GANDON, JAMES, an eminent architect, was born about 1741-2. Ho studied under Sir William Chambers, and was the first who obtained the gold medal for architecture at the Royal Academy, on which occasion Reynolds is said to have complimented him, and to have predicted his future fame. He began to make himself known in hie profession by undertaking a continuation of Campbell's Vitru vius Britannicus,' the. first volume of which, or fourth of the series, appeared in 1767, and the second in 1771. Though he had John Woolfe for his coadjutor in the work, Gandon appears to have taken the chief share of the management and editorship upon himself. The work is however a very poor one, being sadly deficient in regard to sections ; and while many buildings of considerable interest are omitted, several are given which possess very little interest or merit ; neither does the letter-press afford that information—easily given at the time—as to dates, architects, and other particulars, which would DOW be valuable. So far from being descriptive and explanatory of the respective buildings, the letter-press, which appears to have been written by Gandon himself, and which certainly does not say much for his literary abilities, tells us very little more than what may be made out from the plates themselves. Even as an architect Gandon does not appear to any particular advantage in the Vitruvius,' his Court-Hall' at Nottingham (voL v.) being of little and that negative merit. Gandon however tells us that he made five different designs for that building, and that he was obliged to pare down his ideas to suit the notions and the frugality of his employers. Still his building at Nottingham obtained for him the notice of Sir George Saville, Mason the poet, and other persons of distinction, and probably brought him professional employment, as he discontinued the Vitruvius ' after the second supplementary volume.
Gandon's architectural 'talents however found their true field opened to them in Ireland. On premiums being offered by advertise ment for the best design for a Royal Exchange at Dublin, Gandon's obtained the second, and those by Cooley LCOOLEY] and Thomas Sandby the first and second prizes. What Gandon's design was is not known, but its merits attracted the attention of the Earl of Charlemont, Colonel Burton Couyngham, and other admirers and patrons of art. Nor was it long before an opportunity presented itself in the Irish capital very far exceeding the Exchange both in magnitude and importance. The Custom-House of Dublin, a mag nificent pile of 375 by 209 feet (begun in 1781 and finished 1791), is one of the noblest structures of the kind in the world—perhaps the noblest of all—and would of itself alone suffice for the fame of any architect. Dublin is also indebted to him for several others of its finest buildings,—the eastern front and Corinthian portico of the House of Lords, now the Bank of Ireland ; the Four Courts (begun by Cooley, but completed by him, with great alterations from the original design), and the King's Inns. He also built the Court-House at Waterford, and probably many other edifices besides, although they have not obtained distinct notice. It is to be regretted that Gandon did not perform for himself and his own works the same office as he had in the earlier part of his life done for those of other architects; and that he did not bequeath us such an autobiography of his professional career. Gandon died at Cannonbrook, near Luca'', Ireland, at the beginning of 1824.