Simon Louis du Ry


Simon Louis du Ry was a classical architect.

Biography

Simon Louis du Ry was born in Kassel. He was the son of the Huguenot architect Charles du Ry and grandson of Paul du Ry of Kassel. He was from a French refugee family, who after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV had to leave France and went to Hessen under Landgrave Charles. After beginning studies in Stockholm, Sweden, from 1746 to 1748 he was disappointed in his teacher Carl Hårleman and left for Paris to attend the architectural school of Jacques-François Blondel from 1748 until 1752. After further educational trips in France and Italy he returned to Kassel and became chief architect on the court after the death of this father. In 1766 he was installed as professor architectura civilis at the Collegium Carolinum in Kassel.
Under Frederic of Hessen he was responsible for the transformation of the old and partly destroyed town of Kassel into a modern capital. The Königsplatz and the Friedrichsplatz remain the main squares in Kassel.
He died in 1799 in Kassel.

Works

Simon Louis du Ry designed and executed many castles and palaces including:
  • Castle Wilhelmsthal, Calden,, 1756–58
  • Well Windhausen, Niestetal district Heiligenrode, 1769
  • Wabern hunting lodge, extension 1770
  • Castle Hüffe, Prussian Oldendorf Lashorst district, 1775–84
  • Fürstenberg Castle, 1776–83
  • Castle Mountain Home, 1785–86
  • Wilhelmshöhe Castle, Kassel, 1786
  • Schönburg castle, Hofgeismar, 1787–89
  • House Kassel and landgrave house, bath nominal village, 1790/91