1878 in architecture

The year 1878 in architecture involved some significant events.

• Work begins on the Herrenchiemsee in Bavaria, designed by Georg Dollman.
• The Semperoper in Dresden, designed by Gottfried Semper, is completed.
• The Tower House, Kensington, designed by William Burges for himself, is completed.
• The White House and No. 1 Tite Street, Chelsea, London, designed by Edward William Godwin, are completed.
• The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan is completed.
• Construction begins on the Indiana Statehouse Indianapolis, Indiana
• Rajabai Clock Tower in South Mumbai, India is opened.

• RIBA Royal Gold Medal – Alfred Waterhouse.
• Grand Prix de Rome, architecture: Victor Laloux.

• Thaddeus Hyatt introduces a patent for reinforced concrete to the United States.

• May 3 – Ralph Knott, English architect (died 1929)
• May 21 – Arthur Joseph Davis, English Beaux-Arts architect and interior designer (died 1951)
• June 24 – James Chapman-Taylor, New Zealand Arts and Crafts domestic architect (died 1958)
• September 29 – Mārtiņš Nukša, Latvian architect and diplomat (executed 1942)
• Violet Morris, English architect (died 1958)

• March 27 – Sir George Gilbert Scott, English Gothic revival architect (born 1811)