Tower Bridge, in London, conceived and built during the 1870s, 80s and 90s, encapsulates the struggle between the artist architect and the engineer, between a concern for history (the new bridge had to sit happily beside the ancient Tower of London) and the application of modern building technology. Tower Bridge is - in a very idiosyncratic way - a happy marriage of these potentially conflicting concerns, and perfectly encapsulates the topsy-turvy artistic tastes and values of late Victorian Britain.
