Robert Adam His Style

Robert Adam is perhaps the best known of all British architects, the only one whose name denotes both a style and an era. The new decorative language he introduced at Kedleston and Syon around 1760 put him at the forefront of dynamic changes taking place in 18th-century British architecture. His later claim that his practice with his brother James had effected 'a kind of revolution' in design was no idle boast. Their style dominated the later Georgian period and their influence was widespread, not only in Western Europe but in Russia and North America. But for such a well-known figure, much of Robert Adam's art still remains poorly understood. This new study, based on papers given at a Georgian Group symposium in 2015, looks afresh at many aspects of the Adam brothers' oeuvre, such as interior planning, their use of colour, the influence of classical sources, their involvement in the art market, town planning and building speculation, and Robert Adam's late picturesque drawings and castle designs - all within the context of the Adam family background and their personal and working relationships. The Scottish architecture of Robert and James's older brother, John, is also assessed. There are essays by established Adam experts as well as contributions from a younger generation of historians and postdoctoral scholars, one of the book's aims being to stimulate further research on the Adams' contribution to British architecture, art and design.

One of the most celebrated books in architectural history, this volume consists of 106 illustrated plates that influenced generations of British and American architectural and furniture designs.

In Classical Architecture Robert Adam traces the history of classical design to the present day and provides examples of virtually every one of its applications.

Using time as a unifying theme, this book critically analyses many of the key concepts in modern architecture and urban design, such as modernity, innovation, timelessness and sustainability. Drawing on the statements of contemporary architects and with reference to a wide range of sources from history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology, as well as studies in diverse subjects such as science fiction, colonialism and archaeology, the text provides a new perspective on much of the thinking behind contemporary design. In addition, it develops original and practical theories on the meanings of modernity, the variable ageing of the environment, the central role of longevity in sustainability, the significance of authenticity in conservation, and the relationship between collective memory and tradition.

"This book, a visual survey of much of Adam's work, provides ample material for a critical appraisal of the development of Adam as architect and designer."--Book jacket.

The iconic eighteenth-century architect Robert Adam was based in London for more than half of his life and made more designs for this one city than anywhere else in the world. This book reviews a wide variety of his designs for London, highlighting lesser-known buildings as well as familiar ones.