III.

Robert Adam

(1728-1792) is the most celebrated member of the family, the originator of the “Adam style”. Initially trained by his father, he spent the years 1754 to 1758 in Italy, where he studied the remains of ancient Roman architecture, particularly those of the emperor Diocletian's palace in Spalato (now Split, Croatia). Settling in London, he maintained a large private practice as well as serving as royal architect from 1761 to 1768. One of his most ambitious projects was the Adelphi (1768-1772; demolished 1936), a section of London riverfrontage designed as a single architectural unit. It included docks and warehouses under arches supporting a terrace and streets of houses. Also notable was his remodelling of Osterley Park (1761-1780) and Syon House (1762-1769), two great houses near London, and his design for Kedleston Hall (c. 1765-1770), Derbyshire. Especially important was his conviction that the interior of a building and its furnishings are the proper concern of the architect. Consequently, he designed furniture, textiles, and metalwork for his buildings. His Ruins of the Palace of Diocletian . . . (1764) and Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam (1773-1779) established the Adam style—a simpler, more precise and delicate version of Neo-Classicism than the rich Palladian style previously in vogue. The Adam style was harmonious in design and proportion and gave a feeling of lightness and spaciousness. It used classical motifs, such as wreaths, swags, and urns. Adam furniture exhibits many similar qualities.