David Laing (1774 - 1856) is principally known as the
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
of the New Custom House in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, which was completed in 1817 and collapsed in 1825. Assisted by a young
William TiteSir William Tite, CB was an English architect who served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was particularly associated with various London buildings, with railway stations and cemetery projects....
, he also rebuilt the church of
St Dunstan-in-the-EastSt Dunstan-in-the-East was an Anglican church located on St Dunstan's Hill, half way between London Bridge and the Tower of London in the City of London. The church was destroyed in the Second World War and the medieval ruins are now a popular public garden....
between 1817 and 1821.
In 1818 Laing published a book of plans and drawings which included details of the problems he had encountered in laying the foundations of the New Custom House.
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David Laing (1774 - 1856) is principally known as the
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
of the New Custom House in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, which was completed in 1817 and collapsed in 1825. Assisted by a young
William TiteSir William Tite, CB was an English architect who served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was particularly associated with various London buildings, with railway stations and cemetery projects....
, he also rebuilt the church of
St Dunstan-in-the-EastSt Dunstan-in-the-East was an Anglican church located on St Dunstan's Hill, half way between London Bridge and the Tower of London in the City of London. The church was destroyed in the Second World War and the medieval ruins are now a popular public garden....
between 1817 and 1821.
In 1818 Laing published a book of plans and drawings which included details of the problems he had encountered in laying the foundations of the New Custom House. The
subsidenceSubsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
of those foundations was later to cause the collapse of the building, which had to be rebuilt, under the direction of
Sir Robert Smirke-Biography:Smirke was the son of portrait painter Robert Smirke, and studied architecture as a pupil of classical architect John Soane in 1796, the same year he commenced his studies at the Royal Academy...
.
After the collapse of the New Custom House Laing was suspended from his post as Architect & Surveyor of the
Board of CustomsCustoms and Excise refers to customs duties and excise duties. In certain countries, the national tax authorities that are responsible for collecting those duties are named Customs and Excise, including:...
, and his practice was ruined.