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The Old Admiralty and The Admiralty Screen, London


  • Address: Whitehall Sw1
  • Travel Genus: Sight
  • Sight Category: Building

The Old Admiralty

The Old Admiralty is a U-shaped building with a portico constructed of brown brick and Portland stone dressings. The three storey edifice is a clumsy classical design, hovering between the Baroque and the Palladian, with a cramped giant portico. Built originally as a home for the Lord of the Admiralty with a board room and a few offices. The interior of Ripley's Admiralty (Old Admiralty) retains a number of good interiors, including an entrance hall with coupled pilasters and central niche containing a nearly life size model of the statue on Nelson's column by Baily and a vaulted corridor behind hall (repeated on 1st floor) with plasterwork panels rather in Vanbrugh manner. The staircase at the south end features stone steps and a wrought iron balustrade, lit by a glazed oval dome of 1785-1787. Next door, the Board Room at the south end has a reset panelled interior probably from the previous Admiralty building built in 1695. The panels feature carved fluted Corinthian pilasters supporting a carved entablature. A marble chimney piece has a windcompass overmantel of c 1695, probably by Robert Norden. iT IS Framed with carved pendant trophies and garlands with nautical instrument motifs probably by Grinling Gibbons. The coved plasterwork ceiling is from of 1789. - AsNotedIn

The Admiralty Screen

The Admiralty Screen is constructed of Portland stone with a severely Roman facade. The central carriage archway is framed by pylon-piers with parapets surmounted by sea horses and flanking screens of Tuscan columns. The pediments containing carved reliefs of man o' war prows in the Roman rostral manner. - AsNotedIn


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Timeline

Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
1695/00/00 Previous Admiralty building is built in 1695, razed. Remain: Paneled Board Room, Marble chimney piece with windcompass overmantel probably by Robert Norden, framed by superbly carved pendant trophies and garlands very likely by Grinling Gibbons.
1726/00/00 Thomas Ripley Architect The Old Admiralty is built of brown brick with Portland stone dressings, 1723-1726.
1759/00/00 Robert Adam Architect Robert Adam is commissioned by the Lords of Admiralty to Cause a New Stone-Wall, or screen, with one large Gate and Two Doors to be erected as part of a street widening project and to conceal the unprepossessing character of the Admiralty building.

Data »

Particulars for The Old Admiralty and The Admiralty Screen, London:
Area of Significance Architecture
Criteria Architecture-Engineering
Sight Category Building
Category for Historic Use Government
Historic Use Government Office
Building Type Mansion
Area of Significance Military
Criteria Person
Historic Use Single dwelling

Data
English National Heritage List: 1066099



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