Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum in London is distinguished by its sweeping Romanesque arches and walls covered in intricate terracotta tiles. This sprawling structure was designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse and opened its doors in eighteen eighty-one to house the vast natural history collections formerly held at the British Museum. Waterhouse chose terracotta because the material was resistant to the thick, soot-filled air of Victorian London, allowing the building to retain its decorative detail rather than turning black from pollution.