BURGES, WILLIAM

born Dec. 2, 1827, London, Eng. died April 20, 1881, London one of England's most notable Gothic Revival architects, critic, and an arbiter of Victorian taste. During Burges' apprenticeship he studied medieval architecture, visiting the Continent to gain firsthand impressions. In 1856 he received the first award in an international competition for the Cathedral of Lille, France. He designed the Cathedral of Brisbane, Australia, in 1859 and in 1862 St. Finbar's Cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Cork. In 1865 he started an extensive restoration of Cardiff Castle, where he made many extensions to the existing residential apartments and directed an elaborate scheme of interior decoration. Ten years later he began a similar project at nearby Castle Coch. Burges adopted the Victorian Gothic style for his own home (Tower House) in London (187580). A fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and an associate of the Royal Academy, he wrote architectural treatises and published (1870) his drawings.