of 2,Y56 feet, which, with the colonnade 720 feet, leading from the south wing to the 

 railroad station, and which is to form a grand promenade conservatory, with plants and 

 statuary on each side of the path, will form a straight walk, without divergiYig to the 

 right or left, of 3,4*76 feet, or nearly three-quarters of a mile. The length of the Ilyde 

 Park building was only 1,848 feet; so that, including the wings and colonnade, the 

 present structure is larger than its predecessor 1,628 feet. The superficial area of the 

 ground, including the wings, is 598,396 feet; the area of the gallery flooring and 

 wings, 245,260; altogether amounting to 843,656 superficial feet. The Avidth of the 

 nave, or main avenue of the building, is 72 feet, which is also the width of the north 

 and south transepts ; and the heighth of all three, from the floor to the springing of 

 the arch, is 68 feet. The height from the flooring to the crown or top of the arch is 

 104 feet. The length of the north and south transepts is 336 feet respectively. The 

 length of the central transept is 384 feet; its width, 120 feet; its height, from tlie 

 floor to tlie top of the louver, or ventilator, is 168 feet; from the garden front to the 

 top of the louver, 208 feet. 



The Sydenham palace is doubtless greatly improved in its exterior' effect from the 

 old one in Hyde Park, as very many modifications have been properly introduced — 

 such as the arched roof which covers the nave, raising it 44 feet higher than the nave 

 as it existed in Hyde Park ; the three transepts which are now introduced into the 

 structure, instead of one ; and the center transept towering into the air, and forming at 

 once a center-piece pleasing in its outlines, and also a grand hall to the palace, of sur- 

 passing magnitude and brilliancy. A great improvement, also, is the formation of 

 recesses twenty-four feet deep in the garden fronts of all the transepts. These throw- 

 fine shadows on the perspective of the building, and relieve the continuous surface of 

 plain glass, which is the grand source of that unity without harmony that is so justly 

 complained of in all glass buildings of large size, and which gave the New York 

 building, with its Elizabethan turrets, a decided advantage over its predecessor. This 

 external sameness was much felt in the Hyde Park building ; but now the interposi- 

 tion of low square towers at the junction of the nave and transepts, the open galleries 

 toward the garden front, the long wings stretching five himdred and seventy-four feet 

 on either side, produce a play of light and shade, and break the building into parts, 

 which, without in any way detracting from the grandeur or simplicity of the structure, 

 relieves and satisfies the eye, and shows that this kind of buildings, if a due share of 

 attention is bestowed upon the design, may be made to blend much more harmoniously 

 together, as well as with external circumstances, and at the same time possess in a very 

 high degree both architectural beauty and artistic effect. 



The removal of this vast structure from its old site in Hyde Park to its present 

 place, shows in a striking manner the adaptability of this material for all kinds of hot- 

 house and conservatory purposes in the United States, where the exchange of real 

 estate and the rapid increase of its value in the suburbs of cities renders the removal 

 of such buildings frequently very desirable. We believe that all the materials of the 

 old building have been used in the present one, except some of the roof-glass, which 

 had to be taken out, and some of the transept framing, which, according to the new 

 plans and improvements, could not be rendered available, but which in all ordinar}' 

 construction of such buildings need never occur, as such structures may be erected 

 all purposes to which glazed houses are usually api)liod, whether large or small, 



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