The Syon House, London, England; 1547; Neoclassicism and the Enlightenment
The Syon House, London, England; 1547; Neoclassicism and the Enlightenment
The Syon House is located in the west part of London, in the county of Middlesex. It is about 10 miles from central London, and is known as a place of tranquility. The house is the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. Later, it was acquired by the ninth Earl of Northumberland in 1594, now serving as the family's residence (McAllister, "History of Syon House.") The property sit on two hundred acres of land. The perimeter of the house is the Syon Park, located near the bank of the River Thames. The Syon house is built on the site
of the late medieval Syon Abbey and later destroyed by Henry the eighth during
the reformation. This occurred when he broke from Rome and the Catholic church,
so that he could remarry.
Syon's interior was redesigned by the Scottish architect Robert Adam in 1762 under their commission. This included a gallery measuring one hundred and thirty-six feet considered to be elongated compared to typical galleries (Adam, Syon House: Interior: Anteroom). In this house, Henry the eight’s fifth wife was actually held as a prisoner right before she was executed in 1542. Shortly after, when Henry passed, his coffin was returned to the Syon house on his way to Windsor.
The Syon house was built in the Neo-classical style, in addition to Adam's eclectic style. Syon was influence by many styles, including but not limited to Roman antiquity, Picturesque, Baroque, and Mannerist styles. The intention of this design included a set of rooms on the principal floor, these rooms were furnished in Renaissance style and included over five hundred paintings in their interior, serving as historical pieces. The design also included a dome with inner colonnades which served as a central courtyard (Adam, Syon House: Interior: Anteroom). Rooms were divided with five on the west side, five on the east side and five on the south side of the building.
Mainly, the architecture featured designs of Adam style, a subdivision of Neoclassical architecture. The structure was light and balanced in plan. The rooms divided symmetrically and the decoration in the interior were reflecting the delicacy of the approach. Although there was a dramatic entry and sense of height, there is attention to detail on the proportions to avoid the feeling of heaviness throughout the building (Armstrong, "The Adam Style in American Architecture")
There was also the Great Hall, and a dramatic grand staircase, which did not turn out to be as impressive in size as it was originally designed. The gardens inhabit more than 200 species of rare exotic plant life, including flowers and trees. These surround the conservatory, one of the park’s main striking features. It was commissioned in 1826 by Hugh Percy, whom was the thirst Duke of Northumberland. The conservatory was the first of its style to constructed of metal and glass in a larger scale. Charles Fowler was chosen to design this structure, whom was Devon-born architect. It is known as one of the finest pieces of architecture located in a garden of its era, inspiring London’s crystal Palace.
Syon's interior was redesigned by the Scottish architect Robert Adam in 1762 under their commission. This included a gallery measuring one hundred and thirty-six feet considered to be elongated compared to typical galleries (Adam, Syon House: Interior: Anteroom). In this house, Henry the eight’s fifth wife was actually held as a prisoner right before she was executed in 1542. Shortly after, when Henry passed, his coffin was returned to the Syon house on his way to Windsor.
The Syon house was built in the Neo-classical style, in addition to Adam's eclectic style. Syon was influence by many styles, including but not limited to Roman antiquity, Picturesque, Baroque, and Mannerist styles. The intention of this design included a set of rooms on the principal floor, these rooms were furnished in Renaissance style and included over five hundred paintings in their interior, serving as historical pieces. The design also included a dome with inner colonnades which served as a central courtyard (Adam, Syon House: Interior: Anteroom). Rooms were divided with five on the west side, five on the east side and five on the south side of the building.
Mainly, the architecture featured designs of Adam style, a subdivision of Neoclassical architecture. The structure was light and balanced in plan. The rooms divided symmetrically and the decoration in the interior were reflecting the delicacy of the approach. Although there was a dramatic entry and sense of height, there is attention to detail on the proportions to avoid the feeling of heaviness throughout the building (Armstrong, "The Adam Style in American Architecture")
There was also the Great Hall, and a dramatic grand staircase, which did not turn out to be as impressive in size as it was originally designed. The gardens inhabit more than 200 species of rare exotic plant life, including flowers and trees. These surround the conservatory, one of the park’s main striking features. It was commissioned in 1826 by Hugh Percy, whom was the thirst Duke of Northumberland. The conservatory was the first of its style to constructed of metal and glass in a larger scale. Charles Fowler was chosen to design this structure, whom was Devon-born architect. It is known as one of the finest pieces of architecture located in a garden of its era, inspiring London’s crystal Palace.
McAllister, Matt. "History of Syon House." The Cotswold Tour Company, 2001, www.britain-magazine.com/features/history/history-of-syon-house/. Accessed 2018.
Armstrong, Lauren. "The Adam Style in American Architecture." Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. http://buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/a/adam.html. Accessed 2018.
Armstrong, Lauren. "The Adam Style in American Architecture." Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. http://buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/a/adam.html. Accessed 2018.
Adam,
Robert. Syon House: Interior: Anteroom. Architecture and City Planning, 1761-65.
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