1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



433 



large quadrant corners. The portico gives a further extension to the west 

 of about 28 feet in depth, by a length or frontage of 90 feet. Nearly in the 

 centre of this entire mass is the Merchants' Quadrangle, occupying a space of 

 168 feet from east to west, by 111 feet across, these dimensions being in- 

 clusive of the covered arcade or ambulatory all round, which is about 26 feet 

 wide, leaving an open centre in the proportion of a double square. In the 

 interval remaining to the east of the Merchants' Quadrangle occurs another 

 little court, some 60 feet in length from north to south, and 19 feet in width. 

 It is only necessary to add to this general description of v\hat is technically 

 " the plan," that there is an entrance to the quadrangle from the centre of 

 each of the four fronts of the building ; that the centre of the portico is re- 

 cessed to a depth equal to its projection ; and that the entrance from the 

 east front occupies the base of the tower. We may, however, mention 

 further, by anticipation, that the height of the building embraces a basement 

 story, ground floor, mezzanine, one pair or principal floor, and in many cases, 

 a two-pair stoiy. 



Returning, then, to the distribution of the ground floor, we have all its 

 western portion, between the quadrangle and the portico, occupied by the 

 Royal Exchange Assurance, with an entrance within the portico on each side. 

 The London Assurance engages a small portion of space on the south or 

 Cornhill side for an entrance ; while the establishment of Lloyd's has its ap- 

 proach by the small eastern conrt, before referred to, between the quadrangle 

 and the tower. Almost the whole remaining space on the ground story, 

 both in the three street frontages and in the eastern court, is devoted to the 

 shops and private offices, some 37 in number, which, accordingly, form the 

 characteristic external features of the lower portion of the building. It is 

 on the one- pair, or principal floor, that the three great public establishments 

 have their chief accommodation. Two-thirds of the space to the north and 

 east of the quadrangle are occupied by Lloyd's rooms. Thence, from the 

 south-east corner, past the centre of the Cornhill front westward, extend the 

 rooms of the London Assurance. The Royal Exchange Assurance continues 

 the range to the south-west extremity, and then northward past the centre 

 of the west front, where the unappropriated ofiices complete the circuit by 

 the occupation of the north-west corner. It would be tedious and unneces- 

 sary to particularize the rooms in each department ; a sufficient notion of 

 their extent may be gathered from the following comparison of surface. M"e 

 believe that we shall not be found far from the truth, if we estimate the 

 whole covered superficies upon this story at 31,000 feet. Out of this total 

 a rough allotment will give to 



Lloyd's .. .. .. 15,500 superficial feet. 



London Assurance . . . . 5,900 — 



Royal Exchange Assurance 5,700 — 



Unappropriated oflices , . 3,900 — 



31,000 

 The only rooms that appear to demand a more detailed notice are the im- 

 portant suite devoted to the business of Lloyd's, which, however, will more 

 properly engage our attention in the course of the examination which we 

 proceed to institute into the architectural composition and decoration of the 

 structure. 



Architecthral Character of the Exterior. 



To consider the Royal Exchange, then, as a work of art, we presume that 

 the west front — the principal, though smallest of the four — furnishes the 

 governing lines to the rest of the external design from the proportions of its 

 portico. The order employed is Corinthian, 50 feet in height, that is, 41 

 feet for the column, and the remainder for its superincumbent entablature. 

 This order is continuous round the entire building, being elevated upon a 

 granite stylohate or pedestal, varying in height from four to eight feet, ac- 

 cording to the fall of the ground ; and it is also surmounted generally by an 

 attic and balustrade about ten feet in height. To this mention of the order 

 and its proportions we will just add, that in all matters of detail preference 

 appears to have been given to the Italian school of design, that reigned uni- 

 versally in this country at the beginning of the last century. 



Portico or West Facade. 

 But, to return to the west facade, we have a portico of eight columns in 

 width, and two in projection, leaving a narrow blank wing in the back ground 

 on each side. The front rank of eight columns is backed by a line of four, 

 so placed as to give an internal space to the centre and sides in the propor- 

 tion of three to two ; the centre, as we have before intimated, is also deeply 

 recessed. To avoid a multiplicity of small windows for lighting the various 

 apartments behind the portico, that object is attained by means of two large 

 and boldly arched Venetian windows of Ionic detail; and between them, in the 

 central division, is an archway of corresponding outline, which gives access to 

 an inner vestibule communicating at once with the quadrangle. These thiee 

 arches are finished with well executed keystone shields and foliage, exhibit- 

 ing in the centre the merchant's mark of Sir Thomas Gresham, and, over the 

 windows, the bearings of the old Merchant Adventurers, and the Merchants 

 of the Staple of Calais. The distribution of space in the portico affords an 

 opportunity for carrying over it a vaulted ceiling in three compartments, en- 

 riched with panelling and flowers. Of the pediment, which contains a dis- 

 play of sculpture by Mr. Westmacott, we shall speak hereafter, in noticing 

 the accessories to the general design : and shall only add to this description 

 of the portico that, as it occupies the lowest position in the declivity of the 

 site, it is approached with effect by a flight of nine steps, well flanked by the 

 advancing stylobate at each end. 



The abuse of such an architectural appliance as that of the Greco-Roman 

 portico is so much more common than its felicitous use, that we do not won- 

 der that professional men of high genius forgo its application altogether, 

 rather than have recourse to it in an unfavourable position and aspect, or 

 under circumstances where it would be nnsuited to internal arrangements. 

 Wren's porticoes of this description are extremely rare, and so are those of 

 the late Sir John Soane. M'c have already in London porticoes usque ad 

 nauseam, crammed with little openings at the back, telling all tlie story 

 of a house built within the shell of a temple. On the other hand, those 

 architects whose taste has led them to avoid this incongruity and trifling 

 have produced by the reverse an effect that may he classical, if that be any 

 recommendation, but which is too frequently sombre and destitute of anima- 

 tion, manifestly nnsuited to the dull atmosphere of Britain, and especially so 

 to the genius of commercial London. It is a great relief, therefore, to meet 

 with a specimen that does not excite our indignation at the repetition of the 

 " everlasting portico;" and that relief we certainly enjoy in the inspection of 

 the west front of the Royal Exchange. The situation it occupies is one so 

 temptingly commanding, that though we might have recommended the trial 

 of some more novel combination, we can excuse the architect's preference for 

 a portico, since his choice has been conducted to so happy a result. The 

 composition under notice has the merit of character ; it is manifestly the 

 portico to an important secular building, and not to a church, much less to 

 a pagan temple. It has, in an eminent degree, the advantage of artistical 

 " breadth," and possesses a play of outline and force of shadow unequalled 

 in any other example in the metropolis, the west front of St. Paul's excepted. 

 The arrangement of its plan bears some resemblance to that of the Roman 

 Pantheon ; while the niches or recesses in the latter off'er, to the sticklers for 

 precedent, some lines of authority for the introduction of the Venetian win- 

 dows of the Exchange. As to these windows, we may just observe, that 

 while their outlines eminently help the eft'ect of liveliness in this portico, 

 they are so designed as distinctly to express their multiform duty, though 

 combined in such a way as to preserve perfect unity. The management of 

 the portico ceiUngs, which in the Pantheon are of bald timber, is here so 

 conducted, by the vaulting we have described, as to complete the expression 

 of the internal design, to enhance the effect of loftiness and general magni- 

 tude, and to meet the eye of the passer-by with a succession of pleasing 

 forms that would have been lost under any of the older modes of arrange- 

 ment. It is not superfluous to add, that the slope of the pediment, or roof- 

 line of the portico, approaches more nearly to the outline of beauty for such 

 subjects than in most cases to which we can refer. This may be felt by any 

 one who looks at the two extreme instances in Trafalgar-square ; the one 

 pediment gaping for more than its allowance of the Royal arms — the other 

 incapable, from its flatness, of receiving any sculptured device worthy of at- 

 tention. 



Resuming our description, it only remains to be stated, respecting the wet 

 front, that the narrow compartments beyond the portico on the north and 

 south are occupied by solid rustication in the lower part, above which, in 

 each case, is a panel containing a flowered wreath and mantle, charged, with 

 the Royal cypher ; this again is surmounted by a festoon, and the crowning 

 attic exhibits a device formed with the prajtorial insignia. 



South Facade. 



But it is time that we look at the other fronts of the building. Through- 

 out the south facade the main order is continued by pilasters, dividing the 

 whole length into thirteen equal portions, the pilasters being doubled at the 

 extremities of the front. In each of these thirteen divisions is a rusticated 

 arch of due proportions, the rustic arrangement, with its surmounting mould- 

 ings, occupying about two-thirds of the available height beneath the general 

 entablature. The arch we speak of contains ordinarily a shop, with its mez- 

 zanine story above ; in addition to which, each shop has a room in the base- 

 ment, furnished with all appropriate accommodation. Above the rusticated 

 shop arches appear the windows of the principal story, deeply sunk, and 

 surrounded by enriched architraves with Ijuldly-carved keystones and panel- 

 ings. Of the thirteen compartments into which this front is divided, the 

 central one, as the entrance, and that on each side of it, are deeply recessed 

 within the main order; in each is a screen arch carried upon corbels, and 

 decorated with a bold shield having rich festoons of flowers attached. These 

 shields are charged respectively with the arms of Sir Thomas Gresham in the 

 centre, those of the city of London on the dexter, and of the Mercer's Com- 

 pany on the sinister. In the spaces above are three windows, boldly com- 

 posed with scrolled piers, carrying enriched segmental pediments, and deco- 

 rated with lion-masks and massive drops of flowers. The attic, which crowns 

 the five middle divisions of this front, is elevated above the wing portions, 

 its extremities being charged with devices of mantles and regalia, with the 

 cyphers of Queens Elizabeth and Victoria, and the dates at which their re- 

 spective Exchanges were completed ; while the three middle compartments 

 are recessed like those below, and occupied by deeply enriched panels. 



The quadrant corners which connect this facade with the eastern, and that 

 again with the north front, are without |iilasters, but contain three rusticated 

 arches below, and as many windows above. The central window is finished 

 semi-circularly, with somewhat massive accompaniments ; and above it, to 

 give variety to the line of attic, is a pedim6nted tablet-composition, exhibit- 

 ing the grasshopper, as Sir Thomas Gresham's crest, surrounded by branches 

 of the oak and palm. 



East Facade. 



The east front, at which we now arrive, sustains in general the character 



