The history of Kenwood House in Hampstead stretches far back in history; however, the bulk of what is published and considered rests upon the architecture of the Adams brothers, and particularly Robert Adam. It is said that the original house on the property was "probably built by John Bill (1576 - 1630), the King's Printer, soon after 1616. (Summerson, p.5)." Apart from a few scant references to its prior history, the bulk of published material begins with the Adams, having started and completed a remodel of the house in 1766 and 1774, respectively.
A few key questions being asked in this examination of Kenwood are: why has this building been extensively written about? And, what are the influencing factors on its importance of inclusion at several points in the historical record? It is my opinion that Kenwood House gains and keeps its stature and relevance in architecture, through its association with a few key noteworthy and influential figures. Without the role of the first Earl of Mansfield, or the first Earl of Iveagh, Kenwood would have never became noteworthy, or would have suffered and decayed at the expense of time. It is an important building today as much for who owned it and lived there, as it is for any one architectural reason.
The first Earl of Mansfield, William Murray, acquired the estate in 1754. Ten years following the purchase, he hired then one of the most renowned architects to renovate and remodel the house. Much of the built structure existed prior to Robert and James Adams; however, the library they added became a trademark of "Adam style". Decorating the front façade and adding a classical portico were other more notable interventions to the Villa. Their library throughout time has always r...
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... architecture of Robert & James Adam. London, Country Life. 1922.
Bryant, Julius. Finest prospects : three historic houses, a study in London topography. # London : English Heritage, Iveah Bequest, Kenwood. 1986.
London County Council. Survey of London – Highgate. London, Published by the London County Council. 1900
Summerson, John. The Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood; a short account of its history and architecture. London: English Heritage, Iveah Bequest, Kenwood. 1951.
Swarbrick, John. Robert Adam & his brothers : their lives, work & influence on English architecture decoration and furniture. London : B.T. Batsford ; New York : C. Scribner 1915.
"Robert and James Adam - Rare Book Collections Highlights -." National Library of Scotland. National Library of Scotland. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. .
For many the Cathedral is seen to indicate the grandeur and control of the Normans, who were able to build such monuments to their power despite having only recently conquered England. The precarious situation of being an recently instated alien power was even more pronounced in the north, where even the Anglo Saxon Kings had only had a superficial hold, arguably making the construction of Durham “one of the greatest Anglo-Norman achievements”. This so-called achievement is not restricted to architecture but also refers to the political developments which enabled the Normans to apparently gain enough control to do this within 30 years. However the study of Durham Cathedral alone cannot suffice to give a satisfactory outline of Norman politics and the achievements in Durham and must be put into the context of the region. Hence Durham Cathedral and all its powerful connotations can be argued to only be an anomaly to the reality of Norman England and its politics.
The Change of Handbridge After 1800 Handbridge is a suburb of Chester. Every day Handbridge changes. I have already been on a site visit around Handbridge, and have looked at several aspects that I will be evaluating in this course work including housing, the industrial side of Handbridge and local shops. From 1800 to 2003 several major differences are noticeable including the extinction of the river Dee mills.
By giving the biographies of architects Richard Neutra and Robert Alexander, Hines does nothing to remedy his aimless writing. He writes that Neutra had a variety of experience as an archi...
The section set in Brisbane is seen through the eyes of a young boy, giving the reader a very clear impression of his views about and feelings towards the house. Malouf has conveyed this by basing 12 Edmondstone Street on the idea of
Hitchcock, Henry Russell. Early Victorian Architecture in Britain Volumes I and II. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1954.
For Upton, “architecture is an art of social story telling, a means for shaping American society and culture...” (11), and it is up to the historian to choose which of many possible stories to tell. In his approach, he refused a chronological order and relied instead on five thematic structures: community, nature, technology, money and art. In the very first chapter, Upton introduces the symbol of the house in the United States; it represents the American dream and the concept of social mobility. He analyzes one of the most famous houses: Monticello, designed by Thomas Jefferson. In describing how this house served as a home for not only family members and numerous visitors, but for slaves as well, Upton proposes that Jefferson “organized Monticello to convey his sense of himself as the patriarch at the centre of his universe” (28).
Hunt, William Dudley Jr. “Beaux Arts, Ecole Des.” Hunt Encyclopedia of American Architecture, 1980 ed.
Architects of the Elizabethan era designed many amazingly beautiful buildings and structures. Elizabethan architecture went further than just what the architects told the builders to do and the builders are given far less credit than they deserve. They carved out amazingly intricate designs into the wood and stone of these buildings, they poured their souls into their work and were still forgotten because what are they but some random members of the lower class. Elizabethan architecture has more to it than just looks, the structures were built to last luxuriously and each has a history going back before the day they laid the foundation. The architecture descends from the Tudor Style while also admiring Greek and Roman architecture and contained many influences from when England invaded India.
James F. O'Gorman, Dennis E. McGrath. ABC of Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Document. October 2013.
“In the Cause of Architecture” is an essay written by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908. In this work, Wright outlines many of his architectural values. This text goes into great detail about the philosophy behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, as well as many important milestones in his life, such as working for Adler and Sullivan. This text is useful because it comes straight from Frank Lloyd Wright himself. It talks about many things important to his role as a notable American, such as his influences for his architecture and his architectural
The variety of articles, books and opinions pertaining to the New Palace of Westminster are quite interesting. While it is well known that there is confusion around the roles and work of Barry and Pugin on this famous piece of architecture, the range of opinions and supporting resources are intriguing. Robert Dell published an article filled with supporting resources that really supported the fact that A.W.N. Pugin was the “true” architect for the Houses of Parliament, while Roland Quinault defended quite the opposite, barely mentioning Pugin in his work.
Salt, Sir Titus. Industrial Revolution: Saltaire Housing Development near Bradford. 1850. Photograph. England. ArtStor. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
of their buildings. One of the basic questions that this paper will be seeking to answer is whether architects and critics accepted ...
Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier are two very prominent names in the field of architecture. Both architects had different ideas concerning the relationship between humans and the environment. Their architectural styles were a reflection of how each could facilitate the person and the physical environment. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, is considered one of the most important buildings in the history of American architecture and Le Corbusier s Villa Savoye helped define the progression that modern architecture was to take in the 20th Century. Both men are very fascinating and have strongly influenced my personal taste for modern architecture. Although Wright and Corbusier each had different views on how to design a house, they also had similar beliefs. This paper is a comparison of Frank Lloyd Wright‘s and Le Corbusier ‘s viewpoints exhibited through their two prominent houses, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye.
Reynolds, Nicole. Building Romanticism: Literature and Architecture in Nineteenth-century Britain. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2010. Print.