building passions

The Barrys

The Barrys who feature in Building Passions include three generations of architects and civil engineers starting with the patriarch Sir Charles Barry (architect of the Houses of Parliament). The book describes his travels around Europe and the Middle East and its influence on his subsequent architectural career.

Sir Charles' building sons were Sir John Wolfe Barry (the civil engineer of Tower Bridge and founder of British Standards), Charles Barry Junior (the architect of Dulwich College in London) and Edward Middleton Barry (the architect of the Royal Opera House in London and Valetta Opera House in Malta). 

An English Heritage Blue Plaque for Sir John Wolfe Barry was installed at his former home in Chelsea in November 2019 to coincide with the publication of the book.