A forgotten architectural scenario. The removal of the Regent’s Quadrant colonnade in 1848
A forgotten architectural scenario. The removal of the Regent’s Quadrant colonnade in 1848

Summary/Abstract: The removal of the colonnade of the Regent’s Quadrant not even thirty years after its construction is a critical matter within the architectural history of Regent Street and the social history of London as well. The Quadrant is the most known part of the street for its impressive architectural features and its peculiar shape. The original design was by John Nash, architect responsible for the improvement of the whole street and the development of Regent’s Park. Starting from 1848 and during the last two centuries, the street suffered several changes that hugely modified its architectural design. The paper discusses the chronology of the Quadrant, focusing at the years that led to the first transformation of the street. The contribution investigates this demolition and the motivations that led to it, through an analysis with sources that belong to the history of the city, among which correspondence of inhabitants, private petitions,newspapers and architectural sketches. The study looks at the subject not only from an authorial point of view but also from the city perspective with all the social and cultural implications. It argues forms of organisation of people and their role in urban matters, examining the formation and interest of an association involved in the process of demolition of the colonnade. Finally, an analysis of the reconstruction of the image of the Quadrant, before and after its modifications, both part of London urban memory.

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