Digging into the archives
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The Festival of Britain, 1951
A summer event showcasing the best of Britain’s modernist architecture helps London to embrace its postwar future
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Planning the postwar New Towns, 1945-46
The Builder reports on the development of a vast new wave of housing to replace the homes destroyed by wartime bombing
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Rebuilding the House of Commons chamber, 1945
The green benches are restored, but an opportunity to reform the way Parliament works for post-war Britain is missed
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FeaturesFrom the archives: How buildings were affected by the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, 1946
The Builder summarises a government report from Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the aftermath of the attacks which ended the Second World War
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FeaturesThose were the days… Building editors look back at how construction has changed
As we come to the end of our 180th year, our current editor invited four of her predecessors to pick out the memorable stories they covered spanning over 30 years of Building’s history
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Britain celebrates victory in Europe, 1945
The Builder marks the surrender of Nazi Germany as Britain looks to the future
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The Blitz, 1940-41
The Builder reports as London is assaulted by nightly German bombing raids
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Outbreak of the Second World War, 1939
The Builder prepares the industry for the hardships which lie ahead following Britain’s declaration of war on Nazi Germany
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The Daily Express Building, 1932
The Builder reviews the newly built Fleet Street landmark, now considered one of London’s best Art Deco buildings
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, 1930
New York’s tower craze restarts following a 15-year lull as two of the city’s most famous towers race to become the world’s tallest
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The construction of New York’s Woolworth Building, 1911-13
How Building charted the rise of the Big Apple’s tallest pre-First World War skyscraper
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FeaturesThe chaotic life of Building founder and architect Joseph Aloysius Hansom
To celebrate Building’s 180th anniversary, Tom Lowe talks to historian Penelope Harris ahead of the publication of her biography of the magazine’s founder
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The great San Francisco earthquake, 1906
The Builder warms to the idea of steel-framed buildings after the “peculiar” structures survive a tremor which flattens 80% of the city
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The construction of Westminster Cathedral, 1895 - 1902
The Builder reports on the progress of the UK’s largest Catholic church and the tragic death of its architect
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Westminster’s unbuilt gothic skyscraper
The Builder questions the wisdom of plans for a tower twice the height of Big Ben next to Parliament
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Germany surrenders, 1918
The Builder looks ahead to a new era for the industry as peace returns to Europe
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FeaturesFrom the archives: London’s first air raids, 1918
London wakes up to the threat of aerial bombing as total war grips the country, and the construction industry
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The Great War drags on, 1915 - 1916
The Builder reports on mounting casualities as the war’s impact on Britain - and its construction industry - becomes clear
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FeaturesFrom the archives: The First World War breaks out, 1914
The Builder’s coverage in the weeks following Britain’s declaration of war against Germany and Austria-Hungary
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FeaturesFrom the archives: Building in Bombay, 1879-1892
Building reports from the port city now known as Mumbai as two of the British Raj’s largest ever colonial buildings are completed