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What was the Adelphi development on the River Thames?
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Robert Adam
Robert Adam, oil painting by an unknown artist; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
The Adelphi was a speculative real estate development on the River Thames undertaken by Robert Adam and his brother James beginning in 1768.1
The project involved the brothers leasing a site and investing a significant sum of money into embanking the land and constructing several terraces of houses between 1768 and 1772. This development was notable for bringing the signature Adam interior styleâcharacterized by slim pilasters supporting shallow friezes and cornicesâto the exterior of the buildings.1
Despite its architectural significance, the Adelphi proved to be a financial disaster for the brothers. The site was almost entirely destroyed in 1936.1