Blenheim Palace

John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) was one of Wren's principal assistants, particularly in the building of the Greenwich Hospital. Like Inigo Jones, he came to architecture via the theater. Not only was he a set designer but he also authored a number of Restoration plays. Benheim Palace was built for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough by a grateful nation after the wars with France had set England on the stage of World Power. The structure shows a complete break from the careful classical work of Wren and is almost retrogressive in the readoption of a Tudor skyline and decorative use of detail. The building consists of a central portion with portico on the main front and lower side wings. The portico is before a large hall which is on the central axis. Staircases flank a large salon on either side. The elevation is divided horizontally by moldings and texture into a high basement and the main story. There is an attic in the central portion but it blends well since it is tied to the main portion by the portico columns. The windows are in three different styles, one per floor. The hall within the central portion is lit by a clerestory which is half again as high as the rest.