Life
Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was the son of the architect James Burton. His first name, from the Latin for 'tenth', denoted his position as the tenth child in his family.
After attending Tonbridge School and then spending a few years in Royal Academy Schools, Burton initially trained in the architectural and building practice run by his father James Burton, and then with John Nash. Nash entrusted him with the design of Cornwall Terrace and Clarence Terrace in Regent's Park the former, begun in 1821, being the first building erected in the park. James Burton was the builder of both. His first major project (1823) was nearby: an enormous domed exhibition hall, the Colosseum. Circular in plan with a Doric portico,it resembled the Pantheon in form. It was demolished in 1875; the site is now occupied by the Royal College of Physicians). After this, he was appointed to design the gardens and buildings at the adjacent new London Zoo including the llama building (1828), complete with a clock tower,and the Giraffe House (1834)
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