Architect, Entrepreneur. Born near Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the son of a builder-architect, he inherited a legacy from previous noted Scottish architects Sir William Bruce and James Smith, and rose to be considered the most prominent architect in Scotland during his lifetime. Developing a Baroque style after which he disseminated through his large practice, he was popular and well connected, being patronized by Enlightenment figure John Clerk, for whom he built Mavisbank(1723). His entrepreneurial spirit saw the launch of a wide range of industrial projects, ranging from brickworks and saltpans to barley mills and marble works. In 1727, he began to collect engravings of contemporary architectural masterpieces for publication, resulting in the posthumous work "Vitruvius Scoticus" (1812). He landscaped several gardens, for example at Newliston in West Lothian, England (1725). His other major works include Arniston and The Drum (both 1726), House of Dun (1730), Chatel-herault (1731), Duff House (1735) and additions to Hopetoun House (1721-46). Two of his three sons, John Adam and Robert Adam, became famous and successful architects in their own right.
Architect, Entrepreneur. Born near Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the son of a builder-architect, he inherited a legacy from previous noted Scottish architects Sir William Bruce and James Smith, and rose to be considered the most prominent architect in Scotland during his lifetime. Developing a Baroque style after which he disseminated through his large practice, he was popular and well connected, being patronized by Enlightenment figure John Clerk, for whom he built Mavisbank(1723). His entrepreneurial spirit saw the launch of a wide range of industrial projects, ranging from brickworks and saltpans to barley mills and marble works. In 1727, he began to collect engravings of contemporary architectural masterpieces for publication, resulting in the posthumous work "Vitruvius Scoticus" (1812). He landscaped several gardens, for example at Newliston in West Lothian, England (1725). His other major works include Arniston and The Drum (both 1726), House of Dun (1730), Chatel-herault (1731), Duff House (1735) and additions to Hopetoun House (1721-46). Two of his three sons, John Adam and Robert Adam, became famous and successful architects in their own right.
Bio by: JK Gillon
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