292 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND AICHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



'lSept. 



ARCHITECTURE IN MANCHESTER.* 



Sir — A notice to correspondents in last montli's journal, to the effect 

 that local intelligence of progress in building is peculiarly valuable to 

 you, encourages me to contribute my quota of such information as 

 regards Manchester ; and, perhaps, at no period in the existence of 

 the town has there been greater scope for instructive observation and 

 remark than at the present time. Increasing prosperity in trade, and 

 a general improvement in the prospects of the commercial world, have 

 not been without their influence upon building enterprise; and in 

 proof of this we need only glance at the magnificent ranges of ware- 

 houses, factories, and shops, in Manchester, and the gentlemens' resi- 

 dences in the suburbs. At the same time it is cheering to notice that 

 more attention is being paid to the spiritual and educational wants of 

 the vast population, and that churches, chapels, and schools, are rising 

 rapidly. 



The committee of the Manchester Exchange have for some time 

 past been determined to enlarge the present Exchange, in order to 

 alTord the accommodation so long required; Mr. A. W. Mills has pre- 

 pared plans and specifications of an alteration, which will allow double 

 the space for the use of the subscribers, as compared wilh that avail- 

 able at present, and arrangements are already completed relative to 

 the purchase of the property required. The present room will be 

 extended westward to St. Anne's-square, and on each side of the 

 extension will be rows of shops, the one towards Exchange-street, and 

 the other towards Ducie-place ; these shops with rooms above, and 

 the cellars below the large room, will be let. At the front, towards 

 St. Anne's-square, will be a Grecian Doric portico of noble propor- 

 tions. The building being about 100 feet wide, and the portico but 

 70 feet, the difference in width will be occupied by circular corners on 

 each side, with Doric columns in antis ; tliese circular corners will 

 contain staircases to the rooms above. Rising to a considerable ele- 

 vation above the building will be two toweis to light the staircases 

 and to ventilate the building. The whole will be contained under one 

 entablature, and when completed will present a noble and elegant 

 appearance, and will be worthy of the importance of the town in the 

 the world of commerce. 



The new Borough Gaol is to be erected on a site of 18 acres of 

 land, situated on the Hyde-road, about two miles from the Exchange. 

 The designs have been prepared by Mr. G. Eldiott, of London, and 

 hi.ve been approved of and signed by Sir James Graham. In the 

 general plan and arrangement?, advantage has been taken of all the 

 improvements which have been introduced of late years at Penton- 

 ville and other places. The buildings generally are intended to be of 

 brick, but the whole of the entrance front and the boundary walls 

 along the main road will be faced with stone. The style of architec- 

 ture of the exterior will be Italian, and it is understood that consider- 

 able architectural effect will be aimed at and obtained. The prison 

 will be in three buildings for males, for females, and for juvenile 

 offenders, each in plan resembling a letter T, and hi.ving a central 

 inspection liall where the lines of buildings meet, so that the superin- 

 tent may view all that occurs in the three avenues, without leaving 

 his central position. There will be 300 separate cells for males, 80 

 for juveuiles, and 120 for females. The bricks are now being made 

 on the ground, and it is expected that the contracts will be taken 

 immediately. 



The new Theatre Royal in Peter-street is now nearly finished, and 

 the opening is advertised to take place on the evening of September 

 29th. The principal front is of stone, and consists of a central 

 recessed compartment having three entrance doorways, and with two 

 Corinthian columns in antis. There are projecting wings on each 

 side, wilh pilasters at the corners opposite the columns; the recessed 

 part willalso have similar pilasters matching the columns, and over the 

 centre doorway will be a niche to contain a bust of Shakspeare. A 

 pediment will surmount the whole, the apex of which will be 70 feet 

 above the street. The interior is admirably fitted up, and the decora- 

 tions are now being done in the Italian style of the IGth century. The 

 whole will be highly creditable to Messrs. Irwin and Chester, the 

 architects, and to all concerned. 



Warehouses, 

 An extraordinaiy energy is at this time displayed in the erection of 

 warehouses in ilanchester, and some of these buildings are of such a 

 character and magnitude, that they cannot be passed over without 

 mention. A large warehouse is now near completion in Church- 

 street, belonging to Messrs. J. and N. Phillips and Co., of which Mr. 



« This admirable letter is a very grati 

 nlsh local inronnation has not been t'n 



that the writer it thoroughly versed ii: 



of a true friend to It, wishes to see its advancement duly recorded. — Ed! 



jof that our appeal to subscribers to fur. 

 The style of this letter abundanlly proves 

 'piss of archilecture, andin the spirit 



Whittaker is the architect. This warehouse adjoinsone erected 

 some years since by the firm, and the front of the two forins one de- 

 sign. The building is four storeys high, exclusive of cellar: the 

 main front is faced with stone as high as the second floor, where is a 

 dentelled stone cornice running the whole length. The upper part is 

 of stock brick, with a stone cornice and parapet over all. The win- 

 dows have stone sills, and moulded frames and cornices. The floors 

 ^re of the construction commonly called fireproof, i. e., having iron 

 beams connected to each other by tie rods, with brick arches springing 

 between them. The inequalities above the arches are filled in level, 

 and a floor formed above. The new part has one room to each story, 

 about the centre of which are three large openings (to each floor), 

 for giving light from the skylight, around which openings will be 

 counters for exhibiting the goods upon. This arrangement suits the 

 requirements of the trade ; but in case of a fire it is objectionable, as 

 the openings would allow the fire to spread rapidly to every room. 

 The stock and wood work alone, however, could be burnt, as the 

 brick arches and iron beams conld receive little or no injury. 



A large warehouse of stock brick with handsome stone dressings, in 

 the Italian style, has just been erected iu George Street, for Messrs. 

 Leo Schuster & Co., by Messrs. Pauline and Heufrey, from designs by 

 Messrs. Holden, architects. 



Mr. Walters is the architect of the warehouse in the same street, 

 belonging to Messrs. Sails Schwabe & Co., which is now finishing with 

 the entire front of stone ashlar backed up with brick, in the Roman 

 style. 



Mr. S. D. Darbishire has had two large piles of warehouses built in 

 George-street and York-street, which are plain substantial-looking 

 brick erections, more remarkable for their size than for architectural 

 proportion. 



Messrs. Bannerman, who own the very handsome pile of brick 

 warehouses, on the opposite side of York-street to those last men- 

 tioned, have gone to great expense in removing the former wooden 

 cornice, and replacing it with an admirably proportioned one of stone, 

 in order to escape the additional rate of insurance. In several of the 

 warehouses (four of those last-mentioned) a new description of 

 internal hoist is introduced, so constructed as to remove the danger in 

 case of fire which attends those hitherto used. 



At some of the late fires, the rapidity and extent of the combustion 

 were attributed mainly to the communication afforded by the hoist 

 holes : the wooden doors being scon burnt through, and a draught 

 upwards established, which speedily carried the flame to every room. 

 The new plan consists of a peculiar arrangement of wrought iron 

 doors to each story, with an ingenious contrivance, by which the 

 shutting of the doors is made to depend upon the using of the cradle. 

 The extra rate of insurance on a warehouse having the ordinary 

 wooden doors to the hoist hole is five shillings per cent., which, witli 

 the new plan, is reduced to two shillings. 



A splendid warehouse is to be built at the top of King-street, for 

 Messrs. Ashton. Messrs. Hoiden are the architects, and the con- 

 tracts have been taken by Mr. David Bellhouse. The ground is now 

 being cleared for commencement. The last-mentioned architect and 

 builder are now engaged in providing a noble suite of offices for the 

 Manchester and Leeds RaiUvay Company at Hunt's Bank. 

 Church Architecture. 



It is gratifying to be able to adduce instances of improving taste in 

 church architecture, and I am glad to have an opportunity of noticing 

 three new churches now erecting, which will be ornaments to the 

 neighbourhood, and which are evidences of an appreciation of the 

 chaste and beautiful in ecclesiastical architecture. An elegant struc- 

 ture is being built at Birch, dedicated to St. James, towards the ex- 

 pense of which Mr. Anson has given i£J00, and land for the site of 

 the church and a churchyard ; the Rev. G. Anson, the munificent sum 

 of £2000 ; and a grant has been made by the Manchester and Eccles 

 Church Building Society of £500. The design is by Mr. Derick of 

 Oxford, and is in the eaily English style of architecture, that which 

 prevailed about the miihlle of the thirteenth century. The church 

 will consist of nave with lofty Clareslory aisles and chancel with 

 sedilia, and priests' entrance from the south, and vestry and organ 

 chapel at the north. A square tower, and octagonal spire above, will 

 rise at the western end of the south aisle. The roof will bd of optn 

 timber, and the internal arrangements will be iu keeping wilh the 

 architectural style. At the west end will be a large double window, 

 surmounted by a qiiatrefoil, on the sides will be double windows alter- 

 nating with the buttresses, and at the east end will be a large triplet 

 window, with detached shaft inside the tympanum, filled in with a rose 

 widow of twelve divisions. The church will accommodate 700 per- 

 sons, and 400 of the sittings will be free. The estimated cost, ex- 

 clusive of the spire is £35000. 



