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early life
Henry Aaron Baker (1753–1836), was an Irish architect. Baker was a student from 1777 to 1779 at the Dublin Society's School of Architectural Drawing under Thomas Ivory. As Ivory's health began to decline during the 1780s, Baker progressively took on his teaching responsibilities at the School.
career
By the time of Ivory's passing on December 27, 1786, Baker had effectively taken on the role of acting Master [1]. Following Ivory's death, Baker was a pupil of James Gandon, 'and acted as clerk of the works to the buildings designed and chiefly constructed by his master for the Inns of Court, then called the King's Inns, at Dublin'.[2] He was a member of, and for some time secretary to, the Royal Hibernian Academy.
In 1787 he was appointed teacher of architecture in the Dublin Society's school, and retained the post till his death. He was the Royal Hibernian Academy's first Professor of Architecture, and was appointed as early as 1829 [3], as quotes from [4] "Four architects had been included on a list of possible members of a proposed arts academy in 1820, and two architects, Henry Aaron Baker and Francis Johnston, were among the fourteen ‘trusty and well beloved subjects’ listed as the first members of the new Academy in the 1823 Charter". As the master of the Dublin Society's School of Architectural Drawing from 1787 to 1836, he focused on teaching neo-classical design principles. Renowned for his administrative skills and dedication, he successfully argued in 1797 that architectural drawing, being more scientific in nature, required greater emphasis than other types of drawing. This advocacy led to an increase in his annual salary from £60 to £100, elevating the status of architectural instruction to be on par with fine arts education. As the architectural consultant to the society, he designed its new headquarters on Hawkins Street in 1796. This marked the first time the society had purpose-built facilities, including classrooms and a gallery illuminated by a long skylight. The gallery, considered the finest exhibition space in the city, became Dublin's most popular venue for art displays [5]. In 1789, he erected the triumphal arch known as Bishop's Gate at Derry, and in 1791, the Spire of Lloyd in Kells, County Meath.[6] He was among the architects who developed plans for the Dublin Wide Street Commissioners during the early 19th century. His designs for D’Olier Street and Westmoreland Street, approved in 1799 and 1800, were notable for their focus on commercial use, with layouts tailored for shops. These developments anticipated similar urban planning trends in England by approximately fifteen years [7].The Commission undertook the widening and development of key access routes such as Dame Street, Westmoreland Street, D’Olier Street, and Lower Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street). It also oversaw the construction of Carlisle Bridge (now known as O’Connell Bridge), effectively shifting the city's central axis downstream from Capel Street to Sackville Street [8]. In 1802-04, he gained the first prize for a design for converting the Irish parliament house into a bank. The superintendence of that work was given, however, to another architect, Francis Johnston. From 1815 to at least 1821, he served as the architect for Dublin's prisons. By 1824, Pigot & Co.'s City of Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory referred to him as the "City Architect," and in the 1833 and 1834 editions of Wilson's Dublin Directory, he was listed as "Architect of the Grand Juries of the City of Dublin" as Baker served as architect (1833–4) of the grand juries of the city of Dublin. [9] Among his notable projects was the restoration of St. Audoen’s Church of Ireland on High Street. He designed the statue gallery and drawing schools at Leinster House between 1823 and 1827, a space that later became home to the National College of Art and Design [10]. His career is distinguished by six meticulously crafted and well conceived architectural works.
death
He died 4 June 1836 and was buried at St Thomas's church, Dublin.
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References
[edit]- ^ https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/181/BAKER%2C+HENRY+AARON
- ^ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^ https://rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/architectural-presidents/
- ^ https://irisharchitecturalarchive.ie/exhibition/architectural-presidents/
- ^ https://www.dib.ie/biography/baker-henry-aaron-a0329
- ^ "Baker, Henry Aaron - Works". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- ^ https://www.archiseek.com/tag/henry-aaron-baker/
- ^ https://iar.ie/archive/wide-streets-commission/
- ^ https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/181/BAKER%2C+HENRY+AARON
- ^ https://www.dib.ie/biography/baker-henry-aaron-a0329
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Baker, Henry Aaron". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.