Decimus Burton (1800-1881)

Decimus Burton was the son of a builder and had a successful early career in London where he built the arch on Constitution Hill, and the Colosseum in Regent’s Park. This was in part due to his family’s friendship with Nash. He was invited to Ireland to assist in the redesign and laying out of the Phoenix Park into a more formal layout. There he was responsible for designing many of the gate houses as well as the main avenue, Chesterfield Avenue. He was involved with Richard Turner in the design of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens and Regent’s Park. He was consulted by Trinity College Dublin about their designs for a new Museum Building by Darley. He advised against this and later a new Museum building by Deane and Woodward was built on a different site in the College grounds.