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. .
James F. O'Gorman, Dennis E. McGrath. ABC of Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Document. October 2013.
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.
Banham, Reyner. "The Plot Against Bernard Maybeck." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians March 1984, p33-37
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).
Somerset Fry, Plantagenet. The David & Charles Book of Castles. Newton Abbot, Devon ; North Pomfret, Vt: David & Charles, 1980. Print.
It is not specifically known how Anthony Johnson came to own his “modest estate” or how he ended up in Northampton. Historians believe that his former master, Rirchard Bennett,...
In 1834, when a fire nearly completely demolished the old Palace of Westminster, Britain had a chance to redefine what British architecture was (Richardson p. 111-112). Although throughout Europe Classicism and the Greek and Roman Revival had had a stronghold on secular buildings, by the early 1800 Neo-Gothic was starting to be seen as a nationalistic style of architecture, something that should, together with language, be national (Barry, p.114). While in France the Gothic Revival was mainly used for secular buildings, in Britain it was mainly used for ecclesiastical buildings (Barry, p. 110). It was into this world that August Welby Nothmore Pugin (1812-52) was born.
The piece I will be discussing is Eileen Gray’s ‘Villa E1027’. The piece is hugely influential in the architecture and design world. It was one of greys first architectural projects
Salt, Sir Titus. Industrial Revolution: Saltaire Housing Development near Bradford. 1850. Photograph. England. ArtStor. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
Heinz, Thomas A., Frank Lloyd Wright: Architectural Monographs No 18, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1992.
The variety of articles, books and opinions pertaining to the New Palace of Westminster were 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 there supporting resources were 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. The book titled the The New Palace of Westminster provides a very different description of the building and its history than The History of Parliament organization article on the New Palace of Westminster.
Vidler, Anthony. The writing of the walls: Architectural theory in the late enlightenment. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press, 1987.
The first sign of a new architectural era was seen in Britain. With the production of new materials, Sir Joseph Paxton was able to design the Crystal Palace (1850-1851, 1852-1854) which boasted an intricate lattice frame work of prefabricated iron and glass panels set into wooden frames. The Crystal Palace served as a greenhouse with an impressive square footage of 770,000, the largest structure within its time. This structure was a monumental one and exhibits Britain’s advancement in the development of superior steel.
In Laugier’s book, “An Essay on Architecture,” he addresses early architects’ ignorance. Laugier explains how architects did not study nature and the set rules nature has already created for us. In his Essay, he reveals the flaws that many early buildings throughout Europe posses. Some of the more general flaws he exposes are disproportioning in architectural design, unnecessary placement, and ignoring the primitive and original purpose of a building all together. Therefore, Laugier believes appropriate and appealing architecture can only be designed and crafted when the architect behind the building has followed the rules of nature.