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Design for substantial alterations and additions to the Palace of Westminster, October 1827
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- Sir John Soane office drawings: the drawings of Sir John Soane and the office of Sir John Soane
Reference number
SM 51/3/31
Purpose
Design for substantial alterations and additions to the Palace of Westminster, October 1827
Aspect
Block site plan with new additions overlaid
Scale
bar scale of 1/6 inch to 10 feet
Signed and dated
- October 1827
(pencil) Octr 1827
Medium and dimensions
Pen, black, grey, pink, blue and burnt umber washes on laid paper (290 x 473)
Hand
Stephen Burchell (1806 - c.1843)
Pupil January 1823 - April 1828.
Pupil January 1823 - April 1828.
Watermark
fleur-de-lis above cartouche with bar and below, ornate CA
Notes
Having completed substantial alterations and additions to the Palace of Westminster, including a new Royal Entrance, Scala Regia, Royal Gallery, library and committee rooms for the House of Lords (in light sepia wash to the left of the sheet), Soane's new design is for a proposal to completely rebuild the House of Lords and House of Commons, save for the medieval core. The new design is, in fact, based on old designs made by Soane in 1794-5 and drawn by J. M. Gandy (1771-1843) in 1807 (q.v. Soane: Office of Works: London: House of Lords, Palace of Westminster: unofficial (mostly domed) designs: drawings 36-38) with the principal front facing the river. The design seems to have been resurrected in 1827 and was still being considered by Soane after 1831 (see SM 51/3/35-36).
Level
Drawing
Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation
If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk