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Article: The Arts: A new palace for London Beautiful but neglected, Somerset House is to get a grand facelift. In an exclusive interview, Lord Rothschild tells June Ducas how he made it possible
- Article from:
- The Sunday Telegraph London
- Article date:
- January 30, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2000 The Sunday Telegraph London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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SET AROUND a quadrangle adorned with grandiose stone statues,
balusters and pilasters, few 18th-century buildings can rival the
beauty of Somerset House. On one side, its neo-classical faade
overlooks the Thames; on the other, a triple-arched porchway heralds
its entrance to the Strand. It was originally designed by Sir
William Chambers for George III's civil service, in particular the
Navy Office; Edmund Burke declared that this architectural wonder
would render the capital of Great Britain famous throughout Europe.
Yet for years it has been an extremely large white elephant. It
is only thanks to the efforts of Lord Rothschild, head of the famous
banking clan and, until two years ago, ...