Edwardian architecture

Edwardian architecture is a Neo-Baroque style popular across the British Empire during the Edwardian era of 1901 to 1910, with buildings in the style continuing to be erected until 1914. It is generally less ornate than the High or Late Victorian architecture that preceded it, except in major public buildings executed in the fuller Edwardian Baroque manner, which favor extensive rustication, exaggerated voussoirs over arched openings, and domed corner pavilions and central towers that create dynamic rooflines. The style draws heavily on eighteenth century French architecture and on the seventeenth century English Baroque work of Christopher Wren, earning it the nickname Wrenaissance, and it further absorbs details from Art Nouveau, Georgian, Arts and Crafts and Federation architecture. Its generally lighter color palettes were made possible by the spread of electric lighting, which reduced the soot that had driven the darker finishes of the Victorian period.