IS-io.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



295 



satisfies us better than that of the other end, although the latter is evidently 

 marked out as the principal one. For our own part, however, we cannot 

 help feeling that what is there intended for a handsome architectural acces- 

 sory and a completing feature in the general design, is the poorest part of 

 all — nay, quite unworthy of the rest. We allude to the entrance gateway at 

 the south-west angle, or rather what ought to he a gateway, and therefore 

 disappoints when, on being approached, it is found to be a mere arched 

 opening through a wall, instead of a gate-house forming a covereil passage 

 In one sense of the term it may be called scenic, for it smacks strongly of 

 the theatre, being like a pasteboard arch upon the stage ; nor is lliis its only 

 defect, as besides having a flimsy look, it is nllierwise poor in design and 

 rather insigniticant in appearance. Fortunately, the mistake is one that 

 easily admits of correction, little more being required to be done than now 

 to add a gate-bouse to the gateway; and were it to be one of considerable 

 depth, it might be attended with the further good ef>"oct of somewhat screen- 

 ing and breaking the now too blank-looking lower part of the end of the 

 }lall, beneath the great south window. 



After this brief interruption of it, we may resume our tone of comraenda« 

 tion, though we cannot stop to particularize the various merits of tlie exte- 

 rior, but conduct our readers within the building. We say conduct ; because 

 instead of rushing at once into the Ilall, we wish to lead them into it by 

 that line of approach which presents a striking and woll-comhined succession 

 of architectural parts, all increasing in inipoitauce, and terminating in an 

 impressive climax. There arc two entrances to the building from the terrace 

 on the east side; which, however, do not comninuicate with the ground or 

 terrace-floor, but lead immediately to the upper one by means of broad 

 flights of steps ; consequently, no internal staircase is required — that is, no 

 principal or state staircase, for others there are of course, and one of them 

 will come in for notice presently. Taking the northernmost of the two en- 

 trances, or that appropriated for the benchers, after passing througli a Ijand- 

 some porch, we advance up a vestibule or short corridor, nbicli brings us to 

 one end (that next the Library) of an inner vestibule or central ball, which 

 connects the other chief apartments with the great Dining-ball. This part 

 of the interior is striking — far more so than it would be were it entered im- 

 mediately from the porch, or were it so placed as to he in a line with that 

 and the first vestibule. It does not disclose itself to view until actuiilly en- 

 tered, when it bursts upon the eye with brilliant effect, at the same time that 

 it is sufliciently spacious for its purpose )being 22 feet by 58). There is no 

 pretence or obtrusiveness about it, as is too frequently the case in the en- 

 trance-halls of large buildings; yet, although for the greater part sober in 

 character, it is not a little piquant in arrangement, and in the combined re- 

 sult of plan and section. The first of these is laid out in three divisions, the 

 middle one of which is a square (of 22 feet), divided from the north and 

 south ends by three open arches on pillars ; and the angles of this square 

 compartment of the plan are cut off by four other arches, converting it into 

 an octagon ; over which is carried up a clerestory lantern of the same form 

 and diameter, having a v.indjw ornamented with painted glass on each of its 

 sides. The combination and tran-ition of forms, and the effect of the stream 

 of light from above, tinging with flickering hues the pale walls and pillars, 

 render this a singularly pleasing architectural picture. The ribs of the vault- 

 ing of the octagon are partly relieved by gildhig, and have gililed bosses at 

 their intersections. The lower part, however, is by no means so satisfactory 

 as the upper, the pillars and arches being somewhat tame in characler, and 

 reminiscent of " James Wyatt" Gottiic. One novelty, which must not pass 

 unnoticed, is, that in the ceiling, the soffits of the spandrel spaces cut off by 

 the octagon are left open as triangular skylights, consisting of a single plate 

 of glass, in order to throw down light directly upon corresponding spaces in 

 the floor, which are ;j(7rerf with thick ^fcss s/ais, and thereby serve in turn 

 to admit light into the vestibule beneath, on the lower floor; and to their 

 answering that purpose we can speak with some confidence, for we found 

 that lower vcstil]ule, which would else be nearly dark, better lighted than is 

 usual with places of the kind. Well satisfied as we are, upon the whole, with 

 the principal vestibule, we think it would have been an improvement had the 

 octagon form been defined upon the floor beneath the lantern, by a border of 

 a different colour from the rest of the pavement (which is entirely white), 

 between the pillars. We conceive, too, that it would have been a further 

 improvement if, of the three open arches from either end, the two uarrower 

 side ones had been closed up below to the height of between five and six feet 

 by open-work screens; whereby that central division of the plan would have 

 been in a manner marked out as being en suite with the Drawing-room, on 

 the west side of it, and the Council-room, on the opposite one. While the 

 passage across from the one to the other woulil thus have been less exposed, 

 that from end to end, and the vista from the Library to the Great Hall would 

 have been just the same ; and instead of secnnng at all to confine or inter- 

 rupt space, low screens of the kind suggested would have tended to fill up 

 what now strikes too much as blankness in the lower part of the walls. Few 

 architects seem to understand or care for the effect to be produced by partial 

 concealment, or to agree with the poet, that " half the art is skilfully to 

 hide." At the south-west angle of this vestibule is an open recess or bay, 

 lighted by a lofty handsome window, and forming the upper part of a stair- 

 case to the lower floor, which is carried down between a massive and solid 

 square newel. This newel forms a pedestal to the parapet of the staircase, 

 which is also solid; and the hand-rail is cut out of the wall, with a deep and 

 boldly moulded hollow. The whole of this staircase bay is an excellent 

 taste — perfectly simple and charmingly effective Few, however, will linger 

 to examine it, but eagerlj pass on into the Great Hall— lucky if their eager- 



ness docs not trip them up, by causing them to overlook a very awkward step 

 at the entrance to it. 



The folding doors from the vestibule opeu upon the dais at the north end 

 of the Hall ; and the coup il'teil which here presents itself may challenge that 

 afforded by any other apartment of the kind, although, in its dimensions, this 

 noble banquctting-room falls short of the one at Christ's Hospital.* It is iu 

 every other respect greatly its superior, — very much so both in actual lofti- 

 noss and in loftiness of proportion. In spaciousness, it rather exceeds the 

 largest of the collegiate balls at the Universities ; and though it cannot boast 

 of the same extent as to length, it altogether eclipses St. George's Hall, in 

 Windsor Castle, which, to say the truth, answers more to the character of a 

 gallery than a hall, and is besides neither in the most correct taste nor of the 

 most dignified character. The noble oak timber roof, designed on the prin- 

 ci|de of that at Westminster Hall, gives to this new hall of Lincoln's Inn an 

 air of magnificence that is well kept up in other respects, and to which the 

 windows conduce in no small degree. There are five windows on each side, 

 exclusive of that in the oriel or bay at each end of the dais, and of the large 

 window at the south end, above the screen and gallery over it ; and in their 

 upper half, all these windows consist almost entirely of stained glass, dis- 

 playing various armorial bearings and similar devices. The pendants, and 

 some other parts of the roof, are also emblazoned or picked out in colours 

 and gilding ; which hiiiig the case, we thhik that some decoration of the 

 kind, however subdued iu degree, ought to have been extended to the screen 

 and gallery. The front of this last is, to us, the most questionable, not to 

 say the most unsatisfactory feature of all. In style, it hardly seems of a> 

 piece with the rest; and the low and wide open arches into which it is 

 divided show, to our eyes, little better than so many vacant gaps — too much 

 like a row of bo.\es in a theatre. 



The passage behind the screen, whose openings are filled with plate glass, 

 forms the common entrance into the Hall from the south porch on the east 

 side of the building j at the other end of this passage is the staircase lead- 

 ing from the kitchen. Although not belonging to the "show" apartments of 

 the edifice, this last is worth being visited, it being a spacious vaulted room, 

 whose ceiling is supported on massive pillars and bold arches, after the man- 

 ner of a crypt ; and it is about twenty feet in height, it being carried from 

 the basement through the terrace-floor story. Hardly need we say that it is 

 fitted up with every imaginable convenience, and with every improvement in 

 culinary apparatus. Vet, as if this were not suflicient, there is another kit- 

 chen on the terrace-floor, at the other end of the building, adjoining the sub- 

 veslibide, which, we suppose, is to be devoted to the preparation of the 

 more recherc/ie' dhhes for the tables on the dais. 



As yet we have mentioned the Drawing-room and Council room only c« 

 passant ; nor can we now say much, since they offer so very little for descrip- 

 tion that wc have only to express our admiration of them for their noble 

 proportions and dignified simplicity, and for that sort of charm which, how- 

 ever it may be felt, can hardly he expressed in words. Yet one circumstance 

 there is which deserves to be noted, viz. that the ceilings, which are ribbed 

 and panelled, are of deal, unpainted, but stained, and then varnished, so as 

 rival, in depth of tone and beauty of appearance, many of the richest woods.f 

 Both these rooms are now not only finished, but furnislicd. The Library, on 

 the contrary, is as yet only in a state of progress, and by no means so far 

 advanced as to enable us to judge of it satisfactorily. In its dimensions, it 

 will certainly be a very noble apartment, 80 feet in length from east to west, 

 by 40 in breadth, and 35 high The breadth will be contracted on the floor 

 to about 11 feet, the book-cases being brought out at right angles to the 

 walls, so as to form seven recesses on each side, thus converting the room 

 into a gallery 80 feet by 18 in the clear, terminating at each extremity in a 

 lofty oriel of the same width, and forming three sides of an octagon. These 

 two oriels are of admirable design ; their enriched soffits, pillar shafts, and 

 mouldings, all in superior style, and the windows themselves magnificent. 

 The pattern of the glazing in the lower part of the windows, which arc 

 filled in with small circular panes, is of pleasing effect, and the glass being 

 slightly embossed or moulded, a sort of flickering brilliancy is produced that 

 is exceedingly agreeable to the eye, partaking, as it does, rather of soberness 

 than of garishness. 



Having extended our remarks to such length, we shall only add, that this 

 new structure is entitled to our astonishment as well as our admiration, for 

 the first stons of it was laid no longer than April, 1843 The whole of it 

 lias risen up in little more than two years — just about the time which it has 

 taken to erect the row of dwelling-houses which is to be one of the wings 

 of the British Museum, and put up a few columns that are to form the facade 

 of that national edifice ! 



* Tlie hall at Christ's Hospital is Is" feet by 51, and 47 high ; this at Lincoln's Inn, 

 I!]0 by 47 (BU feet across at the north end, ulong the dais), and 'i4 high. The respective 

 areas in square feet are 9,d.s7, and 5,i>ro. The hall of the Hospital, and St. George's at 

 Windsor, have windows only on the sonlh side. 



t We by no means agree with the apparent intention of this sentence, which seems to 

 commend q deceptive imitation, utterly subversive of the dignity of this otherwise stately 

 edifice.— Ed. C. E. & A. Journol. 



Great Southern anp Westfr.n R.\ii.vvat, laEi-ANn. — The Directors of 

 this railway have decided upon the competition designs sent in for the erection of their 

 Dublin Terminus, and have selected those ottered by Mr. Sancton Wood, of Loudon, and 

 the «'orlis are to be proceeded with immediately under his superintendence. 



39* 



