Façade of the Assembly Rooms, Blake Street, York, by J. P. Pritchett (1789-1868). 1828. The Grade I listed building itself largely dates from 1730 and was designed by Lord Burlington (Pevsner and Neave 196-97). As one of the first and grandest of a new class of grand neoclassical buildings, it is considered (in the words of the historical note with the list entry) "of seminal importance in the history of English architecture." Hence, unlike their work near Gothic structures, where the design is Gothic in keeping with the context, Pritchett & Watson's design for the new frontage included an imposing portico with four ionic columns, matched by attached ionic columns either side of the flanking recessed windows. The detailing is fine, dignified rather than fussy.
Photograph by Rita Wood and text by Wood and Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use the image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Bibliography
"Assembly Rooms, York." Historic England. Web. 3 June 2022.
Pevsner, Nikolaus, and David Neave. Yorkshire: York and the East Riding. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.
Created 3 June 2022