Richard Cassels

Irish Palladianism. Russborough, Ireland. One of the many country houses designed in Ireland by Richard Cassels

Richard Cassels, who anglicised his name to Richard Castle, ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Hesse Cassel (or Kassel), Germany. Although German, his family were of French origin, descended from the French-Netherlandish 'Du Ry' family, famous for the many architects among their number. A cousin Simon du Ry designed Schloss Wilhelmshöhe in Cassel.

Early work

Richard Cassels, who originally trained as an engineer, came to Ireland in 1728 at the behest of Sir Gustavus Hume of County Fermanagh to design for Hume a mansion on the shores of Lough Erne. Hume had probably discovered Cassels's's working in London where he was influenced by the circle of architects influenced by Lord Burlington. Cassels soon after arrival in Ireland established a thriving architectural practice in Dublin. Architecturally at the time Dublin was an exiting place to be - Edward Lovett Pearce, also newly established in the city, was working on the great mansion ofSpeaker William Connoly, Castletown House and simultaneously the new Irish Houses of Parliament. Both these buildings were in the newly introduced Palladian style. Palladian architecture was currently enjoying a revival in fashion and was to sweep across Europe, and be adopted with a fervour in Ireland. Cassels was well versed in the concepts of Palladio and Vitruvius, but was also sympathetic to the more baroque style of architecture.

In Dublin itself, Cassels worked on the Houses of Parliament with Pearce, whose protegee, and friend he became. Cassels first solo commission was the Printing House of Trinity College, this was designed to resemble a temple complete with a doric portico. This portico is an interesting feature symbolizing Cassel's early work - a portico is an almost essential feature of palladian architecture, but as Cassels's work matured he tended to merely hint at a portico, by placing pilasters supporting a pediment as the focal point of a facade. Perhaps he felt the huge Italian porticos providing shelter from the blazing sun, were not a requisite of a house in the less clement Ireland. This blind, merely suggested, portico is a feature of his final Dublin masterpiece Leinster House built for the Earl of Kildare between 1745 and 1751. A comparison of the Printing House and Leinster House shows the evolution from the true palladian style to the, commonly called, Georgian style in Ireland during the quarter of a century that Dublin was to be almost rebuilt.

The untimely death of Edward Lovett Pearce, aged 34 in 1733, made Cassels Ireland's leading architect working in the sought after Palladian style. He immediately assumed all Pearce's commissions, and thus began a series of lavish country houses. Following the completion of the Houses of Parliament there seem to have been a rush by the aristocracy to build a series of new town houses in the same style, Cassels was often the first choice of architect. This was the creation of what came to be known as Georgian Dublin.

For his exteriors he used a Palladian style that was quite distinctive by its strength and sobriety. In this he seems to have not only been influenced by Pearce but also James Gibbs. However, when it came to interiors, here Cassels gave full rein to his love of the more continental baroque. Walls were covered in stucco reliefs, and ceilings triumphs of plaster and segmental mouldings and carvings, in an almost rococo style peculiar to Ireland.

Among the finest of Cassels works in order of commencement are:- (it should be noted that given dates often vary from on source to the other)

Trinity College, Printing House

This perfect small doric temple, was completed in 1734, and is thought o be Cassels's first major solo work. A four columned portico of doric columns projects from the rusticated severe building, the entirety is only the width of the portico. (This building is sometimes attributed to Edward Lovett Pearce).

Carton House 1739

Cassels made large alterations to Carton house in County Kildare between 1739 and 1745, for the Earl of Kildare, the resultant facades were in his usual restrained and symmetrical style. The great garden facade is terminated by Venetian windows at each end, while in the centre a single storey portico, is so unostentatious as to be almost a porch. The roof-line is hidden by a balustrade, broken by an unsupported pediment over the central bay. The interiors are a riot of plaster-work ornamentation. The Lafranchini brothers famous for their plaster-work executed some of their finest work here, and were to work again with Cassels at Russborough.

Russborough 1742

Russborough was built by Cassels for the 1st Earl of Milltown between 1742 and 1755. A central block containing the principal rooms is flanked by curved and segmented colonnades leading to two symmetrical service blocks. The main entrance, is at the centre of one of Cassels's trademark 'suggested' porticoes, is on a raised piano nobile. It is reached by a broad flight of steps. The principal feature of the interiors are the rococo plaster-work and the ceilings, again by the master stuccoists Paul and Philip Lanfrachini; and ornate carved marble fireplaces, all contrasting with the austerity of the exterior.

Summerhill

This vast palladian mansion in County Meath was in fact originally designed by Pearce, who died before the project was commenced, taken over by Cassels, he was certainly responsible again for the rococo interiors. the building was damaged by fire in the 1920s and finally demolished in the 1950s.

Powerscourt House 1741

Powercsourt House, Wicklow This large country house originally a 13th century castle was completely rebuilt by Cassels circa 1741. On a commanding hilltop position Cassels deviated slightly from his usual sombre style, to give the house something of what John Vanbrugh would have called the 'castle air', a severe palladian facade is terminated by two circular domed towers

Powersourt House, Dublin Obviously pleased by Cassel's work at their country seat in Wicklow, the 3rd Viscount Powerscourt commissioned Cassels to design his Dublin town house in William Street. Built on three principal floors above a sunken basement, it is unusual for its series of curved topped windows on the ground floor, with the more traditional rectangular pedimented windows on the floor above. The front elevation of nine bays has as its central feature a Venetian window above the main entrance. The facade is devoid of pilasters, having only rusticated cornerstones to decorate. A pediment crowns the central projection. The interiors as at Russborough and elsewhere were again in the rococo style, contrasting with the exterior.

Tyrone House 1740

Cassels designed this Dublin town house for Marcus Beresford, Earl of Tyrone in Marlborough Street between 1740 and 1745. Smaller than Powerscourt House it is said to be the first substantial aristocratic house to be built in the north of the city, it is fine example of Cassels' robust sober style, The central Venetian window above the principal entrance is the sole example of decoration, or flamboyance to the this dramatically severe facade.

Leinster House 1745

The house was originally known as Kildare House after James Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare, who commissioned Cassels to build it between 1745-47. Intended to be Dublin's grandest mansion, the result could not have disappointed Kildare. (see Leinster House). It is said that another Irish architect James Hoban later copied the facade of Leinster house for his design of The White House in Washington (although Castlecoole designed by James Wyatt bears a closer resemblance).

Rotunda Hospital 1757

Originally the main maternity hospital for Dublin, it was redesigned by Cassels who transformed it into a palladian palace, complete with the rotunda which gives the hospital its name.

Legacy to Ireland

Richard Cassels died in 1751. His legacy is that he gave Ireland a distinctive type of palladianism all of its own, which to be fully appreciated one has to regard the buildings simultaneously externally and internally, the restrained, even severe, but nevertheless grand external facades, which do not jar the eye in the Irish landscape, give no hint of the flamboyance, even wild rococo exuberance within. This is found almost nowhere else in Europe, the cold grandeur of England's finest palladian mansions such as Kedleston Hall or Holkham Hall could not be further removed from the joy and movement of the interiors of one of Richard Cassels's Irish Palladian interiors.