Roger Pratt (architect) facts for kids

Clarendon House, London (1664–1667)

Sir Roger Pratt (born 1620, died 1684) was an important English architect from the 1600s. He was known as a "gentleman-architect" because he came from a wealthy family and designed buildings as a passion, not just for money. Even though he only designed five buildings that we know of, his ideas were very influential. He helped create a special type of English house that many others copied.

Pratt took ideas from different European styles and also from Inigo Jones, who was England's first architect to use classical styles. Roger Pratt also worked on official projects for the government. In 1668, he became the first English architect to be made a knight by the King for his work.

Roger Pratt's Early Life and Studies

Roger Pratt was born into a wealthy family from Norfolk, England. He was baptised in Marsworth, Buckinghamshire, on November 2, 1620. He went to Magdalen College, Oxford, a famous university, starting in 1637. In 1639, he joined the Inner Temple in London, which is a place where lawyers are trained.

The next year, he inherited his father's land in Ryston, Norfolk. However, in 1642, the English Civil War began. This was a big fight within England. To avoid the war, Pratt decided to leave the country in April 1643. He traveled through France, Italy, Flanders, and Holland. During his travels, he studied architecture and became friends with a famous writer named John Evelyn in Rome.

Pratt returned to England in 1649, after King Charles I had been executed. He went back to the Inner Temple but continued to study architecture on his own.

Designing Famous Houses

In the 1650s, Roger Pratt helped rebuild Coleshill House in Berkshire. This house belonged to his cousin, Sir George Pratt. The house was built between 1658 and 1662, but sadly it was torn down in 1952. While the famous architect Inigo Jones is often given credit for the design, Roger Pratt was in charge of actually building it.

Coleshill House was an example of a "double-pile house." This means it was two rooms deep, which made it very useful. Pratt liked this style because it offered "much room in a little compass." This means you got a lot of space without making the house too wide, and it saved on building materials.

The house had a grand staircase that went up two floors. It also had central hallways on each floor. This was a new idea that helped separate different parts of the house. It meant that private rooms didn't have to be used as walkways for everyone. Pratt got many ideas from his travels, mixing Italian, French, Dutch, and English styles.

Between 1663 and 1665, Pratt worked on two more houses:

• Kingston Lacy in Dorset for Sir Ralph Bankes.
• Horseheath Hall in Cambridgeshire for William Alington.

Pratt kept improving his designs. He wanted to solve the problem of family, visitors, and servants accidentally bumping into each other. He made new plans for Kingston Lacy and Horseheath Hall. These houses had a central hall and large staircases at each end. This allowed for separate apartments in the corners.

Pratt's most famous and important building was Clarendon House. It was built between 1664 and 1667 for the Lord Chancellor, Edward Hyde. Clarendon House was located in Piccadilly in London. It was a very grand house, similar to Horseheath, but with short wings at each end.

Clarendon House was seen as one of the first great classical houses in London. Many people praised it, and its design was copied widely, for example, at Belton House. In 1669, Pratt rebuilt his own home, Ryston Hall in Norfolk, using a French-inspired style.

Sadly, not much of Roger Pratt's work remains today. Clarendon House was sold in 1675 and torn down in 1683, only 16 years after it was finished. Horseheath Hall was pulled down in 1777. Coleshill House burned down in 1952. Kingston Lacy was changed a lot by another architect, Sir Charles Barry, in the 1830s. Ryston Hall was also changed by Sir John Soane.

Roger Pratt's Official Work

In 1663, a group was formed to fix Old St Paul's Cathedral in London, which was falling apart. Roger Pratt gave them a report suggesting that the building should just be left to fall down naturally. In August 1666, the group decided to go with Christopher Wren's ideas for rebuilding instead.

Just a week later, the Great Fire of London happened. This huge fire destroyed most of central London, including Old St Paul's. In September, King Charles II chose Pratt to be one of three "Commissioners for Rebuilding the City of London." The other two were Christopher Wren and Hugh May. They worked with three representatives from the City of London to check the damage and plan how to rebuild.

Their work led to two laws being passed by Parliament in 1666 and 1670 to help rebuild London. However, unlike Wren, Pratt did not continue to work on the actual rebuilding of the city.

On July 16, 1668, King Charles II made Roger Pratt a knight. This was a special honor, making him Sir Roger Pratt. He was the first English architect ever to receive this kind of recognition.

Later Life and Retirement

After becoming a knight and marrying Ann Monins in the same year, Roger Pratt decided to retire. He moved back to his family's property in Norfolk. Rebuilding Ryston Hall was his last architectural project. After that, he focused on improving farming methods on his land.

Sir Roger Pratt passed away in 1684. Sadly, his three sons had died before him. He was buried in the church at Ryston.

Images for kids

• 

  Coleshill House, Oxfordshire

• 

  The gates are all that remain of Coleshill House, Oxfordshire

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  The south and west sides of Kingston Lacy, as changed by Sir Charles Barry

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  Ryston Hall, Norfolk

See also

In Spanish: Roger Pratt para niños