Playfair, William Henry, 1790-1857 (architect)
Dates
- Existence: 1790 - 1857
Biography
The architect William Henry Playfair was born in Russell Square, London, July 1789. On the death of his father, Playfair was sent to reside with his uncle in Edinburgh. Professor John Playfair, mathematician and geologist and a leading figure in the Edinburgh Enlightenment, took control of his nephew's education. Following his father's profession, the young Playfair studied under William Starke of Glasgow. His first public appointment was the laying out of part of the New Town in Edinburgh in 1815.
Then, after a visit to France in 1816, he established himself professionally by winning the commission in 1817 to complete the unfinished University buildings (leaving the front as designed by Robert and James Adam). He also designed the city's Royal Terrace and Regent Terrace on the Calton Hill estate; the unfinished National Monument on Calton Hill; and, the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery on the Mound. While Playfair's most important works in Edinburgh have been executed in the Greek revivalist or classical style - earning for Edinburgh the title of 'Athens of the North' - he was competent in other styles too. He designed New College for the ten newly established Free Church of Scotland, a jagged-lined rendering of the Gothic style. He also built country houses and mansions in the Italianate and Tudor styles.
Playfair died in Edinburgh after a long illness on 27 May 1857.
Found in 163 Collections and/or Records:
Plan of the Roofing of the Building at the South Western Angle showing slating, 8th September 1817
Plan of the Second Floor of the Building at the South Western Angle showing the arrangement below the seating of Chemistry, 5th September 1817
Plan of the Second Floor of the Building at the South Western Angle showing the arrangement of the seating of the Chemistry Class, 6th September 1817
Plan of the Second Floor of the Building at the South Western Angle showing the flooring timber, 4th September 1817
Floorplan of Second Floor highlighting the flooring timber structure
2 paper overlays show the different levels of timber construction below the floor. The right hand side of the drawing is trimmed of a few cm > the caption about the drawing scale is partly lost.
On the reverse of the drawing: Black ink pen watercolour layers (pink, pale pink yellow, brown, deep brown) pencil notes probably added later
Plan of the Second Floor of the Building at the South Western Angle showing the seating of Chemistry and Natural History Class Room, 6th September 1817
Plan of the Upper Museum, 2nd August 1817
Plan of the Upper Museum
texts on the back of this plan Edinburgh 24th January 1818 This is number seventeen of the seventy two and referred to in the contract for certain work at the college signed by us of this date and of the 14th instant (signature) Kincaid Mackenzie (Lord Provost), Peter Lorimer, John Inglis (builders)
On the reverse of the drawing: Black ink pen watercolour layers (pink, yellow )
Plan of the Upper Museum Shewing Gallery, 10th August 1817
Plan sand section of Skylights for the Museum, 9th April 1818
Plan sand section of the Cast Iron Plates for the class Room of Practice of Physics, 5th May 1818
plan and section details of cast iron column
on the left hand side we can find the plan details of the cast iron plates to be placed respectively into the top and the bottom of the column; on the right hand side 2 section details explains how these plates are to be joined to the rest of the column
On the reverse of the drawing: Black ink pen watercolour (pink, yellow, grey, light blue)
Plan, Section and Elevation of the Moulded Belt for Circular Arcade, 5th June 1818
Full Size Plan, Section and Elevation illustrating the belt of moulded decoration
the drawing illustrates a detail of the outline of the moulded decoration to be set on the Circular Arcade
On the reverse of the drawing: Black ink pen + watercolor (pink)