I had doubts about whether it was worth it to try to visit the Chiswick House, but after deciding to go, I learned I made no mistake. It was honestly one of the most beautiful houses/parks I’ve been to in all of London. The house was out in the suburbs of London, which had meant some exploring.
The house was designed in a neo-Palladian style by Lord Burlington and William Kent in the early 1700s. Neo-palladan architecture was inspired by Andre Palladio, and his wrintings, The Four Books of Architecture. Lord Burlington and William Kent found inspiration from Palladio and his teachings, and chose to employ a few of his principles when designing the place. Firstly, they thought that architecture was a language of expression and, and secondly, that all building traditions around the world from all time periods merit attention.
The house contains several aspects of the Classical language such as the columns, and the large dome. But, the designers had freedom to be innovative with the design, and put the columns above a zigzag crossing set of stairs, which gave the façade an edgy look.
Actually, one of the parts of the Chiswick House that fascinated me most was the gardens. The gardens are nothing short of beautiful, and complement the house so well. They give the house its solemn and peaceful feel. I actually would have almost considered going only to see and sleep by the pond in the garden. Looking at the house from the gardens almost gave the whole scene a Picturesque feel to it. It almost looked like a masterpiece of a painting just waiting to be painted. All in all, the Chiswick House is a beautiful park/house that I feel like all students studying abroad or even just visiting London should check out.
The house itself wasn’t too big, and left lots for the eyes to feast on in a relatively small area. My favorite feature of the building was the use of the crisscross staircases. I also like how the architect stayed true to Classicism by using Classical features such as the columns and the large dome. Though, I also like how he stayed true to himself and used his own creativity to express himself in how to employ those features in his design.
I honestly would love to go back one day and revisit the house, especially because I had only gotten to see it from the outside. I can only imagine the beauty of it on the inside.
Cal Poly Architecture in London 