174 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[May, 



decorations of the interior generally, I now proceed to notice in detail the 

 special decorations and arrangements which I would propose for the several 

 halls, galleries, and principal apartments. 



WESTMINSTER HALL. 



" I would propose that Westminster Hall, which is 239 feet long, 68 feet 

 wide, and 90 feet high, should be made the depository, as in former times, 

 for all trophies ohtained in wars with foreign nations. These trophies might 

 be so arranged above the paintings on the walls and in the roof as to have a 

 very striking and interesting effect. 



•' I would further suggest that pedestals, 20 in number, answering to the 

 position of the principal ribs of the roof, should be placed so as to form a 

 central avenue, 30 feet wide, from the north entrance door to St. Stephen's 

 porch, for statues of the most celebrated British statesmen, whose public 

 services have been commemorated by monuments erected at the public ex- 

 pense, as well as for present and future statesmen whose services may be 

 considered by Parliament to merit a similar tribute to their memories. 



" The statues (26 in number) which have already been proposed to be 

 placed against the walls, between the pictures, I would suggest should he 

 those of naval and military commanders. 



" The subjects of the paintings on the walls, 28 in number, 16 feet in 

 length and 10 feet in height, might relate to the most splendid warlike 

 achievements of English history, both by sea and by laud, which, as well as 

 the statues that are proposed to divide them, might be arranged chronolo- 

 gically. 



" To give due effect to those suggested decorations, it is proposed that the 

 light should be considerably increased by an enlargement of the dormer 

 windows in the roof, by which also that extraordinary and beautiful piece of 

 decorative carpentry of the 14th century may be seen to much greater ad- 

 vantage than has ever yet been the case. 



" This noble hall, certainly the most splendid in its style in the world, 

 thus decorated by the union of painting, sculpture, and architecture, and 

 aided by the arts of decoration as .suggested, it is presumed would present a 

 most striking appearance, and be an object of great national interest. 



st. Stephen's hall. 

 " I would suggest that this hall, which will he 90 feet long, 30 feet wide 

 and 50 feet high, and have a stone-groined ceiling, should be appropriated 

 to the reception of paintings, commemorative of great domestic events in 

 British history, and statues of celebrated statesmen in past, present, and fu- 

 ture times. The paintings may be 10 in number, 15 feet long and 10 feet 

 high, and 12 statues would be required as a frame to them. In the upper 

 part of the hall, 30 niches will be provided for statues of eminent men of 

 the naval, military, and civil services of the country. 



the central ii.m i . 

 " This hall will be an octagon of 60 feet in diameter, and 50 feet high, 

 covered with a groined ceiling in stone. As each side will be wholly occu- 

 pied with windows, and arched openings of access, paintings cannot form 

 any part of its decoration. It may, however, with good effect, be exten- 

 sively decorated witli sculpture. In the centre of the pavement might be 

 placed a statue of her present Most Gracious Majesty, upon a rich pedestal 

 of British marble, highly polished, and relieved in parts by gold and colour. 

 The niches in the walls and screens might be filled with statues of her Ma- 

 jesty's ancestor.^, in chronological order, even up to the period of the Hep- 

 tarchy. In front of the eight clustered pillars in the angles of the hall, 

 might be placed, with good effect, sedent statues of some of the great law- 

 givers of antiquity. 



THE VICTORIA GALLERY. 

 " This gallery will be 130 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 50 feet high, with 

 a flat ceiling, and will admit of both paintings and sculpture. The subjects 

 of the paintings on the walls, 16 in number, which may he 12 feet long and 

 10 feet high, might relate to some of the most remarkable royal pageants of 

 British history or other appropriate subjects. Statues of her present Most 

 Gracious Majesty might till the central niches at the ends of the hall, and 

 the other niches, as well as the pedestals between the paintings, might be 

 occupied by statues of her Majesty's ancestors. These statues might, with 

 good effect, be of bronze, either partially or wholly gilt. 



(ORRIDORS OF ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. 



" The principal corridors of access to the various apartments of the build- 

 ing will be 12 feet wide, their ceilings will be flat, and they will be generally 

 lighted from windows near the ceiling. The walls may be decorated with 

 portraits as well as paintings, illustrative of some of the most remarkable 

 events in the history of the country, or in the lives of its most eminent per- 

 sonages. For this purpose about 2.600 feet in length of wall, by a height 

 of about seven feet, may be appropriated on the principal floor : 900 feet in 

 length, by a height of about seven feet on the one-pair floor; and about 400 

 feet, by the same height, on the two-pair floor. These paintings may be 

 divided into subjects at pleasure, by margins or borders of architectonic 

 decoration in accordance with the style of the building. 



THE HOUSE OF LORDS. 



" This house will be 93 feet long. 45 feet wide, and 50 feet high, will have 



a flat ceiling in panels. As the fittings for the accommodation required for 

 the business of the house, together with the windows, which are necessary 

 for duly lighting it, leave little space of plain wall, paintings cannot, with 

 good effect, form any part of its decoration. Niches, however, will be pro- 

 vided, which might be filled with statues of royal personages. The archi- 

 tectural details of the ceiling may be enriched and relieved with gold and 

 colour, and the windows filled with stained glass as before described. The 

 whole of the fittings are proposed to be of oak, with appropriate carvings. 

 The throne will be highly enriched and relieved by colour and gilding, and 

 the back lined with cloth of gold, containing the royal arms emblazoned in 

 colours. 



THE HOUSE OK COMMONS. 



" This house will be 83 feet long, 46 feet wide, and 50 feet high, and will 

 have a flat ceiling. It is proposed to be finished in the same style as the 

 House of Lords, but with less enrichment, and less of colour and gold in its 

 decorations. The nature of its designs, and the extent of its fittings for the 

 accommodations required, will not admit of either painting or sculpture. 



THE aVEEN's ROBING-ROOM. 



" This room will he 38 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 20 feet high, and have 

 a flat ceiling in panels, richly moulded and carved, and relieved with gold 

 and colour. The ground of the panels of the ceiling is proposed to be of 

 gold, covered with a diaper enrichment, and blended with legends, genea- 

 logical devices, badges, cognisances, and other heraldic insignia, and in 

 colour. 



"The wall-fittings of the room are proposed to be of oak, richly carved 

 and moulded, and enriched with heraldic and other decorations in positive 

 colour, relieved with gold. Compartments will be formed in the wall-fram- 

 ing, which might be filled with paintings referring to events in British 

 history in which the Sovereign has personally taken a conspicuous part, or 

 with other appropriate subjects. 



THE ANTI-ROOM. OR GUARD-ROOM. 



" This room which adjoins the Queen's robing-room, will be 38 feet by 38 

 feet, and 20 feet high. The ceiling will be of oak, with characteristic deco- 

 rations. Oak framing, eight feet high, with heraldic decorations, and a seat 

 at the foot of it, will line the room. The walls are proposed to be covered 

 with representations of battle-scenes, and pageauts of English history, in 

 which an opportunity would be afforded of displaying the warlike costumes 

 of its several periods. 



THE CONFERENCE HALL. 



" This hall, which is in the centre of the front towards the ri\er. will be 54 

 feet long, 28 feet wide, and 20 feet high, and will have a flat ceiling. The 

 walls are proposed to be lined with oak framing to the height of about 6 

 feet, above which they might be covered with paintings representing cele- 

 brated state trials, anil extraordinary sittings of Parliament, conferences, eic. 



AS TO THE APARTMENTS APPROPRIATED TO THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC 

 OSES OF EACH HOUSE. 



" These rooms consist of libraries, refreshment rooms, robing rooms, state 

 officers' rooms, and committee rooms. 



•' Niue rooms are appropriated to libraries, six of which are fifty feet long, 

 and 2S feet wide ; two are 33 feet long, and 28 feet wide ; and one is 32 feet 

 long, and 23 feet wide. The refreshment rooms are four in number, of which 

 one is 60 feet long and 18 feet wide ; two are 28 feet long and 18 feet wide ; 

 and one is 34 feet long and 18 feet wide. The robing rooms for the arch- 

 bishops and bishops are three in number, of the respective sizes of 30 feet by 

 20 feet, 20 feet square and 16 feet square. The robing and other rooms 

 for state otiiccrs are seventeen in number, averaging in size about 24 feet by 

 IB feet. The committee rooms are thirty-five in number. On the principal 

 floor, five of them will be 37 feet long by 28 feet wide; two 35 feet by 20 

 feet ; and one 32 feet by 23 feet. On the one-pair floor, two will be 42 feet 

 long and 33 feet wide; one 54 feet by 28 feet ; four 36 feet by 28 feet ; ten 

 34 feet by 28 feet ; and two 34 feet by 22 feet ; and on the two-pair floor 

 the number will be eight, averaging in size 28 feet by 20 feet. The whole 

 of these rooms are about 20 feet in height, with the exception of those on 

 the two-pair floor, which will be about 11 feet high, and will be lighted by 

 windows of the usual height from the floor. 



" The ceilings will be flat and formed into panels by moulded and 

 carved ribs, relieved by characteristic and suitable carvings. 



" The floors are to be of oak, with borders and inlays. 



" The fire places and door jambs are proposed to be of British marbles, 

 highly polished. The doors, frontispieces, linings of walls, and fittings, will 

 also be of oak. In some of the rooms it is proposed that the wall framing 

 should be carried to the height of six or eight feet, in others that it should 

 be of the full height of the room, and with panels for paintings, portraits, 

 &c. 



" The plain surfaces of the walls might be covered with paintings of his- 

 torical events, and the panels in the wainscoting might contain portraits of 

 celebrated personages in British history. 



•' The architectural details, both in'stone and plaster, might be painted 

 in positive colours, occasionally relieved with gilding ; and the armorial 

 bearings, badges, and other heraldic insignia which will enrich the wood- 

 framing, might also be relieved with gold and colour. 



