Edward B. Lamb's Monument to British Heroes

Edward B. Lamb’s National Monument to British Heroes, proposed in 1901. The Neo-Gothic structure utilizes verticality to point up to the sky, and creates an artificial mountain through its massing.

This is the National Monument to British Heroes, proposed by Edward B. Lamb in 1901. The structure was meant to house a hall of monuments and galleries, presumably to honor those who had died for the British crown throughout history. The proposal consists of a massive central belfry topped with a steeple and flanked by four turrets at its base. The spire would have reached 167m (550 feet) tall, making it almost as tall as the Gherkin in London, which is 180m (591 ft). The design resembles a Gothic cathedral in its detailing, and it no doubt was meant to have a similar effect on its visitors. The exterior design is full of pinnacles and spires, which push upward and draw the eye skyward. It’s as if the building is saying ‘look up!’ in an attempt to bring the heavens down to earth.

Plan of the proposed building, blown up from the original image. The central Hall of Monuments would have been a monumental space that would draw the eye upward toward the heavens.

We don’t have a drawing of the interior, but at the top right of the perspective there’s a small drawing of the ground floor plan, shown above, blown up for detail. As the perspective suggests, the entire building is focused on a massive, central Hall of Monuments. Based on the exterior design it no doubt would have drawn the eye upward, much like the interior of a Gothic cathedral does. These types of spaces were meant to recreate heaven on earth, which is a fitting metaphor for a monument of this nature. The British heroes honored by the building would’ve been thought to reside in heaven, so a space to remember them should be ‘of heaven’ as a result.

It’s unfortunate that we only have the one drawing of this proposal. It’s a beautifully proportioned structure, and it no doubt would’ve been an amazing building to visit.

For more info on Gothic cathedrals and how their architecture attempted to achieve verticality, check out the God versus Ego chapter of the Theory of Verticality.

Check out other unbuilt designs here.