21S 



The Ne-x Exchange-Hall at Hamburgh. [Oct. 



Hamburgh, nil artift diftinfruidierl for his 

 uncommon tallc, as well as tnr the no- 

 velty and comprehcnlivcnel's of his ideas, 

 and who, previous to the Revolution, 

 had efiahlillied his reputation as aii ar- 

 chitcrt at Pari?. lie devoted hiiufelf 

 with /cal to the undertaking ; and I may 

 with truth aflert, that, had it not been 

 for him and his connections, the work 

 Would not have been executed in that 

 ftylf in which it now appears. 



Commenced with omens and circum- 

 ftances ib f'.ivonrable, this important and 

 iifetui work, the tbundation of which I 

 confidcr the p;reat{)l merit of my life, is 

 now completed. For any hiiiher degree 

 of ]icrfeCtion to which it may attain in the 

 courfe of time, it will be fuloiy indebted 

 to the brilliant patriotifm of Uambursli, 

 to the direction of which 1 invariably 

 fubmit. 



I Ihall now proceed to a brief dcfcrip- 

 tion of the Exchange-hall. This ftruc- 

 •ture is fituatcd near the F.xchange, in 

 the Ihcrt called Bohneiifti.tlfi. The I'.i- 

 ^ade is in an elcj;ant ftyle. 'Ihe entrance 

 has three arcades fujiportcd by cohii'nns 

 of the Doric order, without pcflcftals. 

 The fieps run the w hole breadth of the 

 three arcades. The intervals of thefe 

 arcades are decorated above the capitals 

 with tJcnii holdins; garlands of ilowers 

 and fruits in haffo reluto. Above the ar- 

 cades are licures of Mercury's caduceus. 

 I'he ends of the building are without 

 windows. To the right and left of the 

 flight of fteps are the doors tliat lead to 

 the ground-lloor of the building. 'I'he 

 lower part of the arcades Ibrins a peri- 

 ftyle : to the right is the porterVlodge, 

 and to t!:e left a ilair-cafe, leading to the 

 fcall and concert room, in the fecond fto- 

 ry, and to the balcony. This balcony is 

 of the fame dimenfions as the pcriliyle 

 above which it is fituated ; it is vaulted, 

 and is twenty-two feet in diameter. The 

 vaulting is divided into compartments 

 deconited %vith rofes and other orn;i- 

 ments. A niche between the arch and 

 the windows of the concert-room is 

 adoi'iied witli a /i«/7o 7-elitro con\pofcd of 

 live iigures as large as life ; namely, in 

 in the centre, Minerva and Mercury do- 

 ing liomagc to Plenty. To the right is 

 the river Elbe, under the ufual form of 

 a venerable old man ; and on the left 

 you perceive the Genius of Science, and 

 that of Commci'ce. The third or attic 

 ftory tenninates the fayade, and is provi- 

 ded with a row of Doric pilallers, abov e 

 which is a pedimtnt. 



I fliall now conduct the reader into the 

 interior of the building, and make him 

 acquainted with tiic purpoie and deftuia- 

 tion of each divilion. 



From the [leriftyle, which has very 

 large windows throughout its wliole 

 breadih, yon go behind the centre ar- 

 cade into ihe iiall, which is fpacious, in 

 a finiple fiyle, anjl decorated on each 

 fide with a row of fingle ftatues. Its 

 length is eighty-four, and its breadth 

 forty-two feet. Thi,-< is the place which 

 is apjjiopriated to liic general aflemblagc 

 of merchants and men of bufmefs. Eve- 

 ry thing that can contribute to conve- 

 nience and utility is to be found here. 

 A fjiace in front, which is divided by a 

 bar fioni the principal part of the hall, 

 is for non-fubfcribers who may vviHi to 

 fpeak to any of the fubfcribers, for which 

 purpofe they mult addrcfs tlumfelvcs trt 

 the porter. From the hall you proceed 

 into feveral faloons and apartments, 

 which are as follow. 



The Fgyjnian Sidoon, furrounded with 

 columns of granite, furmountrd with 

 bronze capitals. The intei-vids between 

 thefe columns are decorated with land- 

 fcapes after the maimer of a panorama, 

 fo as not to clalh with the Egyptian cof- 

 tume. Adjoining to this are two room* 

 for the underwriters. 



Two large rooms for cofFcc and bil- 

 liards. 



The Reading-room. Here arc to he 

 found all the newfpapers and periodiaiL 

 works not only of all the countries of 

 Europe, but even of America and the 

 Indies, which can direttly or indirectly 

 intcrcll the merchant. Here too are 

 kept mLmoranduni-books for porting oc- 

 currences, mercantile, i)olitica], &c. 



The Library. To furnilh this depart- 

 ment with all tlie books necefl'ary for 

 commerce, in every language, muft be a 

 work of time. INIcanwhile a cbufiderable 

 number of addrefs-books, topographies, 

 dictionaries, maps, and other articles nf 

 a like kind, will be found here. The fu- 

 perintend;uice of the two lad rooms has 

 been undertaken by our patriotic coun- 

 tryman Dr. Xemnich. 



On the fecond floor, to the left of tha 

 great llaircafe, is an anti-room, with ap- 

 propriate einbcUilluuents. , 



The HhU of Art^, w hofe name denotes 

 its deftination, and which is particularlj 

 adapted to the meetings of artifts. In 

 an eliabhriunent of tliis kind fueh a hall 

 ought by no means to be wanting. Five 

 capital pictures here engage the atteu- 



tiout 



