1843.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



175 



THE SPEAKERS RESIDENCE. 



" This residence, being designed for state purposes, might also be adorned 

 with paintings. The style of its finishings, fittings and decorations will be 

 in accordance with the best examples of the Tudor period. 



"Its principal rooms for the purposes of state are as follows: — A 

 reception-room, 34 feet by 23 feet ; a library, 34 feet by 23 feet ; a dining- 

 room. 45 feet by 2 1 feet ; a drawing-room, 38 feet by 22 feet ; and a corri- 

 dor of communication, 8 feet wide, surrounding an internal court. 



"With respect to any further encouragement of the fine arts in the 

 exterior of the building, I am not aware of any opportunities that offer, as 

 arrangements have already been made for all the architectonic or conventional 

 sculpture that will be required to adorn the several elevations. Equestrian 

 statues of sovereigns in bronze might, however, be placed with considerable 

 effect in the proposed quadrangle of New Palace-yard, the Speaker's quad- 

 rangle, and the royal court. 



" I have now described, in general terms the whole of those portions of 

 the building that might, I think, with propriety and effect be adorned with 

 works of art, and the arts of decoration ; but in making the several sugges- 

 tions which have occurred to me, I should wish it to be understood that I 

 have merely stated my own views on the subject, as far as I have hitherto 

 been able to consider it in its general bearings, and with a view to show how 

 the objects for which the commission has been established may, if desired, be 

 carried out in the decorations of the new building to their greatest extent. I 

 should not however, wish to be strictly confined in all cases to the adoption 

 of even my own suggestions, as upon a more mature consideration of the 

 subject iu detail hereafter, when the shell of the building is completed, I may 

 be induced to vary and modify some of the views which I entertain at pre- 

 sent, and which, I fear, I have but imperfectly communicated in this paper. 



A3 TO THE COMPLETION OF THE EXTERIOR. 



" It has ever been considered by me a great defect in my design for the 

 new Houses of Parliament that it does not comprise a front of sufficient 

 length towards the Abbey, particularly as the building will be better and 

 more generally seen on that side than any other. This was impossible, 

 owing to the broken outline of the site with which I had to deal. I propose, 

 therefore, that an addition should be made to the building for the purpose of 

 enclosing new Palace- yard, and thus of obtaining the desired front. This 

 addition would be in accordance with the plan of the ancient palace of West- 

 minster, in which the hall was formerly placed in a quadrangle, where, in 

 consequence of its low level, it must have been seen and approached, as it 

 would be, under such circumstances, to the best advantage. The proposed 

 addition would, in my opinion, be of considerable importance as regards the 

 increased accommodation and convenience that it would afford in addition to 

 what is already provided for in the new building as hitherto proposed. 



" It has long been a subject of serious complaint and reproach that the 

 present law courts are most inconveniently restricted in their arrangements 

 and accommodation. If it should be determined to retain the courts at 

 Westminster, the proposed addition would admit of the means of removing 

 this cause of complaint; it would also afford accommodation for places of 

 refreshment for the public, for which no provision has been made in the new 

 building, also for royal commissions and other occasional purposes required 

 by Government, and now hired most inconveniently, in various parts of the 

 town, at a considerable amount of rental : or for such of the Government 

 offices as may, without inconvenience, be detached from the rest, such as, for 

 instance, the office of woods, or for a record office, and chambers or residences 

 for public officers. It will also afford the opportunity of making an impos- 

 ing principal entrance to the entire edifice at the angle of Bridge-street and 

 St. Margaret-street — a feature which is at present required, and which would 

 add considerably, not only to the effect of the building, but also to its 

 security in times of public commotion. 



"Of the several local improvements suggested, none, in ray opinion, is of 

 greater or more pressing importance than that which I have to suggest in 

 respect to Westminster-bridge. The anomaly of the size, outline, and cha- 

 racter of that bridge, considered, as it ever must be from its proximity, as an 

 adjunct to the new Houses of Parliament, must have forcibly struck every 

 one who has passed over or under it since the new building has risen into 

 importance ; and the steep and dangerous declivities of the roadway, as well 

 as its want of width for the traffic that passes over it, have constantly been a 

 subject of public complaint. 



" In order, therefore, to remove these serious objections, I propose that the 

 superstructure of the bridge should be rebuilt upon the old foundations, 

 which are now in course of being repaired and extended under the able 

 superintendence of Messrs. Walker and Burgess. As it is, in my opinion, of 

 the utmost importance, both as regards the effect of the new Houses of 

 Parliament when viewed from the bridge, and the convenience of the public 

 in passing over it, that the roadway should be made on the lowest possible 

 level, I would recommend that the form of the arches of the new bridge 

 should be pointed, by which great facility would be afforded for the accom- 

 plishing that very important object, namely, by materially reducing the 

 thickness of the crown of the arches within what is considered necessary for 

 arches of the circular form. I am induced also to recommend this form of 

 arch on account of another very important practical advantage which it 

 offers, namely, the elevation of its springing above the level of high water, 

 by which the water-way through the bridge will be the same at all times of 

 tide ; whereas at present the spandrels of the arches offer an impediment to 



the water-way at high water nearly equal to I-20th of its sectional area, 

 occasioning rapid currents, with a considerable fall, and sometimes much 

 danger to craft in passing through the bridge, under the influence of high 

 winds. I consider it also of the greatest importance in an artistic point of 

 view, not only that the bridge should be materially lowered, but that it 

 should be made to accord with the new Houses of Parliament, in order that 

 both in composition as well as style the ensemble should be harmonious and 

 effective. Upon a rough estimate which I have formed of the cost of the new 

 superstructure, I am satisfied it could be erected for about £120,000 beyond 

 the cost it will be necessary to incur to carry out Messrs. Walker and 

 Burgess's design for widening the present bridge to the extent proposed." 



Mr. Barry, in continuation observes, it is clearly to be understood he has 

 no desire to interfere with the employment of the engineers who are now 

 engaged in the repair and extension of the foundations, whom he stronglv 

 recommends should be left to complete it. He expresses a hope that the 

 commissioners, if they should think fit, will at their earliest convenience 

 make a formal and urgent communication to the Government in accordance 

 with the above views he has laid before them, as an early decision would be 

 of great importance, in order that the works in hand may not be proceeded 

 with farther than is necessary to carry out those views if they should be 

 ultimately adopted. 



The embankment on both sides of the river, from Vauxhall-brid"e to 

 London-bridge, he considers next in importance to the rebuilding of the 

 superstructure of Westminster-bridge. He says : — 



" As there would, doubtless, be serious objections to a public road upon 

 the embankment on the north side of the river, I confine my observations to 

 the southern side, where, if a road could be obtained, it would afford a suc- 

 cession of fine views of London, and the best situation for views of the 

 principal front of the new houses of Parliament. Having maturely considered 

 the subject, I think it would be practicable to obtain a public road of ample 

 width upon arches, from the termini of the South-Eastern and Dover and 

 the Brighton Railroads, at the foot of London-bridge to the terminus of the 

 South-Western railway at Vauxhall. 



" The road might be raised upon arches to a level that would coincide 

 with the levels of the roadway of the several bridges which it would inter- 

 sect, by which means the water-side frontages of the several wharfs need 

 not be interfered with in any material degree ; indeed, the extent of such 

 frontages might, by the means of docks of convenient form and size, be very 

 considerably increased, and the archways might, to a great extent, be ap- 

 propriated, if desired, to warehouses and other purposes of trade. By 

 extending the archways to a sufficient depth to the south of this road, a 

 frontage for building might also be obtained, particularly opposite Privy 

 Gardens and the new Houses of Parliament, where, if the houses were 

 designed in masses, with reference to architectural etfect, they would form 

 an agreeable and striking view from the north side of the river, and effectu- 

 ally screen the present low and mean display of unpicturesque buildings on 

 the Surrey side. The proposed houses, from being raised to a considerable 

 elevation, would have a line command of the river, and the principal public 

 buildings of the metropolis, and having, in addition to these advantaejes, a 

 southern aspect, would form very agreeable residences, such as would proba- 

 bly be eagerly sought for by the owners of adjoining wharfs, either for their 

 own occupation, or that of their principal agents. Taking into consideration 

 the private accommodation to the several wharfs, and the value of the new 

 building frontage, the proposed work would probably yield a very consider- 

 able return for the capital expended upon it, and, when effected, would not 

 only form one of the most striking improvements of an ornamental character 

 of which the metropolis is susceptible, hut would materially conduce to the 

 convenience, the comfort, and the recreation of the public. It would also 

 perhaps render unnecessary the Hue of road that has been projected from the 

 termini of the railroads at the foot of London-bridge, through Southwark to 

 the foot of Westminster-bridge, for the convenience of the west end of the 

 town, as the distance to that part of London would be materially shortened 

 by taking the proposed erabaukment road, and passing over Waterloo- 

 bridge." 



Of the local improvements immediately contiguous to the new Houses 

 of Parliament and the approaches, Mr. Barry in continuation remarks : — 



"Old Palace-yard is proposed to be considerably increased in size by the 

 demolition of the houses which now occupy that site, as well as the houses 

 on both sides of Abingdon-street, by which means a fine area for the conve- 

 nience of state processions, and the carriages of peers and others attending 

 the House of Lords, as well as a spacious landing-place adjoining the river, 

 would he obtained. The Victoria Tower, as well as the south and west 

 fronts of the building, would thus be displayed to the best advantage. The 

 Chapter house would be laid open to public view, and if restored, would form 

 a striking feature in conjunction with the Abbey ; and a considerable extent 

 of new building frontaje that would be obtained by this alteration might be 

 occupied by houses of importance, in a style of architecture in harmony 

 with the Abbey and the new Houses of Parliament, by which a grand and 

 imposing effect as a whole would be produced. As one means of improving 

 the approaches I propose that the noble width of street at Whitehall should 

 he extended southwards by the removal of the houses between Parliament- 

 street and King-street, by which the Abbey would be wholly exposed to 

 view as far as Whitehall Chapel. The houses on the north side of King- 

 street should be removed for the purpose of substituting houses or public 

 buildings — if required, of an improving style of architecture. 



