Summary
Replacing a dilapidated old palace, the present quadrangle was designed by the cosmopolitan Sir William Chambers, who responded to Parliament's demand for an imposing building that would stand out in London's small-scale hotchpotch to exemplify the power and culture of a confident nation. Having earlier tutored him in architecture, Chambers enjoyed a special relationship with George III, securing his patronage for a Royal Academy of Arts in 1768.
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Extract
From Tax to Culture
The splendid extensions to London's art institutions have been widely celebrated yet the renaissance of Somerset House has barely made news beyond the metropolis. In the spirit of the 120-year lease granted by the Crown in 1998, the Somerset House Trust has quietly been conserving and developing this grand 18th-century edifice, giving priority to the mag...
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