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 158 Collections and/or Records:
Ornamented Frieze Below Flat Ceiling in Upper Museum, 7th October 1818
Detailed full size elevation of ornamental frieze with shading
Ornamented Frieze of Great Entablature. Upper Museum., 14th October 1818
Detailed full size elevation of ornamental frieze with shading
Ornaments for Ceiling of Great Staircase to Museum, 22nd February 1819
Ceiling plan showing partial decorative detail with section through the ornament
Ornaments (Full Size) for Ceiling of Great Staircase to Upper Museum, 21st May 1819
Partial plan of ceiling ornaments
Ornaments (Full Size) for Ceiling of Lower Gallery of Museum, 21st April 1819
Ornamental moulding detail of the ceiling with the section showing numbers of sunk pannels, and detail of sunk panels.
Patera (Full Size) for Ceiling of Chemistry Class Room, 8th July 1819
Elevation detail of ceiling patera.
On the reverse of the drawing: Sketches on back
Patera in Flat Ceiling of Upper Museum, 6th October 1818
Detailed of ceiling ornament with shading and section through the middle
Plan & Elevation of Venetian window in Southern and Western Front, 28th February 1818
plan of the windows + elevation of the windows showing decoration details on the facade
plan showing the arrangement of windows and columns elevation showing details of cornice, architrave, columns, ……
On the reverse of the drawing: Black ink pen watercolour ( pink, grey- indicate the wall on the back of the columns)
Plan & Section of Roofing of Museum, 4th July 1817
Plan & Section of Roofing of Museum
floorplans in scale 60 feet in 10 in.s Section details in scale 30 feet in 10 in.s
showing the wooden framework of the ceiling showing the triangle wooden framework and iron joint
On the reverse of the drawing: Black ink pen watercolour layers (pink, yellow, grey, dark grey, brown )