Soane's work at 22 New Norfolk Street (now Dunraven Street) took the form of the addition of a projecting bow to the rear of the first floor of the house (overlooking Hyde Park) as well as a new attic and garrets. It is possible that the surviving porch is also by Soane. Four drawings ([1]-[4]) show that his original designs included alterations to the neighbouring house to the south, although ultimately it was only his alterations to No 22 that were executed. The client was John Hammet (1767-1811), banker and MP for Taunton (1800-11). He enraged Soane by giving instructions directly to the builders to extend the first-floor balcony two feet forward of the ground floor balcony. A typically undiplomatic response from Soane led to his dismissal and payment of just £65.0.0 from an initial estimate of £1500, after which the work continued under the direction of James Spiller (c.1761-1829). Soane's work was retained when the rear part of the house was reconstructed in 1914.

Literature:
P. Dean, Sir John Soane and London, 2006, p. 200; S. Bradley & N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 6: Westminster, 2003, pp. 552-3; F. H. W. Sheppard (ed.), Survey of London: Volume 40, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 2 (The Buildings), 1980, p. 284.

Tom Drysdale, June 2015

Scheme

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation

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