The Making of the Radcliffe Observatory’, the Georgian Group Journal, Vol
Geoffrey Tyack, ‘The making of the Radcliffe Observatory’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. X, 2000, pp. 122–140 TEXT © THE AUTHORS 2000 THE MAKING OF THE RADCLIFFE OBSERVATORY GEOFFREY TYACK he Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford has long maker, presented what is reckoned to be the first Tbeen recognised as an important monument telescope to the States General of Holland in , of early neo-classical architecture. But, for all its and in an observatory was built on the roof of historical interest, its striking appearance and its the University of Leiden, followed by others at excellent state of preservation, it remains surprisingly Utrecht and elsewhere, including one built by King little known, even to architectural historians . This is Christian IV of Denmark in in the form of a - partly because of its location, outside the centre of the ft-high tower next to the church of Holy Trinity, city, squashed up against the dreary th-century Copenhagen . The first tower observatories were not wards of a hospital, and only accessible through the very sophisticated buildings, but in Claude grounds of one of the lesser-known colleges of Oxford Perrault, himself a scientist, built a more elaborate University. It is also perhaps because of its unusual observatory at Paris which still survives in an altered functions and complicated building history, both of form; it was a two-storeyed structure with a flat roof, which repay investigation. projections at the corners for the telescopes, a room According to Anthony Wood the first observatory for larger astronomical instruments, and a meeting in Oxford was the ancient medieval gatehouse known room for the members of Colbert’s recently-established as Friar Bacon’s Study, guarding the southern approach Académie des Sciences.
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