William Burges

Also known as William Burgess dz

English architect (1827–1881)

Top works

The architectural designs of W. Burges
Iconographie de la Ragione grande salle de l'Hôtel de Ville de Padoue
Venise
Iconographie des chapiteaux du Palais ducal
Album of photographs of architectural drawings by architect William Burges and others

via Open Library + Wikidata

5 total works indexed

via Crossref · CC0

“Use a good strong thick bold line so that we may get into the habit of leaving out those prettinesses which only cost money and spoil our design.”
“The civil engineer is the real 19th century architect.”
“If we copy, the thing never looks right [and] the same occurs with regard to those buildings which do not profess to be copies; both they and the copies want spirit. They are dead bodies... We are at our wits.”
“I have been brought up in the 13th century belief, and in that belief I intend to die.”
“It has been well observed that the world, more especially the English portion of it, during the last half century, has been in its working dress; that is to say, although we have done some very wonderful things in the way of mechanics, and have produced other things which are marvels of cheapness, yet as regards the production of really beautiful objects, particularly those required in every-day life, we have been behind most other epochs of civilization.”
“Of course there is no prima facie reason why cheap things should be ugly, for a die or mould of a good design costs no more than a bad one; but still the fact remains that the objects in use in every-day life are not beautiful, and it is to effect a change in this respect that the Government have established Schools of Design and the excellent Museum of which I shall have to speak hereafter.”