Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Henry Playfair | Designation: | | Born: | 15 July 1790 | Died: | 19 March 1857 | Bio Notes: | William Henry Playfair was born in London on 15 July 1790, a younger son of the architect James Playfair. He was baptised in the Fitzroy Chapel. When he was fourteen in 1804 he went to Edinburgh to live with his uncle, Professor John Playfair and completed his education there. He was articled to William Stark. Stark died in 1813 and Playfair moved to London where he worked in the offices of James Wyatt and Robert Smirke. In 1816 he visited France with his uncle but returned later in the year to Edinburgh.
In 1816 he entered and won the competition for the completion of Robert Adam’s University building. In 1818 he secured the commission for the planning of the area to the north of Calton Hill. The fact that he had been given these jobs suggests that he was an architectural heir to William Stark. In the Calton Hill scheme he follows closely the principles laid down by Stark.
Playfair’s practice grew to rival those of William Burn and James Gillespie Graham in fame if not in the number of his commissions for country houses and churches then at least in the realm of public buildings. He designed some of Edinburgh’s most prominent public buildings, including The Royal Institution (later the Royal Scottish Academy), the Surgeon’s Hall, the National Gallery, Donaldson’s Hospital and the Free Church College. The first three were classical in style following the pattern laid down in Edinburgh by some of his predecessors. However he was also adept in Gothic, for example in the Free Church College and in Jacobethan in Donaldson’s Hospital. His early houses used a picturesque style loosely based on Italian villas. However by 1830 like his contemporaries Burn and Blore he was experimenting with Scots and English vernacular styles. The remodelling work at Floors Castle was the largest commission he executed in this style though this was not entirely a success with coarse and over-crowded details. At Lurgan, Bonaly and Islay he was more successful and went some way to recapture the Elizabethan and Stuart past.
Playfair was painstaking and meticulous. All his designs were worked out with great care. He wrote: ‘Nothing good in Architecture can be affected without a monstrous expenditure of patience and India Rubber’. He was a perfectionist and expected the same from those who worked for him such as his builders. He was just as demanding with his pupils and staff. David Cousin who was a pupil ‘used to tell with great glee many stories of the strictness and rigour of Mr Playfair’s rule, and the devices to which his assistants had to resort to escape detection if at fault’.
Playfair made one trip to France but never visited Greece or Rome. In 1842 he went to Florence to try to improve his health. His older brother James practised medicine there. However the experience had little or no effect on his architecture as he found little to admire in the city. He returned to Edinburgh where his health continued to deteriorate with deafness, crippling rheumatism and chronic bronchitis. He continued to practice but had to decline some work because of his health.
He died on 19 March 1857. He was buried in Dean Cemetery adjacent to his friends Andrew and Sophia Rutherford. He was unmarried.
Playfair’s papers and drawings are preserved in various places. There are drawings in the RIAS collection at RCAHMS. Edinburgh University Library holds drawings and a diary for 1817 with accounts for 1817-22 and town surviving volumes of an elaborated series of letter-books (volume 4 covering 1830-33 and volume 7 covering 1840-45). A brief journal describing a trip to Arran in 1811 is located in Cambridge University Library while many letters to Andrew Rutherford and his family are held in the National Library of Scotland. The sale catalogue of his library is also in the National Library of Scotland. It shows he owned a large number of views of Athens by his friend Hugh W ‘Grecian’ Williams.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | | | 79, Queen Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business(?) | c. 1820 | | | | 43, Heriot Row, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business(?) | c. 1824 | c. 1825 | | | 17, Great Stuart Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business(?) | c. 1830 | 1857 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils* earliest date known from documented sources.
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | | Monument to Mrs Reid | | | Edinburgh? | Scotland | Date unknown | | 1817 | University of Edinburgh, Old College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Modified the designs and completed the Adam work. | | 1818 | Calton Hill, area to north, inc. Blenheim Pl, Brunswick St, Brunton Pl, Carlton Ter, Elm Row | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Appointed architect for the development of the area to north of Calton Hill. In 1819 he produced a printed 'Report to the Lord Provost, Magistrates and Council fo the City of Edinburgh on a Plan for laying out the New Town between Edinburgh and Leith.' | | 1818 | City Observatory, boundary wall and Playfair Monument, Calton Hill | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original building. Also boundary wall and Playfair Monument. | | 1819 | Signet Library | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Staircase for the Faculty of Advocates (to upper floor) | | 1820 | Houses, Royal Circus, Circus Place and Circus Gardens | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1820 | Houses, Academy Place | Dollar | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1821 | The Glen | Innerleithen | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Additions to original house on site. | | 1822 | Royal Institution | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original building | | 1822 | St Quivox Parish Churchyard, Campbells of Craigie Mausoleum | St Quivox | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1823 | Duddingston Manse, curling house and studio | Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1823 | Premises for the Highland Society | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1823 | Thomson Tower | Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1824 | Heriot's Hospital, monument to James Denholm | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1824 | House, 8 Inverleith Row | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1824 | National Monument | Calton Hill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | In collaboration with C R Cockerell | | c. 1824 | Edinburgh Waterworks, Crawley Cistern | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | With James Jardine, engineer for Edinburgh Corporation waterworks | | 1825 | City Observatory, boundary wall and Playfair Monument, Calton Hill | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Boudary wall and Playfair Monument. | | 1825 | House, Inverleith Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1825 | Monument to Professor John Playfair | Calton Hill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1826 | Pump-room | Innerleithen | | Peesbleshire | Scotland | | | 1826 | St Ronan's Wells | Innerleithen | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | | | 1827 | Minto Manse | Minto | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | | | 1827 | St Stephen's Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original church | | Before 1827 | Abdie Parish Church | Abdie | | Fife | Scotland | Playfair withdrew from commission and Burn built present church | | 1828 | Belmont House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1828 | Dunphail House | | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | 1828 | George Heriot's Hospital | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Gatehouse and terraces | | 1829 | Advocates' Library | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Overall design (for stair see separate entry under Advocates' Library) | | 1829 | Drumbanagher House | | | County Armagh | Northern Ireland | | | 1829 | Surgeons' Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original building | | 1830 | Grange House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations | | 1830 | Minto Church | Minto | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | | | 1830 | Prestongrange House | Prestonpans | | East Lothian | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1831 | Monument to Dugald Stewart, Calton Hill | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1832 | Dalcrue Bridge | Redgorton | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1832 | Dalcrue Farmhouse, Lynedoch Estate | | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1832 | Lynedoch | | | Perthshire | Scotland | Drawing room for Thomas Graham, Lord Lynedoch | | 1832 | Royal Institution | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Enlargement and alterations | | After 1832 | 105 George Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1833 | Lurgan House | | | County Armagh | Northern Ireland | | | 1834 | Spottiswoode House | Westruther | | Berwickshire | Scotland | May have completed job - see Notes | | 1835 | Craigcrook Castle | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions for Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey | | 1835 | Meadowbank House | Kirknewton | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1836 | Barmore House | Stonefield | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1836 | Bonaly Tower | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1836 | Stonefield Castle Hotel, Loch Fyne | Tarbert | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1837 | Duthil, mausoleum to the Seafield family | | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1837 | Floors Castle | Kelso | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Remodelling for 6th Duke of Roxburghe; also west lodge | | 1837 | Minto House and stables | Minto | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1838 | Craigie House | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Central porch added | | 1838 | Murrayfield Cottage | Murrayfield | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1839 | Whytope Farm Farmhouse, Byre, Etc | Glen Estate | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Corrections in his hand | | 1840 | Colinton House | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Kitchen offices | | 1840 | Traquair Parish Church | Traquair | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1841 | Islay House | | Islay | Argyll | Scotland | Offices etc | | 1842 | Donaldson's Hospital | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1842 | Kensal Green Cemetery, monument to Robert Ferguson of Raith | Kensal Green | | Middlesex | England | | | 1843 | Hangingshaw House | Yarrow (near) | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1845 | Free High Church and Free Church College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Did not win compeition but was awarded the job for Free High Church and Free Church College - date of construction. | | 1845 | Lauriston Castle | Cramond | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations and additions including staircase and two porches | | 1850 | National Gallery of Scotland | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1851 | Dean Cemetery, Monument to Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1852 | Dean Cemetery, Monument to Sophia Rutherford (d.1852) | | | | | | | Before 1857 | Dean Cenetery, monument to William Henry Playfair | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | He died in 1857. |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | APSD | | The Dictionary of Architecture | ed Wyatt Papworth | The Architectural Publication Society (8v 1852-1892) | | | Colvin, H M | 1995 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | 3rd edition | New Haven and London: Yale University Press | | | DNB | | Dictionary of National Biography | | | Article by Charles McKean | | Graham, J M | 1861 | Notice of the Life and Works of W H Playfair | v, part iv | Transactions of the Architectural institute of Scotland, 1859-61 | | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p194 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 1857 | XV | | p208 | | Builder | 10 June 1882 | | | p717 for Cousin's recollections of the Playfair office. | | Builder | 1960 | xviii | | p140 | | Building Chronicle | 1857 | ii | | pp181-2 | | Building News | 10 April 1857 | | | pp359-60 | | RIBA Journal | May 1990 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | LMA | Register of Fitzroy Chapel | | |
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