[23] Finished drawing for the first storey of the library, c1788, unexecuted

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Robert and James Adam office drawings
- Public buildings
  - King's College, Cambridge, designs for a chapel altar, new college buildings and a library, 1768-88, unexecuted (28)
    - Design and finished drawings for the third scheme for the library, c1778, unexecuted (5)

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Reference number

SM Adam volume 31/20

Purpose

[23] Finished drawing for the first storey of the library, c1788, unexecuted

Aspect

Plan of the first storey of a building with a central, seven-by eleven-bay block with a recessed bow front set behind a columnar screen. To the rear there is a recessed canted front. The central section of the block is formed with an octagonal room at the front of the building and a circular room to the rear. These are connected via single-bay links and a central circular room, with single bays also leading to the eastern and western wings. The principal circular room and the flanking wings contain bookcases, and there is a circular staircase set within the rear octagonal room. The central block is flanked by single-bay projections containing staircases, which connect to curved link bays with tripartite windows. To the west of the central building the link bay connects to a nine-bay building containing a central, circular ante room and this is flanked by rooms for the librarians and clerks. To the rear there is a curved double staircase. The eastern link bay leads to the Senate House

Scale

bar scale of 3/4 inch to 10 feet

Inscribed

Plan of the One pair Story / (and in the hand of William Adam, underwritten in pencil) of a Library for Kings College Cambridge / Clerks room / Clerks room / Anti room / Librarians room / Librarians room / Corridore / Library / 24 wide / 102 ft long / Library / 24 wide / Staircase / Library / Library / 102 ft long / Library / 24 wide / Senate House / No. 22 (pencil) and some dimensions given

Signed and dated

c1788
c1788

Medium and dimensions

Pen, pencil and wash within a single ruled border on laid paper (742 x 491)

Hand

Possibly
Office hand, possibly Robert Morison, with part title inscription in the hand of William Adam

Verso

3 / 3

Watermark

Fleur-de-lis within a crowned cartouche / JWHATMAN

Literature

Bolton, 1922, Volume II, pp. 173-79; Index, p. 6
King, 2001, Volume II, p. 54
For a full list of literature references see scheme notes.

Level

Drawing

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk