The over-crowded plan, the rather squat design, and the Franco-Roman detail suggests that this drawing was executed shortly after Chambers's arrival in England in 1755. This dating is reinforced by the use of motifs, such as the tablet on the drum of the dome touching the underside of the cornice, a device Chambers proposed for the unbuilt Temple of Solitude at Kew Gardens.

Chambers was born in Sweden and died in London. He travelled widely, visiting China, and studied architecture at the Ecole des Arts, Paris, from 1749 and in Italy from 1750 to 1755. Many of his drawings from this period are contained in his important 'Franco-Italian' album, held in the V&A. Chambers moved to London in 1755 and published his influential Treatise on Civil Architecture in 1759. Chambers demonstrated the breadth of his style in buildings such as Gower (later Carrington) House and Melbourne House, London, in such country houses as Duddingston, Scotland, and in the garden architecture he designed for Wilton House, Wiltshire, and at Kew Gardens. He became head of government building in 1782, and in this capacity built Somerset House, London.