THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Jan. 6, 



SYSTEM OF DRAWING VOLUTES. 

 By Mr. Maddos. 



c 6 A 



The size of (lie volute being first determined, tlie deptli A B is di- 

 vided into 12 equal parts; from tlie seventli part draw tlie right line 

 E F, as shown in diagram; tiien number li parts at the top of the volute 

 from A, and draw a line at right angles with E F, which will give the 

 eye of the Volute. Lines are to be drawn (dotted in the figure) from 

 C to E, E to D, and from D to F, and -so throughout the vulute, each 

 square diminishing to the centre, as shown above, taking care to have 

 them exactly parallel to the opposite ones. Quadrants of circles are 

 struck from the diagonal lines G H (45"^), which quadrants of circles 

 all terminate where the dotted lines cut the lines C D E F. The first 

 centre will be on the diagonal line H at 1, the second centre on the 

 line G at 2 ; in going through the second time for the inside line the 

 centres will be a trifle nearer the eve of the volute. The diagonal 

 lines only are to be used fur the centres. When tlie vulute is on a 

 larger scale, a small thin piece of transparent horn or ivory is gene- 

 rally used to avoid the unsightly punctures in the paper. 



CONTROVERSIES ON CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. 



Sir — It is not long since there appeared in the 7Vnies newspaper two 

 interesting letters, signed " C. S.," on the state of the church, describing 

 " the discrepancies of condition, feeling, and opinion amongst the 

 clergy," and dwelling on the " depressing and perplexing eftects on 

 the young clergyman." Take pitv, Sir, on another class who hardly 

 suffer less from these "discrepancies," and with your valuable advice 

 enlighten the path of the ecclesiastical architect. In the last number 

 but one of the Cambridge Ecckswlogial, there are the following sen- 

 tences on the proprieties of church architecture: — "A stone altar may 

 be provided in two ways; either make it plain, a solid mass of ma- 

 sonry ; the slab of block granite or marble projecting beyond the ma- 

 sonry, and marktd ivilhjin crosses, or let the slab be supported on plain 

 massy brackets fixed in the eastern wall." " U^e aasitme the absence 

 of altar rails and chairs." It is as easv to " assu7ne," as Liston argued 

 it was to sa;/ " read ;" and very easy for critics of the Pugin school, 

 who know nothing, and allow nothing, for all the difficulties engendered 

 by this "discrepancy of feeling and opinion," to hurl their thurxier at 

 the unhappy architect employed by clergymen opposed to their " con- 

 troversial arrangements," or who are so far "heretics" as to disallow 

 the "dicta" of the Camden Society. Suppose the architect employed 

 alternately by members of the " go-a-head," and bv those of the 

 "things as they are" school. In tlie former case he finds the clergy- 

 man originating the building or restoration, anxious to have " a stone 

 altar," sedilia, lettern, faldstool, and perhaps, in painted glass, the re- 

 presentation of the saint or saints to whom the Church may be dedi- 

 cated. On such instructions he prepares his plans ; the work com- 

 mences, and is perhaps completed, before the bishop of the diocese 

 (an alarmist) becomes aware of the full extent of these " inno- 

 vations," and objects to their introduction. The work is suspended ; 



the plans and arrangement have to be altered, and the original spirit 

 and feeling of the design become lost. This is no imaginary difficulty! 

 In two cases within my own knowledge the churches were finished ; 

 in one, an Archbishop refuses to consecrate because the " solid stone 

 altar" is introduced ; in the other, a bishop threatens tlie same course 

 if figures of saints (already painted) are introduced in the east window. 

 Suppose the architect employed by one of the latter class, the advo- 

 cate of " things as they are." He is cautioned against these " modern 

 innovations," these "shadows of coming Popery," and is required to 

 embody in these plans the box pew, the twin preaching and pravintir 

 pulpit, ground glass, and arm chairs! and if the employer in this case 

 be a utilitarian, an advocate of the least accommodation for the greatest 

 number principle, you have the monstrosities of galleries round the 

 church (the east end perhaps excepted). This preaching house is 

 finished and ready for consecration ; the bishop of this diocese (not an 

 alarmist) condemns its coldness and poverty; and in the next number 

 of the Ecclesiologist, the production is criticised, its arrangements 

 held to be "totally indefensible," "very objectionable," in fact, "one 

 of the worst things they ever saw," "a perfect disgrace to the parties 

 responsible for it." Now, Sir, it is this very responsibility I want to 

 have defined. How, in the absence of all uniformity as to church pro- 

 prieties, or church arrangement, is the unhappy architect to act? The 

 question of surplice or academic gown is not more perplexing to the 

 young clergyman, than the form and aspect of the reading desk, the 

 pew or open seat to the architect (young or old). His province it 

 cannot be to determine whether these novelties or "trifles" (as the 

 Bishop of Rochester calls them) have "positive danger in them," 

 whether " they indicate more than appears on the surface, or whether, 

 considering the temper of the times, and the present unsettled state of 

 the Church, they are calculated to irritate and vex the minds of con- 

 gregations, and to become the badges of party distinction." Nor 

 should he be called upon to justify and perpetuate what he believes to 

 be inconsistency and slovenliness in worship. To refuse employment 

 in those cases where the character of these arrangements is not in ac- 

 cordance with his own " private judgment," will not facilitate his 

 children's support ; and 



" There is no end to eating ! legs of mutton 

 Are vanquished daily by this little host." 



To accept it when he knows that the result will inevitably draw 

 down on his devoted head, the flagellations of these ready-made 

 critics ("for a man ninst serve his time to every trade save censure"), 

 is an act of heroism and self-devotion worthy so good a cause. 



Forgive this long story from a constant reader of your iournal, and 



An Unhappy Church Architect. 

 December, 1843. 



ROYAL ACADEMY. 



Sir — Not finding in the last number of the Journal any remarks 

 upon the architectural drawings, beyond the mere notice of the suc- 

 cessful competitors for the prize medals offered by the Royal Academy 

 to the students, I beg leave to submit a few remarks which occurred 

 to me in the course of a rapid glance of these drawings, taken after 

 the distribution of the medals. 



There were six sets of designs sent in for the gold medal, amounting 

 to thirtv-two drawings, consisting of plans, geometrical and perspec- 

 tive elevations and sections. This, I understand, is the largest number 

 which has been sent in for some years. For the silver medal there 

 was but one set of drawings, this is the smallest number received for 

 some years. The subject tor thegold medal was a Metropolitan Music 

 Hall, and Royal Academy of Music. I was struck with the general 

 appearance of inattention to the purposes of the building exhibited in 

 the plans and other drawings, excepting in those of Mr. Garling, to 

 whom the medal was awarded. I say, excepting Mr. Garling's, be- 

 cause he, unlike the rest (from each room being assigned to some pur- 

 pose described, and from a short sketch and description sent with the 

 drawings), appeared to have studied well the arrangement of his 

 building. As in almost all designs where outlay is not thought of, 

 columns, pediments, statues, &c., were in great abundance; in- 

 deed it appears to be the idea of many young architects, as well as 

 some old ones, that the more of these, they can crowd together, the 

 greater the grandeur and beauty of the edifice. In some of the de- 

 signs the Music Academy appeared to be lost sight of; a large central 

 hall, surrounded by a suite of galleries, nearly a fourth part of which 

 were appropriated as royal entrances, &c. In others they introduced 

 court-yards, but still having no rooms, properly so called, for the aca- 

 demical department. One of the perspective views looked like a 

 large temple on the top of a hill, the base of which was hidden by 



