I’m fortunate to have three of Pugin’s original
publications, although in poor condition (the books are over 160 years old) they are
still very interesting to look at, even if his words are dated! But his writings were to change the state and look of British
Architecture.
In ‘An Apology for The Revival of Christian Architecture in
England’ Pugin starts off by saying ‘The age in which we liveis a most eventful
period for English art. We are just emerging from a state which may be termed
the dark ages of architecture.’
He condemns classical "pagan" architecture, commenting on the (1840) 'moderns' Pugin says that 'we are called upon to admire their thrice-cooked hashes of pagan fragments (in which the ingredients are amalgamated in utter confusion) as fine national monuments of the present age.' He then goes on to promote Gothic as the only true Christian style.
