Exhibitions : review : "Empire builders : 1750-1950"

Reviews the exhibition "Empire builders : 1750-1950," which was on view at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 30 November 2013-15 June 2014. As the British empire, virtually from the outset, was predicated upon colonial settlement, it necessarily followed that architecture and urbanism were fundamental components of its success. As British soldiers, explorers, and settlers continually extended the boundaries of Britain's empire, buildings of all types and sizes were required to facilitate and maintain the power structures put in place by the massive cultural and political transformations that ensued. The built infrastructure that accompanied this enterprise was immense. This show was therefore, if nothing else, a welcome foray into the architectural history and legacy of this "great fact" of modern world history. [Revised Publication Abstract]