1844. 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECrS JOURNAL. 



65 



OBSERVATIONS ON ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE. 

 Bj Henri Fulton, M.D. 



No. G. 



The world, llnit is to say Ihf architectural profession, is dividcil on 

 the sniiject of competition designs; one nioietv, and that not the least 

 talented, stand alouf and leave the field to be occupied bv the re- 

 mainder; wlio, although they do not condescend to write in favour of 

 competition, yet take every advantage of it in practice; and if com- 

 petition goes on, this seclion will enjoy a monopoly. 



Undonliledly, if the practice of modern architecture had attained 

 such a state of perfeclion as painting and sculpture have done under 

 such master-minds as Buonorotti, Raphael, Da Vinci, Canova, &c., 

 and that the public were as well qualified to judge of architecture as 

 of the sister arts, the aristocracv of the [jrofession would be quite 

 right in standing on higher grounds, and treating the practice with 

 contempt; nor do I imagine the public, if well informed, would re- 

 quire it ; all that would be necessary for committees of selection to do, 

 would be to fix on the style of the intended edifice, and then employ 

 the architect within their reach, who was known to excel in that par- 

 ticular style. 



But, alas, this is not the case, at least as far aa the public are con- 

 cerned ; and as long as things so continue, and competitors are to be 

 found to enter the lists, competition designs will be in request: and 

 it is in vain that the anticompetitors, either by precept or example, 

 endpavour to stem the current; better then to sail with it, than 

 waste their strength in useless elforls to sail against it : better it 

 would be to endeavour to turn it to their own advantage, and that of 

 the art, bv modifying, directing, and improving it, and not leave the 

 harvest to be reaped and housed by others, less qualitied, perhaps, 

 than themselves for the undertaking. 



I readily admit, that in very many instances competitions turn out 

 badly i soinetiines the architects do not know exactly what the adver- 

 tising committees want, and it would be scarcely reasonable to expect 

 that ihey should, as the committees seldom know it themselves. Not 

 unfrequently the competition is all a farce got up to save appearances, 

 the architect having been fixed on previously. I knew an instance of 

 competition where the limit for the estimate was £20,U0U, and the 

 prize was given for a design which the architect admitted would cost 

 £80,000 (in fact he was not aware that there had been any limit.) It 

 looked better on paper than any of the other plans, and the architect 

 got 7o;. prize, and what was better, he got £600 for altering it. On 

 the parties being told that "the design never would have a firmer 

 foundation than the paper on which it was drawn," their wrath was 

 great, however, the event proved the correctness of the vaticination, 

 for the design was thrown into the fire. Such adjudication as this 

 brings its own punishment with it; for I believe it cost, together with 

 a world of litigation, nearly £1,500 without any result. 



Such misadventures, however, do not occur in every case, as I be- 

 lieve the nation generally is well satisfied with the result of the com- 

 petition which placed the erection of the Houses of Parliament in the 

 hands of Mr. Bairy. As a contrast to this, Sir Robert Smirke (with- 

 out competition) is to design the facade of the Museum. I much 

 doubt if it will prove equally satisfactory. Where, as in the instance 

 of the Museum, there is to "be no competition, it appears to me that 

 the architect, if not in honour, is at least in duty, bound to submit his 

 design for the opinion of those who are, or even wish to be considered, 

 judges of its merits: not indeed that I would have the architect, 

 like the old man in the fable, make an ass of himself by endeavouring 

 to please every body, but I would have him, as the old man ought to 

 have done, listen to the objections, suggestions, and observations of 

 others, and then use his own discretion as to whether he should lead, 

 drive, carry, or be carried. It never can be injurious, either to the 

 "ame or interest of any well informed person, to hear and weigh the 

 opinions of others, even although they may not be so wise as he is 

 himself. So thought Edmund Burke, no mean authority in matters of 

 taste ; speaking generally, he says, "I have known, and according to 

 my measure, have co-operated with great men ; and I have never yet 

 seen any plan which has not been mended by the observations of those 

 wlio were much inferior in understanding to the persons who took the 

 )ead in the business." 



It may be asked if architects in refusing to enter the lists as compe- 

 titors, under existing circumstances do not begin at the wrong end. 

 They ought to improve the public in taste before it can be supposed 

 competent to appreciate individual merit; they ought also to be able 

 to point out to the public such and such works on which to rest their 

 jlaims for copfidence. The establishment of aa annual exhibition of 



lesigns and models, as pointed out in a former paper. No, V., would 

 afford to every architect an opportunity of making himself known 

 to the public. 



Certainly the proposals for competition designs are very frequently 

 absurd enough, and tend to place the profession on a very low scale 

 indeed; for instance a joint stock company in connexion with tlie 

 Dublin and Drogherla Railway have just advertisi'd fur pl.ms fur build- 

 ings, to cost £15,000, and the successlul competitor, who shall furnish 

 the most approved " plans, s|iecilicatlons and estimates," shall receive 

 the munificent sum of ten guineas! There is on the advertising com- 

 mittee the name of one gentlrman who could not have been aware of 

 this insulting oH^er to the architectural profession. Architects com- 

 peting in any case should not furnish or be required to lurnish any- 

 working plan, specification, or detailed estimate : these with the su- 

 pervision of the works ought to be subsequently paid for at a fair 

 rate. This would simplify the thing and frustrate the mean intentions 

 of advertising committees: indeed, as to the estimates, under the 

 present system, they are generally most absurd, and quite on a level 

 with the dtS!giis, though seldom in accordance willi the interests and 

 wishes of those committees, who speculate on having the plans carried 

 into eflTect by a builder, witiiout any further aid from an architect. 



II. It is almost as rare to find a failure in Gotliic as it is success in 

 the Greek style; which does away in a great measure with the neces- 

 sity for competiton where the former stvie is the one selected. Would 

 it be easy to find an architect who could design one part of a Gothic 

 edifice equally respectable as the portico of the new Exchange, com- 

 mitting so great an error in any other part, as has been committed in 

 polytrigliphing the interior, and exhibiting a base prostitutim) of a 

 beautiful ornament. The reason of this success is, tli.it fortunately 

 we have no Palladian Gotliic unless it be the exterior of the Duomo 

 at Milan, and some lemiuiscences of Sir C. Wren and Jones at West- 

 minster and Winchester. 



It is true we often find in the same edifice a mixture of the details 

 which more properly belong to difiVrent eras of the style. The style 

 however, admits of great latitude in this respect; but it ought not to 

 be carried too far, as lor instance, the alternation of pointed and cir- 

 cular headed windows ; or even their introduction in the same compo- 

 sition, which would be just as bad taste as the mixture of Ionic and 

 Corinthian columns in ,i Greek composition; it would seem to be 

 taking a leaf out of the Palladian "analysis of beauty," where it is 

 considered a great perfection to exhibit an alternation of segmental and 

 pyramidal headed window pediments. 



III. One cause of the ignorance of the public on architectural sub- 

 jects, is the criticisms of tbe miscellaneous press — almost every edifice 

 spoken of in the newspapers is praised : those who know anything of 

 the wav in which newspapers in general are conducted, will be at no 

 loss to account for this, as I believe those reports are for the most part 

 written by the parties most interested ; the editors in general being 

 as ignorant of architecture as their readers; and it would be hard for 

 the blind to lead the blind with safety and security. It is most es- 

 sential, therefore, for the public not to be led away by representations 

 of that description. Every person with any pretensions to good taste 

 and correct judgment join in the condemnation of the National Gallery, 

 both as regards fitness and beauty ; and yet was it not praised beyond 

 measure by the newspapers of the day ? Oh ! how it grieves me to 

 think of the National Gallery of Berlin, in comparison with our own. 

 When it shall be found, as I am confident it soon will be, that another 

 and more suitable edifice is requisite, the palace at Kensington ought 

 to be appropriated for that purpose. It would be sufficiently out of 

 the smoke of London, and yet at a convenient distance for visitors. 

 But I find myself digressing too much from the subject commenced 

 with. 



IV. At page 26 of this Volume C. D. of Milford, objects to the 

 notice with which the Conciliation Hall, Dublin, is introduced to the 

 readers of this Journal, as he considers the edifice below criticism. Is 

 C. D. one of that school who object to "vilanous saltpetre" being dug 

 from the harmless bowels of the earth? Does he not know that the 

 end of a journal is in holding up the mirror to art, to shew deformity 

 its own image, as well as beauty her own feature? In dissecting 

 (which C. D. is pleased to remind me of,) pathology must be attended 

 to as well as physiology, the diseased as well as the healthy functions. 

 C. D. may be right as to there being no committee of selection in 

 the case of the Conciliation Hall. The observations on that subject 

 were Intended to be general. 



The Admiralty have purchased the working model of the Trafalgar 

 Square Nelson with which to adorn their offices, which stand sadly in need 

 of it. 



