Famous 18th Century Architects

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 1 
Capability Brown
(Horticulturist, Architect, Landscape architect)
Capability Brown
4
Birthdate: August 30, 1716
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Northumberland
Died: February 6, 1783

Capability Brown was an English landscape architect and gardener. Regarded as the most popular figure in English landscape garden style history, Brown is also considered England's greatest gardener by many. Capability Brown is credited with designing more than 170 parks. His work had such an impact that the contributions of his predecessors William Kent and Charles Bridgeman are often overlooked.

 2 
Robert Adam
(British Neoclassical Architect, Interior Designer and Furniture Designer)
Robert Adam
3
Birthdate: July 3, 1728
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Died: March 3, 1792
 3 
James Hoban
(Architect, best known for designing the White House in Washington, D.C)
James Hoban
3
Birthdate: 1755 AD
Birthplace: Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Died: December 8, 1831
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 4 
John Soane
(English Architect and Archaeologist)
John Soane
3
Birthdate: September 10, 1753
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Goring, United Kingdom
Died: January 20, 1837

English architect John Soane contributed immensely to the Neo-Classical style of architecture. Born to a bricklayer, Soane began training as an architect at 15. He soared to fame during his 45-year stint as an architect of the Bank of England and was also knighted for his achievements.

 5 
Étienne-Louis Boullée
(Architect)
Étienne-Louis Boullée
3
Birthdate: February 12, 1728
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: February 4, 1799

Étienne-Louis Boullée was a French architect and visionary whose work continues to have a massive impact on the works of contemporary architects. A highly respected architect during his time, Boullée served as the chief architect under Frederick II of Prussia. Étienne-Louis Boullée is widely regarded as one of the most influential and prominent personalities of French neoclassical architecture. 

 6 
John Nash (Architect)
(One of the Foremost British Architects of the Georgian)
John Nash (Architect)
3
Birthdate: January 18, 1752
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lambeth, London, United Kingdom
Died: May 13, 1835

John Nash was a British architect of the Regency and Georgian eras, during which he designed several prominent areas of London using the picturesque and neoclassical styles. He is best remembered for designing popular edifices like Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch, and the Royal Pavilion. Nash also taught many future architects like John Adey Repton and James Pain.

 7 
John Vanbrugh
(British Architect Best Known as the Designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard)
John Vanbrugh
3
Birthdate: January 24, 1664
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: March 26, 1726

Apart from being a Baroque-style architect, John Vanbrugh was also a well-known dramatist of the Restoration era. His works include the iconic The Provoked Wife and The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger. His most-loved designs include Lord Carlisle’s Castle Howard in Yorkshire. A staunch Whig, he was also part of the Kit-Cat Club.

 8 
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
(Prussian Painter, City Planner, and Architect)
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
3
Birthdate: January 13, 1781
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Neuruppin, Germany
Died: October 9, 1841

Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian painter, city planner, and architect. One of the most important architects of Germany, Schinkel designed both neogothic and neoclassical buildings. Apart from designing buildings, Karl Friedrich Schinkel also designed stage sets and furniture.

 9 
Benjamin Henry Latrobe
(Architect)
Benjamin Henry Latrobe
3
Birthdate: May 1, 1764
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Fulneck Moravian Settlement, England
Died: September 3, 1820
Benjamin Henry Latrobe was a British-American neoclassical architect and civil engineer who established architecture as a profession in the United States. He was the most original proponent of the Greek Revival style in American buildings. His most famous works include Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Roman Catholic cathedral of Baltimore, Exchange and others. 
 10 
Claude Nicolas Ledoux
(French Architect and Designer)
Claude Nicolas Ledoux
3
Birthdate: March 21, 1736
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dormans, France
Died: November 18, 1806

Claude Nicolas Ledoux was a French architect, known for developing an eclectic architectural style, linked with budding pre-Revolutionary social ideals. First noticed for his imaginative woodwork at Café militaire, he was soon flooded with commissions, designing numerous private houses in the neoclassical style for the French elite, also receiving commission for designing public buildings including the Ledoux’s Theatre of Besançon.

 11 
William Thornton
(British-American Physician, Inventor, Painter and Architect Who Designed the 'United States Capitol')
William Thornton
3
Birthdate: May 20, 1759
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Jost van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, England
Died: March 28, 1828

British-American William Thornton was initially trained in medicine and that is when he began drawing and sketching as part of his medical notes. He later won a contest for the design of the Library Company of Philadelphia's new hall. He also designed the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

 12 
Giovanni Paolo Panini
(Painter)
Giovanni Paolo Panini
3
Birthdate: June 17, 1691
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Piacenza, Italy
Died: October 21, 1765
 13 
James Wyatt
(Architect)
James Wyatt
2
Birthdate: August 3, 1746
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Weeford, Staffordshire, England
Died: September 4, 1813
 14 
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
(Architect)
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
2
Birthdate: April 25, 1694
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Yorkshire, England
Died: December 4, 1753
 15 
Robert Mills
(American architect)
Robert Mills
2
Birthdate: August 12, 1781
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Died: March 3, 1855
South Carolina architect Robert Mills is considered to be the first native-born American to be professionally trained as an architect. A Neoclassical architect, Mills is known for using classical forms with originality. His best-known structures include Treasury and the Old Patent Office. Built in the US, the World War II Liberty Ship SS Robert Mills was named in his honour.
 16 
Charles Bulfinch
(Architect)
Charles Bulfinch
2
Birthdate: August 8, 1763
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Massachusetts Bay Colony, United States
Died: April 15, 1844

Best known for designing government buildings, Charles Bulfinch was also the first American-born architect. Educated at Harvard, he was later influenced by Neoclassical art. His designs included the Massachusetts State House and the Maine Capitol. He was also one of the architects of the United States Capitol.

 17 
James Gibbs
(Architect)
James Gibbs
3
Birthdate: December 23, 1682
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland
Died: August 5, 1754

James Gibbs, one of the most significant architects of his time, was trained in Rome and later merged the Italian and English styles of architecture. His best-known work includes the East Anglican St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London. While his works had elements of Baroque architecture, he was also influenced by Palladianism.

 18 
Aleijadinho
(Brazilian Sculptor and Architect)
Aleijadinho
2
Birthdate: August 29, 1738
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ouro Preto, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Died: November 18, 1814

Aleijadinho was a Brazilian architect and sculptor best remembered for his works in and on various churches of Brazil. Aleijadinho's works are generally considered some of the finest paradigms of Portuguese colonial architecture. Also among his best-known works are the famous Twelve Prophets, a set of soapstone sculptures at the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus of Matosinhos in Congonhas.

 19 
Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli
(Architect)
Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli
2
Birthdate: 1700 AD
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: April 29, 1771
 20 
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
(Architect)
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
2
Birthdate: April 16, 1646
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 11, 1708

Seventeenth-century French Baroque architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart is best remembered for designing Versailles as the city planner of King Louis XIV. His great-uncle, François Mansart, who was one of the pioneers of classical French architecture. His other works include Place Vendôme and the Château de la Chaize in Odenas.

 21 
Sir William Chambers
(Architect)
Sir William Chambers
3
Birthdate: February 23, 1723
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden
Died: March 10, 1796

Born to a Scottish father in Sweden, Sir William Chambers initially traveled to Canton as part of the Swedish East India Company. After studying Chinese architecture, he moved on to Paris and then to Italy. The Georgian-period architect was a major pillar of the Palladian style of architecture.

 22 
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
(Austrian Architect)
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
2
Birthdate: July 20, 1656
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Graz, Austria
Died: April 5, 1723

The Baroque architecture of Austrian architect, sculptor, and architectural-historian Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, who penned the influential book titled A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture, greatly influenced the Habsburg Empire and shaped the architectural tastes of Austrian aristocracy for decades. Two of his major works include the Austrian National Library in Vienna, and the Holy Trinity Church in Salzburg.

 23 
John Wood the Elder
(Architect)
John Wood the Elder
2
Birthdate: August 26, 1704
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Twerton, Bath, England
Died: May 23, 1754
 24 
Balthasar Neumann
(Architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture)
Balthasar Neumann
3
Birthdate: January 27, 1687
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cheb, Czechia
Died: August 19, 1753
 25 
William Strickland
(Architect)
William Strickland
2
Birthdate: 1788
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Navesink, New Jersey, United States
Died: April 6, 1854

Known for his pioneering written work on railroad construction, engineer and architect William Strickland was also one of the leaders of the 19th-century Greek Revival style of architecture. He designed structures such as the US Mint, contributed to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and was also one of the first American lecturers of architecture.

 26 
Jacques-Germain Soufflot
(Architect)
Jacques-Germain Soufflot
2
Birthdate: July 22, 1713
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Irancy, France
Died: August 29, 1780

Jacques-Germain Soufflot was a French architect credited with introducing neoclassicism to the world. Soufflot designed several important edifices, including the Panthéon in Paris which was originally built as a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve. Such was his popularity that by 1755 Jacques-Germain Soufflot had gained architectural control of all of Paris' royal buildings.

 27 
Leo von Klenze
(Architect)
Leo von Klenze
2
Birthdate: February 29, 1784
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Schladen, Germany
Died: January 26, 1864
 28 
Goldsworthy Gurney
(Surgeon)
Goldsworthy Gurney
2
Birthdate: February 14, 1793
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Treator, Padstow, England
Died: February 28, 1875
 29 
Jean Chalgrin
(Architect)
Jean Chalgrin
1
Birthdate: 1739 AD
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 21, 1811

Best known for designing the Arc de Triomphe, Jean Chalgrin was a proponent of Neoclassical architect. The Prix de Rome winner was one of those responsible for the revival of the basilican style of church building. He died before he could complete the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon.

 30 
Ange-Jacques Gabriel
(Architect)
Ange-Jacques Gabriel
2
Birthdate: October 23, 1698
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 4, 1782

One of the most significant architects of the 18th century, Ange-Jacques Gabriel built many major structures during the reign of Louis XV. Born to premier architect Jacques V, he later succeeded his father. His most notable works include the Place de la Concorde and the Petit Trianon at Versailles.

 31 
Luigi Vanvitelli
(Engineer)
Luigi Vanvitelli
1
Birthdate: May 12, 1700
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Died: March 1, 1773
 32 
Joshua Humphreys
(Naval Architect)
Joshua Humphreys
2
Birthdate: June 17, 1751
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: January 12, 1838
 33 
Filippo Juvarra
(Architect)
Filippo Juvarra
2
Birthdate: March 7, 1678
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Messina, Italy
Died: January 31, 1736
 34 
Samuel Bentham
(British Mechanical Engineer and Naval Architect)
Samuel Bentham
2
Birthdate: January 11, 1757
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: England
Died: May 31, 1831

Mechanical engineer and naval architect Samuel Bentham was responsible for Russia’s victory over a Turkish force, using shell guns on warships. He had also visited China to study ship designs and had served as the inspector of English naval works. He was the younger brother of philosopher Jeremy Bentham.

 35 
Henry Holland
(Architect)
Henry Holland
1
Birthdate: July 20, 1745
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London, England
Died: June 17, 1806
 36 
Giacomo Quarenghi
(Architect)
Giacomo Quarenghi
1
Birthdate: September 21, 1744
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rota d’Imagna, Italy
Died: February 1, 1817
 37 
John Wood, the Younger
(Architect)
John Wood, the Younger
1
Birthdate: February 25, 1728
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bath, England
Died: June 18, 1782
 38 
George Dance, the Younger
(Architect)
George Dance, the Younger
1
Birthdate: April 1, 1741
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chiswell Street, London, England
Died: January 14, 1825
 39 
Jacques-François Blondel
(French Architect)
Jacques-François Blondel
1
Birthdate: January 8, 1705
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rouen, France
Died: January 9, 1774

Jacques-François Blondel was a French teacher and architect who served as a professor at the Académie Royale d'Architecture after running his own school of architecture for several years. Jacques-François Blondel is credited with teaching many future architects like Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, Étienne-Louis Boullée, Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin, and Louis Jean Desprez. In 1755, he was made an inductee of the Académie Royale d'Architecture.

 40 
Carlo Rossi
(Former architect who worked in Imperial Russia)
Carlo Rossi
0
Birthdate: 1775 AD
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Died: April 18, 1849
 41 
Samuel McIntire
(Architect and craftsman)
Samuel McIntire
1
Birthdate: January 16, 1757
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Salem, Massachusetts
Died: February 6, 1811
 42 
Asher Benjamin
(Architect)
Asher Benjamin
1
Birthdate: June 15, 1773
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hartland, Connecticut, United States
Died: July 26, 1845
 43 
François de Cuvilliés
(Designer)
François de Cuvilliés
1
Birthdate: October 23, 1695
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Soignies, Belgium
Died: April 14, 1768

François de Cuvilliés was a Bavarian architect and decorative designer. He played a key role in bringing the Rococo style to the House of Wittelsbach and to Central Europe. He designed several important buildings, such as The Old Residence Theatre which he constructed for Elector Max III Joseph. François de Cuvilliés also wrote many treatises on decorative and artistic subjects.

 44 
Charles Percier
(Architect)
Charles Percier
1
Birthdate: August 22, 1764
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: September 5, 1838

Charles Percier introduced what is now known as the Empire style of interior decoration, along with Pierre Fontaine, whom he met while studying architecture in Paris. The Prix de Rome winner often blended Greco-Roman and Egyptian styles of architecture and co-designed much of the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace.

 45 
Thomas Archer
(Architect)
Thomas Archer
1
Birthdate: 1668 AD
Birthplace: Umberslade Hall, United Kingdom
Died: May 22, 1743
 46 
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
(Austrian Baroque Architect)
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
1
Birthdate: November 14, 1668
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Genoa, Italy
Died: November 16, 1745

Baroque architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt was also a military engineer and influenced 18th-century European architecture to a great extent. Known for his unique architectural decoration, he designed some of the most impactful buildings of his era, such as the Belvedere in Vienna, the Schönborn Castle, and the Mirabell Palace.

 47 
Carlo Fontana
(Italian Architect)
Carlo Fontana
1
Birthdate: April 22, 1638
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Novazzano, Switzerland
Died: February 5, 1714

Carlo Fontana was an Italian architect who worked closely with popular architects like Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Pietro da Cortona, working as a draughtsman for their architectural plans. He then started working independently and went on to design the Santa Maria sopra Minerva's Casanate library, the ribbed hemispherical dome for Montefiascone's duomo, and the casino in the Vatican.

 48 
Dominikus Zimmermann
(Architect)
Dominikus Zimmermann
1
Birthdate: June 30, 1685
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wessobrunn, Germany
Died: November 16, 1766
 49 
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann
(Architect)
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann
1
Birthdate: May 3, 1662
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Herford, Germany
Died: January 17, 1736
 50 
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
(Architect)
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
1
Birthdate: May 23, 1654
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Nyköping, Sweden
Died: April 10, 1728