Western Pavilion
Encyclopedia
The Western Pavilion is an exotically designed early 19th-century house in the centre of Brighton
, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. Local architect Amon Henry Wilds
, one of the most important figures in Brighton's development from modest fishing village to fashionable seaside resort, built the distinctive two-storey house between 1827 and 1828 as his own residence, and incorporated many inventive details while paying homage to the Royal Pavilion
, Brighton's most famous and distinctive building. Although the house has been altered and a shopfront inserted, it is still in residential use, and has been listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
for its architectural and historical importance.
, his father, Amon Wilds
, and another architect, Charles Busby
, went into partnership early in the 19th century, and quickly became Brighton's most important firm of architects. When the Wildses moved from nearby Lewes
to Brighton in about 1814, the latter's transformation from small, declining fishing village to fashionable, high-class seaside and leisure resort had already started; but the three architects jointly and individually led the town through its period of greatest success, when they established their trademark Regency architectural style
in a succession of major residential developments. They designed a wide variety of religious and secular buildings of all types as well, and Amon Henry Wilds was also involved in engineering projects.
Amon Henry Wilds was prolific throughout the 1820s, and after 1822 he increasingly worked on his own. In 1827, he was commissioned to build a mansion for Sir David Scott, 2nd Baronet
, on the south side of Western Road—the main route from Brighton to the Brunswick Town estate
and Hove
. Sillwood House, named after Scott's Berkshire
residence of Silwood Park
, was ready in 1828. At the same time, on land next to the mansion, Wilds developed a small terrace
of houses called Western Terrace. The first five houses were in the Neoclassical style
with stucco
and columns; beyond these, the terrace incorporated the mansion's coach house
; and at its north end Wilds built his own house in a different style again.
The Western Pavilion, as it became known, was intended to resemble the Royal Pavilion
,
the elaborate and opulent Orientalist/Indo-Saracenic
royal palace which has become Brighton's best-known building. Wilds placed a leaded onion dome on the northwest corner (and inserted a bathroom shaped like an igloo
); minarets, Oriental-style windows and various Hindoo-style details predominate elsewhere. Many rooms, including the dining room, were oval.
Wilds died in 1857, and in 1931 the Western Pavilion was converted into an office. In 1957, a shop took it over, and refronted the north façade (facing Western Road) with two-storey windows. A shopfront still stands in front of the building on Western Road, but the Western Pavilion is now in residential use again. It was listed at Grade II* on 13 October 1952; such buildings are defined as being "particularly important ... [and] of more than special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.
, where he could take his lover Maria Fitzherbert away from the Royal Pavilion. The eclectic style "reveals Wilds's humour and his willingness to embrace the exotic": it combines the Hindoo, Orientalist and Indo-Saracenic
styles. The large leaded (now painted) onion dome is an Orientalist touch; the repeated cusped-headed arches on the exterior are of Indo-Saracenic origin; and there are small minarets of the Hindoo type.
The house has two storeys and a basement, and presents a two-bay façade westwards to Western Terrace. The entrance is on this side, projecting further forward than the upper storey, under a cusped archway below a parapet
with an Oriental-style balustrade. The left (northern) bay on the west façade is almost circular and has two glazed windows and a blank window in cusped-headed recessed arches. Between each arch is a pilaster
. Simpler windows, some of which are blank, are on the first floor, below large eaves
and the dome. The main part of the house is in two slightly staggered parts. Columns rise at the corners of the walls and terminate in minaret
-shaped finial
s.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. Local architect Amon Henry Wilds
Amon Henry Wilds
Amon Henry Wilds was an English architect. He was part of a team of three architects and builders who—working together or independently at different times—were almost solely responsible for a surge in residential construction and development in early 19th-century Brighton, which until then had...
, one of the most important figures in Brighton's development from modest fishing village to fashionable seaside resort, built the distinctive two-storey house between 1827 and 1828 as his own residence, and incorporated many inventive details while paying homage to the Royal Pavilion
Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, from 1811 Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion...
, Brighton's most famous and distinctive building. Although the house has been altered and a shopfront inserted, it is still in residential use, and has been listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
for its architectural and historical importance.
History
Amon Henry WildsAmon Henry Wilds
Amon Henry Wilds was an English architect. He was part of a team of three architects and builders who—working together or independently at different times—were almost solely responsible for a surge in residential construction and development in early 19th-century Brighton, which until then had...
, his father, Amon Wilds
Amon Wilds
Amon Wilds was an English architect and builder. He formed an architectural partnership with his son Amon Henry WildsIn this article, Amon Wilds is referred to as Wilds senior and his son Amon Henry Wilds as Wilds junior. in 1806 and started working in the fashionable and growing seaside resort...
, and another architect, Charles Busby
Charles Busby
Charles Augustin Busby was an English architect.He created many buildings in and around Brighton such as Brunswick Square and St Margarets Church. His style usually included Romanesque style pillars to his buildings....
, went into partnership early in the 19th century, and quickly became Brighton's most important firm of architects. When the Wildses moved from nearby Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
to Brighton in about 1814, the latter's transformation from small, declining fishing village to fashionable, high-class seaside and leisure resort had already started; but the three architects jointly and individually led the town through its period of greatest success, when they established their trademark Regency architectural style
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
in a succession of major residential developments. They designed a wide variety of religious and secular buildings of all types as well, and Amon Henry Wilds was also involved in engineering projects.
Amon Henry Wilds was prolific throughout the 1820s, and after 1822 he increasingly worked on his own. In 1827, he was commissioned to build a mansion for Sir David Scott, 2nd Baronet
Sir David Scott, 2nd Baronet
Sir David Scott, 2nd Baronet was a British politician and knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order. He was elected at a by-election in January 1806 as the Member of Parliament for Yarmouth, Isle of Wight and held the seat until the general election in November 1806, when he did not stand again.He...
, on the south side of Western Road—the main route from Brighton to the Brunswick Town estate
Brunswick (Hove)
Brunswick Town is an area in Hove, in the city of Brighton and Hove, England. It is best known for the Regency architecture of the Brunswick estate.-History:...
and Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
. Sillwood House, named after Scott's Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
residence of Silwood Park
Silwood Park
Silwood Park is the rural campus of Imperial College London, England. It is situated near the village of Sunninghill, near Ascot in Berkshire. Since 1986, there have been major developments on the site with four new college buildings...
, was ready in 1828. At the same time, on land next to the mansion, Wilds developed a small terrace
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
of houses called Western Terrace. The first five houses were in the Neoclassical style
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
and columns; beyond these, the terrace incorporated the mansion's coach house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
; and at its north end Wilds built his own house in a different style again.
The Western Pavilion, as it became known, was intended to resemble the Royal Pavilion
Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, from 1811 Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion...
,
the elaborate and opulent Orientalist/Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
royal palace which has become Brighton's best-known building. Wilds placed a leaded onion dome on the northwest corner (and inserted a bathroom shaped like an igloo
Igloo
An igloo or snowhouse is a type of shelter built of snow, originally built by the Inuit....
); minarets, Oriental-style windows and various Hindoo-style details predominate elsewhere. Many rooms, including the dining room, were oval.
Wilds died in 1857, and in 1931 the Western Pavilion was converted into an office. In 1957, a shop took it over, and refronted the north façade (facing Western Road) with two-storey windows. A shopfront still stands in front of the building on Western Road, but the Western Pavilion is now in residential use again. It was listed at Grade II* on 13 October 1952; such buildings are defined as being "particularly important ... [and] of more than special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.
Architecture
Descriptions of the Western Pavilion's architecture focus on its similarity to the Royal Pavilion: it has been called that building's "baby brother" (and, similarly, a "miniature version" of it), and one historian has observed that some people have incorrectly believed the house was used as a pied-à-terre by the Prince RegentGeorge IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, where he could take his lover Maria Fitzherbert away from the Royal Pavilion. The eclectic style "reveals Wilds's humour and his willingness to embrace the exotic": it combines the Hindoo, Orientalist and Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
styles. The large leaded (now painted) onion dome is an Orientalist touch; the repeated cusped-headed arches on the exterior are of Indo-Saracenic origin; and there are small minarets of the Hindoo type.
The house has two storeys and a basement, and presents a two-bay façade westwards to Western Terrace. The entrance is on this side, projecting further forward than the upper storey, under a cusped archway below a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with an Oriental-style balustrade. The left (northern) bay on the west façade is almost circular and has two glazed windows and a blank window in cusped-headed recessed arches. Between each arch is a pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
. Simpler windows, some of which are blank, are on the first floor, below large eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
and the dome. The main part of the house is in two slightly staggered parts. Columns rise at the corners of the walls and terminate in minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
-shaped finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s.