Edinburgh
Observatory House on the left and Dugald Stewart Monument on the right.
Observatory House, part of the City Observatory.
Edinburgh's City Observatory, also known as the Playfair Observatory, is a fascinating place, where the optimism and excitement of early scientific advances can still be felt.
Inspired by a Greek temple of the Four Winds, the Observatory was designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818.
The first Astronomer Royal to work in this building was Professor Thomas Henderson, appointed 1834, who had discovered how to measure parallax and the distance to a star while in his previous job in South Africa.
Explore
Working with The City of Edinburgh Council, Collective redeveloped the City Observatory site as a new home for contemporary art: conserving and reinstating the original Playfair designs and constructing a new exhibition space and panoramic restaurant. The site is now fully to the public for the first time in its history.
www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/city-observatory
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Dugald Stewart Monument
The Dugald Stewart Monument is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart (1753–1828). It is situated on Calton Hill overlooking the city of Edinburgh and was designed by Scottish architect William Henry Playfair. It was completed in September 1831.
Background
Playfair's design is based on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, Greece, and is a circular temple of nine fluted Corinthian columns around an elevated urn, on a circular podium. This example of the architecture of ancient Greece had been brought to wider attention by James "Athenian" Stuart and Nicholas Revett's illustrated survey, The Antiquities of Athens, published in 1762. The monument is a category A listed building as of 19 April 1966. The choragic form was also used for the nearby contemporaneous Robert Burns Monument, designed by Thomas Hamilton.
Dugald Stewart was a professor at the University of Edinburgh, holding the chair of moral philosophy from 1786 until he died in 1828. The Royal Society of Edinburgh commissioned the monument and selected its site in 1830.
Playfair also designed the nearby National Monument of Scotland (with Charles Robert Cockerell) and was also responsible for the thoroughfare that encircles Calton Hill on three sides, comprising Royal Terrace, Carlton Terrace and Regent Terrace
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugald_Stewart_Monument
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See also:-
edinburghtourist.co.uk/blog/walk-calton-hill/
www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/newtown-dugaldstewart
britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200365173-dugald-stewarts-mo...
Edinburgh
Observatory House on the left and Dugald Stewart Monument on the right.
Observatory House, part of the City Observatory.
Edinburgh's City Observatory, also known as the Playfair Observatory, is a fascinating place, where the optimism and excitement of early scientific advances can still be felt.
Inspired by a Greek temple of the Four Winds, the Observatory was designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818.
The first Astronomer Royal to work in this building was Professor Thomas Henderson, appointed 1834, who had discovered how to measure parallax and the distance to a star while in his previous job in South Africa.
Explore
Working with The City of Edinburgh Council, Collective redeveloped the City Observatory site as a new home for contemporary art: conserving and reinstating the original Playfair designs and constructing a new exhibition space and panoramic restaurant. The site is now fully to the public for the first time in its history.
www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/city-observatory
-----------------------------------------
Dugald Stewart Monument
The Dugald Stewart Monument is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart (1753–1828). It is situated on Calton Hill overlooking the city of Edinburgh and was designed by Scottish architect William Henry Playfair. It was completed in September 1831.
Background
Playfair's design is based on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, Greece, and is a circular temple of nine fluted Corinthian columns around an elevated urn, on a circular podium. This example of the architecture of ancient Greece had been brought to wider attention by James "Athenian" Stuart and Nicholas Revett's illustrated survey, The Antiquities of Athens, published in 1762. The monument is a category A listed building as of 19 April 1966. The choragic form was also used for the nearby contemporaneous Robert Burns Monument, designed by Thomas Hamilton.
Dugald Stewart was a professor at the University of Edinburgh, holding the chair of moral philosophy from 1786 until he died in 1828. The Royal Society of Edinburgh commissioned the monument and selected its site in 1830.
Playfair also designed the nearby National Monument of Scotland (with Charles Robert Cockerell) and was also responsible for the thoroughfare that encircles Calton Hill on three sides, comprising Royal Terrace, Carlton Terrace and Regent Terrace
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugald_Stewart_Monument
——————————————
See also:-
edinburghtourist.co.uk/blog/walk-calton-hill/
www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/newtown-dugaldstewart
britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200365173-dugald-stewarts-mo...