William Henry Playfair

William Henry Playfair (* 1790 in London, † 1857) was an eminent Scottish architect of the 19th century.

Life and work

Playfair came in 1790 as the son of architect James Playfair ( 1755-1794 ) in London to the world, but moved at a young age in order to Edinburgh. There he was a respected architect who influenced the city with its neoclassical buildings significantly. Among his best known works include the building of the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy, both of which are located in the center of Edinburgh. The building, designed by him National Monument on Calton Hill, which should remind us of the fallen soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars and the Parthenon is modeled in Athens, PayFair could not finish due to lack of funds.

His grave is located in the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. The geologist and mathematician John Playfair (1748-1819) was his uncle.