Redwood Library
Redwood Library
Newport, Rhode Island
1747-1750
Peter Harrison (1716-1775)
Colonial architect Peter Harrison gave America its first temple-form building with the Redwood Library.
The library's centre section is dominated by a fully developed Roman Doric portico. Precedent for a temple form flanked by half-pedimented wings is Palladio's church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Though not published in Quattro Libri, the building was well known in the 18th century.
San Giorgio's facade in turn inspired a garden pavilion design after William Kent, published in a 1736 English edition of Palladio's treatise by Benjamin Cole and Edward Hoppus. This scheme was the source for Harrison's building, which was sheathed in wooden boards cut to resemble stone ashlar.
Still a working library, the building has been considerably expanded in size. Trained in England, Peter Harrison designed several colonial works in the Anglo-Palladian spirit including Newport's Brick Market (1762-1772) and Touro Synagogue (1759-1763), as well as Boston's King's Chapel (1740-1749).
Dimensions: 12"w x 7.5"h x 9.5"d
Weight: 10.9lbs
Scale:1:60
£660.00
Quantity:
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