Sir charles barry houses of parliament tours

British architect (1795–1860)

For his son, also an architect, see Charles Barry Jr. For the Irish lawyer, see Charles Robert Barry.

Sir Charles BarryFRSRA (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.

He is known for his major contribution to the use of Italianate architecture in Britain,^[1] especially the use of the Palazzo as basis for the design of country houses, city mansions and public buildings. He also developed the Italian Renaissance garden style for the many gardens he designed around country houses.^[2]

Background and training

Born on 23 May 1795^[3] in Bridge Street, Westminster (opposite the future site of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster), he was the fourth son of Walter Edward Bar