robert adam’s london – a new exhibition …...press release, october 2016 robert adam’s london...

PresscontactatCaroCommunications,02077139388,@carocommsMartaBogna-Drew:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

PressRelease,October2016

RobertAdam’sLondon–anewexhibitionuncoveringinfluentialarchitectanddesignerRobertAdam’svisionforLondon.

30November2016–11March2017

Adamoffice,ChandosHouse,drawingroomceiling,1771.SMAdamvolume13/55

TheworkofoneofthegreatestBritisharchitectsofalltimeisexaminedinanewexhibitionatSir

JohnSoane’sMuseum.RobertAdam’sLondon(30November2016–11March2017)takesanin-

depthlookatsomeoftheScottisharchitect’sworkwhichhelpedchangethelandscapeofthe

capital.SomeofthefamousbuildingslookedatintheexhibitionincludeBuckinghamPalace,the

AdmiraltyScreenonWhitehallandPortlandPlace.

RobertAdam’sLondonisthefirsttimethearchitect’sworkacrossthecityasawholehasbeen

examinedinaLondonmuseum.Itwillshowcasehisground-breakingneo-classicalstyleandhis

desiretounifyarchitectureandinteriordesign.Itwillalsofeaturebothcompletedbuildings


alongsidethose,whichwereneverrealised,offeringaglimpseintothearchitect’sambitiousvision

forLondon.

OndisplaywillbesomeofSirJohnSoane’sMuseum’smostbeautiful,influentialandrarelyseen

designsofAdam’sprojectsinLondon,takenfromtheir9,000-strongAdamdrawingcollection.The

Museumholds80%oftheworld’ssurvivingAdamdrawingswhichareofhugeinternational-

significanceforourunderstandingofGeorgianarchitectureandinteriordesign.Projectsonshow

includethefamousAdmiraltyScreenonWhitehall,PortlandPlace,andsixmonumentsfor

WestminsterAbbey,aswellasprojectssubsequentlydemolishedorneverrealised,suchasthe

interiorsofBuckinghamHouse(beforeitbecameBuckinghamPalace),15DowningStreet,

LansdowneHouseandAdelphi.Alarge-scalefacsimileofaneighteenth-centurymapofLondon

willformthecentrepieceoftheshow,plottingAdam’svariousprojectsacrossthecity,creatingan

‘in-exhibition’trailforvisitors.AlongsidethiswillbeaportraitofRobertAdambyGeorge

Williamson,onloanfromtheNationalPortraitGalleryandapedestaldesignedbyAdamfrom

KenwoodHouse.

Adamoffice,viewoftheAdmiraltyScreen,Whitehall,1759.SMAdamvolume35/4

Adamoffice,BuckinghamHouse,TheMall,clockbracket,c.1761-63.SMAdamvolume25/20

RobertAdamhadalongandenduringconnectiontoLondon,establishinghisLondonpracticein

1758andremaininginthecityuntilhisdeathin1792.Thereisagreaterdensityofhisworkfor

thiscitythananywhereelse,ashefocussedondesigningcompleteschemesforthedecorationof

domestic,public,commercial,speculativeandcommemorativebuildings.HisworkinLondon

demonstrateshowhisstyleevolvedpastthefashionablePalladiandesignofthetime,intoanew,


moreflexiblestyle,incorporatinginfluencesfromRoman,EtruscanandBaroquestyles.Adam’s

radicalstylewasoftenattributedtoadesiretodesigneverythingdowntothesmallestdetail.

Adamregularlyfavouredlarge-scaleandgrandiosedesigns,manyofwhichremainedpurely

speculativeastheirambitions–andcost–wereoftenprohibitive.Onesuchprojectexaminedin

theexhibitionindetailisforPortlandPlace,wherehehopedtoconstructdetachedaristocratic

palaceswhichmightrivalnoblemen’surbanhomesinEurope.PalacesfortheEarlsofKerryand

Findlaterweredesigned,butnevercametofruition.Iftheyhad,centralLondonwouldhave

lookedsignificantlydifferenttohowitistoday.

BruceBoucher,DirectorofSirJohnSoane’sMuseumsays:“TheAdamDrawingsattheSoane

Museumisoneofourmostimportantcollections.Notonlyisitaninvaluablerecordoftheworkof

oneofthiscountry’smostinnovativearchitects,butalsoafascinatingglimpseintowhatLondon

couldhavebeenhadallhisprojectssurvivedorcometofruition.Peoplehavealwayscared

passionatelyaboutthearchitectureofLondon,astoday’sfiercedebatestestify,soitiswonderful

tobeabletoexaminethisfascinatingchapterinthearchitecturalhistoryofthisgreatcity,rightin

theheartofthecityitself.”

Adamoffice,CumberlandHouse,PallMall,drawingroominterior,c.1780-85.SMAdamvolume49/19


DrFrancesSands,CuratorofDrawingsandBooksatSirJohnSoane’sMuseumcomments:

“TheAdamofficeprovideddesignsindeliberatecontrasttothemoresevereneo-Palladianstyle

thathaddominatedBritaininearlierdecades.Adaminstigatedafashionforhisownrecognisable

andcharacteristicstyle,onenotbasedondogmaticarchaeologicalaccuracy,butratheracreative

fusionofallthathehadseenabroad.Withhisdistinctive,delicateinteriordecorativestyleand

bold,ripplingarchitecture,Adambecameenormouslysuccessful;hispracticecateredtoclients

acrossBritain-andoccasionallybeyond–butnowheremoreheavilythaninLondon.Often

rememberedasanarchitectofgreatcountryhouses,thisexhibitioncelebratestheskilland

dexterityofhisnumerousworkshereintown.”

RobertAdam’sLondonwillrunfromWednesday30November2016toSaturday11March2017,

intheSoaneGalleryatSirJohnSoane’sMuseum.Admissionisfree.Anillustratedcataloguewill

accompanytheshow,lookingatthefullrangeofAdamprojectsinLondon.

FURTHERIMAGESAREAVAILABLETODOWNLOADHERE:

CONTACTS

PressOfficeatCaroCommunications,0044(0)2077139388

Forinterviews,comments,andfurtherimagesandinformationpleasecontact:

MartaBogna-Drew:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


NOTESTOEDITORS

SirJohnSoane’sMuseum

SirJohnSoane’shouse,museumandlibraryatNo.13Lincoln’sInnFieldshasbeenapublicmuseumsincetheearlynineteenthcentury.OnhisappointmentasProfessorofArchitectureattheRoyalAcademyin1806,Soane(1753-1837)begantoarrangehisbooks,classicalantiquities,castsandmodelssothatstudentsofarchitecturemightbenefitfromaccesstothem.In1833henegotiatedanActofParliamenttopreservethehouseandcollectionafterhisdeathforthebenefitof‘amateursandstudents’inarchitecture,paintingandsculpture.TodaySirJohnSoane’sMuseumisoneofthecountry’smostunusualandsignificantmuseumswithacontinuinganddevelopingcommitmenttoeducationandcreativeinspiration.Themuseumisopenfree:TuesdaytoSaturdayinclusive,10am-5pm.ItisalsoopenonthefirstTuesdayeveningofeachmonthform6-9pm.www.soane.org

SirJohnSoane’sMuseumisaNon-DepartmentalPublicBody(NDPB)whoseprimesponsoristheDepartmentforCulture,MediaandSport.

robert adam’s london – a new exhibition …...press release, october 2016 robert adam’s london...

Documents