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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Feb. 10, 



as from indolence, or else the inability to produce any sort of charac- 

 ter or variety by any otber means. Pomposity and mock dignity of a 

 different kind are occasioned by tliese "joint-stock " facades being 

 carried on to tlic extent they generally are ; — whereby, instead of being 

 increased, the sort of grandeur which is aimed at is lost. Were 

 not more houses grouped together into one composition than would 

 rr'wc nine, eleven, or thirteen windows in breadth, such fronts would 

 carry with them a far stronger appearance of belonging to distinct 

 houses on a large scale; and as such they would at the same time 

 appear more lofty also. This is tolerably evident from the group of 

 clubhouses in Pail Mall, which are infinitely more impressive than a 

 uniform range of building of "respectable" cojnmon-place design 

 would have been, even had it been extended along the whole street. 

 Whatever may be the reason for it, it almost invariably happens that 

 in wholesale masses of houses packed together to form one continuous 

 front, study cf design and effect is in inverse ratio to the ambitious 

 pretension of the ensemble : hence not only poverty, but even 

 ])altriness, and sometimes vulgarity of expression. Such is the case 

 with nearly every one of the " Terraces," " Places," " Squares "—or 

 whatever other may be the polite designation bestowed upon them — 

 which have sprung up of late years along the western outskirts of the 

 metropolis. Considered as architecture, they are for the most part, 

 sad rubbishly stuff, bedizened out with coarse finery, so essentially 

 vulgar in taste, that the extreme of plainness is preferable to it, since 

 at all events it does not court notice. It must be acknowledged that 

 we have in many instances fallen into a sort of "swell mob" style of 

 architecture in some of our "public improvements." 



To return to the writer in the Chronicle; we are not a little puzzled 

 bv what he says on the subject of the British Museum. "Time and 

 criticism would be wasted on it. The question is not an open one. 

 The architect, by the style in which he has already finished two sides 

 of the quadrangle, has already determined, within an ornament, more 

 or less, the character of the front of the building. To him, without 

 any meddling interference, should be left the completion of his 

 design." 



This is surely str.inge sort of argument: in the first place, noiv is 

 the very "lime" for "criticism" to interfere — to step in ere it be 

 altogether too late, and demand that what remains to be done to the 

 buildings should be made, as even now might be, to redeem its 

 thorough unsatisfactoriness as far as it is advanced, It is because the 

 quadrangle shows us pretty plainly what will be the quality of the ex- 

 ternal facade, that we protest against the original design being so car- 

 ried into execution. 



It is nonsense to say that the question is not an open one, when the 

 matter itself is a public one, and it may be presumed, of some im- 

 portance, unless the importance of our advancing in art, has been pro- 

 digiously exaggerated. In one sense, it certainly is not an " open 

 question," because, instead of being made such, and public opinion 

 being sounded by those wlio possess any authority or influence in the 

 business, there is evidentiv an effort, although a silent one, to gag all 

 questioning — a determination to weary out remonstrance, by turning a 

 (leaf ear to it, and to smother both inquiry and observation. But this 

 must not be — dogged and unflinching sulkiness on one side must be 

 met by unrekuting perseverance on the other. To suffer the matter 

 to drop because all that has hitherto been said has produced very 

 little if any apparent effect, would be very ill-advised, ^ince it is the 

 sudden silence which has succeeded to the loud and even stormy out- 

 cry raised at first in some quarters, which has thrown a damp upon 

 the matter, as if it were found to be utterly hopeless and irreme- 

 diable. 



If nothing else, the ominous symptoms now manifesting themselves 

 in Great Russell Street, would, we should have thought, elicited fresh 

 remark. There is, indeed, one reason for their not having done so, 

 though not of a kind very flattering either to the architect or the 

 edifice ; for many seem to have no suspicion that the row of " houses " 

 a little to the west of the present buildings of the Museum, is in- 

 tended to be connected with the "grand facade," as a wing to it. It 

 was but the other day, that we ourselves were asked if a new street 

 were going to be opened there — a very natural mistake, for that range 

 of building certainly does look like a row of mere " street houses." 

 Therefore, as soon as it comes to be seen what they are intended for, 

 perhaps even those who have hitherto been silent may begin to ex- 

 press some disappointment and dissatisfaction, more especially as they 

 have not been prepared for anything of the kind, by any of the so- 

 called views professing to exhibit to us the new front of the Museum, 

 but suppressing those very conspicuous appendages to it. 



In the mean while, even those who would persuade us that Sir 

 Robert Smirke ought to be left to go on entirely in his own way, do 

 not expect more from him than a structure of "a pure, austere, cold, 

 classical charactei-, worthy of its object, though perhaps not a work 



which will inspire many persons with warm admiration and pleasure." 

 That it will be cold and austere enough, we may rest assured ; but 

 that it will be "pure" and "classical," we very much doubt — or 

 rather are not quite so fortunate as to have any doubis, fur if we had, 

 we might then have hopes also. If chilling bareness be purity — if 

 the introduction of alien and disturbing features, and the rejection of 

 classical treatment and classical embellishment, be classicality, why 

 then we shall have both that and purity : — nut otherwise. Still, 

 "let no one" says the Chronick's correspondent, "let no one hint 

 at the substitution of anv other architect. A total failure would 

 bring disgrace on us for the rash and uncourteous interference. Against 

 such an imprudent transfer, Buckingham House taken from Mr. Nasli 

 and committed to Mr. Blore, exhibits some things which should act as 

 a warning. Mr. Hardwick might bestow on the Museum some 

 splendid and ornamental conceptions, which might resemble the noble 

 palace he has erected for the Goldsmiths' Company; and Mr. Barry 

 might enrich the building witli a facade in the style of bis admirable 

 clubhouses. Some persons would be found, I do not in the legist doubt, 

 who would suggest an Elizabethan front; and again Mr. Barry might 

 be led in a retrograde path, and to please an inferior taste of a majority 

 in parliament, or a majority of commissioners, he would be induced tu 

 suppress the beautiful forms of Greek or Italian architecture, and only 

 reproduce Hatfield or a Town Hall of the Netherlands." 



The precedent here produced for superseding the architect origi- 

 nally employed, by calling in another, says mure for that course being 

 now adopted, than all the rest does against it. Without stopping to 

 inquire how far Mr. Blore altered for the better or for the worse, what 

 had been done by Nash, we are hardly warranted in inferring, from 

 want of better success in that particular instance, that a similar result 

 must necessarily attend every other case of the kind. Besides, 

 Buckingham Palace is still essentially what Nash made it, for his suc- 

 cessor did not erect a new/a^ade, and even the alterations were but 

 inconsiderable. As to what is said of Mr. Barry, and the probability 

 that he would adopt, or that any one else would think of recommending, 

 the domtslic palazzo Italian, or Elizabethan, is quite preposterous. In 

 regard to the style or mode there could be but one opinion: Greek or 

 Greco-Roman and columnar it would be a"j matter of course; and al- 

 though he has not much practised it, we have very satisfactory evidence 

 of what Barry is capable of achieving in that style, in the Royal Insti- 

 tution of Manchester — one of his earliest productions ; and again in the 

 masterly design exhibited some years ago for the Town Hall of Bir- 

 mingham. After all, too, Mr. Barry is almost out of the question, he 

 being engaged on another national structure upon a far more magnifi- 

 cent scale than the Museum. It were, besides, idle to mention any 

 individual beforehand: full time enough will it be to look about for a 

 successor to Sir Robert when he shall have been advised to feel the 

 indispensable necessity of retiring from his very arduous and long 

 protracted exertions in the service of — the public. His attachment to 

 the public service is undoubtedly very great — f^ir more so than his 

 deference to public opinion, and his readiness to comply with what has 

 been demanded of him by the public. Even his would-be apologist 

 in the Chronicle, lectures him rather sharply for not complying with 

 the call for the exhibition of the model for the facade of the Museum. 

 "It is uncourteous, it is unwise, and it is unjust to withhold from the 

 public the design which is determined upon." Yes; and it is not over 

 wise or gracious either upon the part of those who have the power of 

 enforcing compliance, not to do so. 



To Sir Robert Smirke himself it may, probably, be matter of utter 

 indifference should the building afterwards cause universal dissatis- 

 faction, and heap disgrace upon its author. But it is not or ought not 

 to be matter of indifference to us, the public, whether the Museum 

 reflect credit or disgrace upon our national taste in architecture. 

 Personal interest and party favour may, indeed, ward oft' censure from 

 the architect in some quarters, and sycophancy may award to him its 

 applause, but honest criticism and sound opinion will ultimately pre- 

 vail, and then botli that and all his other works will be estimated very 

 differently from what they have been during the tide of a forced po- 

 pularity. "Sir Robert Smirke," observes an intelligent contempo- 

 rary, "has sailed with a fair wind and few impediments down the 

 stream, and if he has not reached a peaceful haven, he has at least 

 been embayed in a fertile and fragrant nook. Whether he has started 

 fairly, and sailed in his own boat, we will not at present inquire ; but 

 if he values a repose wdiich in his old age we would not disturb — if he 

 wishes to be spared from the bitter criticisms wdiich his works are 

 calculated to call forth — whether regard be had to his expmstve con- 

 structions, and li/tless, frigid designs, or to his jobs, failarts, and labo- 

 rious jjiicriltties — we should desire him no longer to dare the public 

 censure." 



