3 Robert Street Wc2

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

TQ 3080 NW CITY OF WESTMINSTER ROBERT STREET, WC2 72/139 24.2.58 No. 3 G.V. II* End of terrace town house. 1768-74 by Robert Adam assisted by his brother James and with the youngest brother William, part of their innovatory Adelphi development. Stock brick with stucco dressings and C.19 stucco facing to ground floor, slate roof. The terminal house with a formal front to the river designed as a projecting wing balancing the demolished No. 1 Adam Street, framing the likewise demolished Adelphi Terrace and now the sole survivor of this monumental riverside composition. Astylar 3 storey and attic storey elevation to Robert Street with 3 storeys of basements accommodated in the brick vaulting of the terrace. 7 windows wide with the 3-window bays towards river treated as part of the river front "pavilion" which has a 3-window wide pedimented south front. Off centre Venetian arched doorway with fanlight over panelled door with side lights. Recessed glazing bar sashes with simplified Venetian window to right on ground floor and sashes to left, flat gauged arches to sashes on upper floors. Moulded patent stone string course over 2nd floor continued from Nos. 1 and 2 and parapet with coping. The three river end bays on upper floors are part of the pavilion design of the river front. This has giant pilasters, coupled to corners, through 1st and 2nd floors, decorated with the distinctive anthemion enrichment and carrying entablature above which the attic continues the articulation of the giant order with panelled pilaster strips with pediment surmounted by die-acroteria- a similar composition to No. 7 Adam Street. Anthemion pattern cast iron balconettes to 1st floor windows.

Wrought iron area railings. Interior,although considerably altered in its finishes and with later staircase inserted, retains such features as the Doric column screens to the hall and 1st floor landing, the ground floor and 1st floor rooms at the river end have segmental bowed west walls and apsed north walls, marble chimneypieces, shallow elliptical pattern plasterwork to ceilings, some mahogany doors intact in enriched architraves etc. Robert Adam moved to No. 3 from Adelphi Terrace in 1778 and it remained his London residence until 1785.

Survey of London; Vol. XVIII.

Georgian London; John Summerson.

Listing NGR: TQ3037980539

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/0181 IOE Records taken by John Bird; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr John Bird. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project