330 



^THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[August, 



doors 80 surrounded with panels and six sets of margins. There will be also 

 eight lunettes (above the horizontal margins, and above the windows), with 

 pointed heads, 14 feet 8 in. wide by 8 feet high to the point of the arch. 



The Kobing-room will he 38 feet by 33, and 23 feet high, the ceiling 

 being flat. It will be lighted by four windows on the south side, the same 

 size and height from the floor as in the Guard-room. The throne, to be 

 placed opposite two doors from the Guard-room, will be 7 feet wide. There 

 will be seven panels 8 feet from the floor; the height of all will he 10 feet 

 6 in. ; the several widths will he as follows : — Of three on the west side, one 

 will be 9 feet wide, and two will be 4 feet wide. Two on the east side will 

 he 14 feet wide. Two on the north side will be 10 feet wide. If a cove, 

 first proposed, where the walls and ceiling meet, were done away with, a 

 frieze 3 feet high, extending round the whole circuit of the room, might be 

 painted or adorned with bas-reliefs. 



The Victoria Gallery will he 130 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 48 feet high. 

 It will be lighted by windows on the east and west sides, eight on each side. 

 Thev will be 19 feet high and 10 feet wide, and 23 feet from the floor. 

 There will be seventeen panels for pictures, all 10 feet high. Thirteen will 

 be 12 feet wide, and four at the ends will be 9 feet 6 in. wide. They will be 

 8 feet from the floor. 



The buttresses, or piers, in the Victoria Gallery are angular, presenting two 

 faces, with niches in each, so that statues placed in them would be almost 

 turned back to hack. Before the angles of the piers insulated statues might 

 be placed. The base of the statues in the niches would be B feet from the 

 ground. The utmost width of the niches in the Victoria Gallery wiU be 22 

 inches, consequently, statues placed in them should he strictly architectonic. 

 If insulated statues should be introduced in front of the piers they might 

 he more freely treated, and might, if required, he about 8 feet high ; the 

 architect thinks that they should be at a height of not less than 5 feet from 

 the floor. 



At the north end of the Victoria Gallery, on the east and west sides, will 

 be two lobbies. There will be one panel in each 7 ft. 6 in. wide by 12 feet 

 high to the point of the arch. There will also be two lunettes in each, with 

 pointed heads, 7 ft. 6 in. wide by 5 feet high (to the point), and 1 1 feet from 

 the floor. These panels and lunettes will be lighted from the gallery. 



In the House of Lords there will be 18 niches 7 feet high. 12 windows 

 proposed to he ornamented with stained glass, and carved work for the 

 throne, and for one large and two small doors. 



The width of the niches (about 2 feet only) being inconsiderable in pro- 

 portion to tlieir height, as usual in Gothic buildings, your committee are of 

 opinion that statues placed in them should be strictly architectonic in their 

 style and treatment. 



There will be three panels at each end, with pointed heads, 9 feet wide, 

 and 15 feet high to the point ; they will be 26 feet from the floor. These 

 panels the architect now thinks might be filled with paintings, and as the 

 windows are proposed to be ornamented with stained glass, he is of opinion, 

 that the luminous and unshining surface of fresco would be best adapted. 



In the Central Hall there will be 68 niches for statues, and, if required, 24 

 insulated statues on pedestals. 



The Corridor, leading from the Central Hall to the House of Lords, will 

 be 15 ft. 9 in. wide, and 21 feet high. It will be lighted by windows, east 

 and west, 12 ft. 6 in. from the floor. There will be eight panels for painting 

 9 ft. 4 in. wide by 7 feet high, they will he 4 ft. 3 in. from the floor. There 

 may be 10 insulated statues on pedestals. 



the Corridor, leading from the Central Hall to the House of Commons, is 

 similar in all respects. 



Of the Waiting Halls (one on the same floor as the Central Hall, &c., the 

 other on the floor above), the upper will he 33 feet square, and 22 feet high. 

 It will be lighted by four windows, on the north and west sides, 14 ft. 6 in. 

 from the floor. There will he eight panels for pictures (.two on each side) 8 

 feet high, and 5 ft. 7 in. wide. They will be 4 feet from the floor. 



The dimensions of the lower Waiting Hall are 33 feet square, and 22 feet 

 high. It will not contain any panels for pictures. Beyond the lower Wait- 

 ing Hall a surface, at present occupied by decorative sculpture, might afford 

 a good panel for painting. 



N.B. The Waiting Halls and Corridors above mentioned will be always 

 open to the public. 



St. Stephen's Hall will be 92 feet long, and 55 feet high. It will be lighted 

 by 10 windows, on the north and south sides, 25 feet high, 11 feet wide, and 

 22 feet from the floor. There will be five spaces for pictures, on each side, 

 15 feet wide, 12 feet high, and 8 ft. 9 in. from the floor. There will he one 

 panel, with pointed head, at each end of the Hall, for painting, 16 feet high, 

 10 feet wide, and 29 feet from the floor. 



The Conference Hall, in the centre of the river front, on the principal floor, 

 will he 53 feet long, 27 feet 6 in. wide, and 20 feet high, It will be hghted 

 on the east side by three windows 16 feet high, 6 feet 4 in. wide, and 3 feet 

 from the floor. There will he a space for painting on the west side 53 feet 

 long by 10 feet high, and 7 feet 6 in. from the floor ; and space for painting, 

 on the north and south sides, 27 feet 6 in. long, 10 feet high, and 7 feet 6 in. 

 from the floor. There will be four spaces for pictures on the east side 10 

 feet high, two being 10 feet wide, and two 4 feet wide, and 7 feet 6 in. from 

 the floor. 



The smaller corridors generally will he 10 feet wide. The panels for 

 painting will be 4 feet 6 inches from the ground. The height of the panels 

 will be 6 feet ; the length may be of considerable extent. At the ends of 

 8«cb corridors, above doors, there will be several panels for painting or sculp. 



ture 7 feet 6 in. wide by 5 feet 6 in. high. They will be lighted from the 

 side windows. 



From the limited distance from which the spectator can see paintings in J 

 the smaller corridors, your Committee are of opinion that the spaces are not | 

 adapted for important decorations. 



The architect has stated, that considerable extent of surface may be appro- 

 priated for painting in the Committee-rooms on the river front, which are 

 very numerous, and when unoccupied, might be open for the admission of 

 the public daily. They are of various, but all of large, dimensions ; they are 

 not less than 20 feet high, and are lighted from the east by either two or 

 three windows of ample dimensions. 



Your Committee are of opinion that these rooms, being subordinate parts 

 of the building, cannot, with propriety, be employed for the reception of 

 works in the higher departments of art. 



The same observation is applicable to the refreshment-rooms, which might 

 possibly be ornamented in an appropriate manner. 



In inspecting the present state of the building your Committee remarked, 

 that the architect has taken the precaution, recommended by the Commis- 

 sion, (17th March, 1843,) of interposing a layer of asphalte op the horizontal 

 surface of the walls, between the ground floor and the superstructure, with a 

 view to intercept the ascent of damp. Your Committee also observed, that 

 in order to protect the hack of paintings from damp, the architect has sunk 

 the panels, intended for the reception of paintings, several inches in the wall, 

 so as to allow of the introduction of a hydrofuge cement, as a ground-work 

 for the preparation on which the pictures are to executed. . 



Your Committee cannot but acknowledge that they have experienced some I 

 disappointment at finding the extent of surface available for painting in fit 

 situations not so great as they could have hoped. In the best situation, the 

 Victoria Gallery, the panels are only 12 feet by 10, the width of the Gallery 

 being 45 feet. As figures would require to be larger than nature to produce 

 a due effect, even from a lesser distance, it follows that a space of 12 feet is 

 not adapted for any extensive composition. 



In St. Stephen's Hall the spaces for painting being 15 feet long, and the 

 width of the Gallery 30 feet, the objection is less strong; but it may he re- 

 marked, that at a distance of 30 feet, the eye can conveniently embrace a 

 painting 20 feet long. 



The design of St. Stephen's Porch, and the adjacent portions of the build- 

 ing, are not sufiiciently matured to enable Mr. Barry to say whether any 

 spaces will be available for paintings in those situations. 



Extract from the Report of the Committee appointed to inspect the Works 

 of Decorative Art exhibited in King-street, St. James's, in April aad May, 

 1844. 



Y'our Committee have examined the specimens of Arabesque-painting, of 

 Mosaic, of Marquetry, and of Casting in Brass and Iron, which have been 

 sent in by persons desirous of being employed in the embellishment of the 

 Houses of Parliament. 



They have recorded their judgment on the comparative merit of many of 

 the works in question : hut for the reasons specified in the Report of this 

 Committee on the specimens of Carved Wood and Painted Glass, they have 

 thought it expedient in general to enumerate the names only, without further 

 distinction, of the exhibitors whose works have received the commendation 

 of the Committee. 



In the department of Arabesque-painting the artists so noticed in the de- 

 tailed Report of the Committee are Mr. Collmann, Mr. Goodison, and Messrs. 

 F. and J. Crace. 



In the department of Mosaic Pavements the exhibitors so noticed in the 

 detailed Report of the Committee are Messrs. Singer and Co. Messrs. Minton 

 and Co., Mr. Milnes, and Messrs. Chamberlain and Co. ; and in Marquetry, 

 Messrs. Austin and Rammell. 



In the department of Ornamental Metal -work the exhibitors so noticed in 

 the detailed Report of the Committee are Messrs. Messenger and Sons, Messrs. 

 Bramah and Co., and Mr. Abbott. 



Among the Decorative Painters, Mr. Johnson did not comply with the 

 terms announced in the notice put forth by the Commission, and his name 

 has, therefore, not been inserted in the foregoing Ust ; it is, however, the 

 opinion of the Committee that the specimens which he has sent evince con- 

 siderable taste and ability. 



Mahon. B. Hawes, JnN. 



CoLBORNE. George Vivian. 



T. B. Macaulay. Thomas Wvse. 



Whitehall, May 17, 1844. 



The Commissioners, having had reason to suppose that some of the persons 

 who have exhibited works of decorative art may have employed other hands, 

 or even the assistance of foreigners, in the execution of such works, have re- 

 solved that those persons who may be selected for employment in those 

 branches of decoration shall, if the Commissioners think fit, be required to 

 produce specimens of their art, to be completed under such conditions as the 

 Commissioners may think necessary. 



