William Henry Playfair

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Playfair's grave in Edinburgh

William Henry Playfair (born July 15, 1790 in London , † March 19, 1857 in Edinburgh ) was an important Scottish architect of the 19th century .

Live and act

Playfair was born in 1790 to the architect James Playfair (1755–1794) in London, but moved to Edinburgh at a young age . There he became a respected architect who significantly shaped the cityscape with his classicist buildings. His best known works include the buildings of the Scottish National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy , both of which are located in central Edinburgh. The National Monument on Calton Hill designed by him, which was to commemorate the fallen of the Napoleonic Wars and is modeled on the Parthenon in Athens , could not be finished by Playfair due to lack of funds. In 1824 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

His grave is in the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. The geologist and mathematician John Playfair (1748-1819) was his uncle.

Web links

Commons : William Henry Playfair  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF file) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed March 30, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Playfair, William Henry
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish architect
DATE OF BIRTH July 15, 1790
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH March 19, 1857
Place of death Edinburgh