William Wilkins

William Wilkins (31 August 1778 – 31 August 1839) was an English architect, classical scholar and archaeologist. He designed the National Gallery, Downing College, Cambridge and University College London, and buildings for several Cambridge colleges.

Life Wilkins was born in the parish of St Giles, Norwich, the son of William Wilkins (1751–1815), a successful builder who also managed the Norwich Theatre Circuit, a chain of theatres. His younger brother George Wilkins became Archdeacon of Nottingham.

He was educated at Norwich School and then won a scholarship to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He graduated as 6th wrangler in 1800. With the award of the Worts Travelling Bachelorship in 1801, worth £100 for three years, he was able to visit the classical antiquities Greece, Asia Minor, and Magna Græcia in Italy between 1801 and 1804. On his tour he was accompanied by the Italian landscape painter Agostino Aglio, whom Wilkins had commissioned as a draughtsman on the expedition. Aglio supplied the drawings for the aquatint plates of monuments illustrating Wilkins' volumes from the expedition, such as The Antiquities of Magna Graecia (1807).

Wilkins was a member of the Society of Dilettanti from 1817. He published researches into both Classical and Gothic architecture, becoming one of the leading figures in the English Greek Revival of the early 19th century.

His architectural career began in 1804 with his Greek-revival designs for the newly established Downing College, Cambridge.

In 1815, Wilkins inherited his father's chain of six theatres. He continued to manage them for the rest of his life, and rebuilt or remodelled several of them, occasionally also designing scenery.

In 1822–26, he collaborated with John Peter Gandy on the Clubhouse for the new United University Club, in Pall Mall, London. He was made an associate of the Royal Society in 1824 and given full membership in 1826. John Summerson concluded in 1962 that although Wilkins' frontage has many virtues "considered critically as a façade commanding a great square, its weakness is apparent".

In 1827–28 Wilkins designed two other major London buildings in a severe Classical style: University College in Gower Street, and St George's Hospital House, Kingsweston, Bristol, addition of a Doric portico (1828). National Gallery, London (1831–1838); originally only one room deep, and also housing the Royal Academy; since much extended and remodelled.

Gallery of architectural work