Born in Gothenburg, Sweden to Scottish parents, Chambers worked for the Swedish East India Company, travelling to China where he studied Chinese architecture and decoration and then studied architecture in Paris and Italy before moving to London in 1755. He quickly attracted royal commissions notably the Chinese Pagoda at Kew. Best remembered for designing and building Somerset House, a project he worked on from 1775 to 1795. This Neo-classical development housed many government offices and provided accommodation for various learned societies, including the Royal Academy, the Royal Society, and the Society of Antiquaries. A founding member of the Royal Academy, he was its first Professor of Architecture.