robert adam’s london – a new exhibition …...press release, october 2016 robert adam’s london...
TRANSCRIPT
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
PresscontactatCaroCommunications,02077139388,@carocommsMartaBogna-Drew:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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,
PresscontactatCaroCommunications,02077139388,@carocommsMartaBogna-Drew:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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
PresscontactatCaroCommunications,02077139388,@carocommsMartaBogna-Drew:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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]
PresscontactatCaroCommunications,02077139388,@carocommsMartaBogna-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.