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Who was Robert Adamâs father William Adam?
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Robert Adam
Robert Adam, oil painting by an unknown artist; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
William Adam was the foremost Scottish architect of his time and the father of the renowned architect Robert Adam. Serving as the master mason to the Board of Ordnance in North Britain, he was responsible for supervising the design of military buildings.1
In addition to his official duties, William Adam designed numerous country houses, working in a conservative Palladian styleâa modified classical Roman aesthetic originally developed by the 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio. His professional legacy continued through his sons, as Robert Adam entered his father's office as an apprentice and assistant in 1746, two years before William's death in 1748.1