Early Structural Steel In London Buildings A Discreet Revolution

In 1909, London finally sanctioned steel-frame architecture. For the previous quarter century, a new structural material - steel - had been discreetly changing the anatomy and physiology of the capital's new buildings, and shifting professional dynamics between architects, engineers, and contractors. Contemporaries called it 'The Age of Steel', one noting 'nowhere have the days of steel been more pregnant with change than in architecture and building'. This richly illustrated book takes a refreshing new look at Victorian and Edwardian architecture, examining how mild steel - which superseded cast and wrought iron - was put to use in theatres, hotels, clubs, offices and many other building types. Interwoven are chapters examining technological developments, Continental and American cross-currents, legislative and philosophical precepts, and constructional and architectural consequences. This compelling narrative is about much more than rivets and girders; it embraces architectural and constructional history in one of its most exciting periods.