resurrection and All Saints, Caldy
- Notable work: St Mary's Church, Southampton
- Notable work: St James the Less, Pimlico
- Royal Gold Medal
- Trained at Camberwell Collegiate School
