Britain Unlimited covers 250 Great British people and what made them famous

Who was Robert Adam? Architect and Interior Designer. Date and Place of Birth: 3rd July 1728, Kircaldy, Fife, Scotland. Family Background: Son of a Stonemason. Education: Edinburgh University. (Never graduated due to illness and the upheavals of the ’45 Jacobite Rebellion. (See Charles Edward Stewart “Bonnie Prince Charlie”). Chronology: 1739: Moved to Edinburgh  at the age of eleven, where his father had become the most Popular Architect in Scotland. 1748: Father died when he was 20 and Robert became a member of the family firm now called Adam Brothers. 1750: Left the firm to go on the “Grand Tour” in France and Italy. He Studied widely the classical Roman ruins and learning drawing skills. On his return to London he opened his own Architectural practice and he soon became established as one of the most fashionable designers amongst. the High Society. His Practice was timely as there was a renewed interest. in England for all things Classical and the “Palladian Movement” (Based on the proportional architecture of the Italian Andrea Palladio) had just. firmly taken hold. Adam was no slavish Palladian however and his Style has become known as “neoclassical”. He adapted and developed ancient Styles rather than simply copying them. As Adam was more often than not asked to renovate existing buildings much of his work was concerned with interiors. He was obsessive over every detail and designed everything himself down to plasterwork and fireplaces. He moved beyond Roman Style and was influenced by Greek, Byzantine and Italian Baroque design. The best examples of his exterior work still in existence are Admiralty Arch in London and Bowood House. Marriage: Never married. Places of Interest: EXTERIORS: Admiralty Arch, The Mall, London. Bowood House. Pulteney Bridge, Bath. Number 7 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. INTERIORS: LONDON: Kenwood, Hamstead, London, NW3 7JR (English Heritage) Osterly Park, Jersey Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, London TWQ7 4RB. (National Trust.) Royal Society of Arts, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ. Sir John Soane’s Museum, has a collection of 9,000 drawings. ELSEWHERE: Croome Court, Culzean Castle, Harewood House, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Kedleston Hall, Derby, DE22 5JH (National Trust.) Mersham-le-Hatch, Nastell Priory, Newby Hall, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 8JF. Date and Place of Death: 3rd March 1792, London, England. Age at Death: 64. Site of Grave: Westminster Abbey, London.