Design for a New House of Lords: plan (insert) and perspective

Sir John Soane's choice of subject for his Diploma Work – a project for a magnificent new House of Lords in the neo-classical style dating from 1794 – was by no means mere paper architecture at the time he sent it in to the Academy on 20 March 1802. Only a week later the Peace of Amiens, under negotiation since 1 October 1801, was signed with France, opening up a real prospect that the medieval rabbit warren currently occupied by their lordships could at last be replaced by a new, purpose-built Upper House. Soane (like everyone else) could not have known that war was to break out again the following year, postponing any chance of realising his dreams for another twelve years.