17G 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[May, 



" Miilbank Street is proposed to be widened and improved in order to 

 make it a convenient and effective approach from Miilbank Road to the Vic- 

 toria Tower and Old Palace Yard. Totbill Street is also proposed to he 

 widened and improved in order that it may be made an equally convenient 

 and striking approach to the Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and White- 

 hall from the west-end of the town. St. Margaret's Church, if suffered to 

 remain in its present position should be improved in its external decoration, 

 in order that it may not disgrace, as it now does, the noble pile of the Ab- 

 bey, which rises above it." 



Mr. Barry concludes the enumeration of all the principal improvements he 

 judges to prove most effective to the building on which he is engaged, by 

 the hope, although some might be considered impracticable, that at no dis- 

 tant period the rebuilding of the superstructure, the embankments of the 

 river, the enclosure of New Palace Yard, and the enlargement of Old Pa- 

 lace Yard, may be accomplished as " improvements of the utmost impor- 

 tance, whether as regards the beauty of the metropolis, the effect of the new 

 Houses of Parliament, or the convenience, as well as the enjoyment of the 

 public." 



THE IPSWICH COMPETITION AND IPSWICH CUSTOM- 

 HOUSE. 



Sir— Notwithstanding that so very much has been said on the sub- 

 ject of competition generally, and also in regard to particular cases of 

 it, never has a more striking proof of the manner in which such mat- 

 ters are managed, been brought forward, than that furnished by the 

 competition now in progress for a new Custom-House at Ipswich. 

 This I think will be admitted by every one on reading the following 

 statement and correspondence, for which 1 solicit insertion in your 

 Journal, in order that the profession and the public may be acquainted 

 •with the whole affair, and clearly perceive how monstrously absurd 

 are the so-called " Instructions to Architects," sometimes put forth 

 on such occasions. No doubt this Ipswich affair is a very trumperv 

 one in every meaning of the word — most remarkably so ; and on that 

 very account does it call for strong animadversion and exposure; since 

 it is owing to so many things of the kind being quietly passed over, 

 as too insignificant for notice, or because it is worth no one's while in 

 particular to make any "fuss" about them, that they at length become 

 an established system. Silence on the part of the profession looks 

 like acquiescence, and local "committees," relieved from the whole- 

 some fear of committing themselves, perfectly irresponsible to public 

 opinion, and at liberty to act just as they please, no matter how capri- 

 ciously, how arbitrarily, or how absurdly. Bodies of that kind have, 

 like private individuals, most unquestionably the right of pleasing 

 themselves — that is, if they can, and also that of serving their own 

 particular views and their own particular friends; but then it should 

 be done in a different manner: for when they invite to competition 

 by public advertisement, they become pledged to perfect fair dealing 

 and impartiality, and bound to act with something like discretion. 

 At all events, it may be supposed that they themselves have a I 

 bly distinct notion of what it is they do want, and ought, accordingly to 

 express it as distinctly as they can: otherwise, the vagueness of their 

 "instructions," either betrays their own incapacity, their inability to 

 explain themselves in the first instance, and therefore, it may be" in- 

 ferred, their incompetence to judge afterwards on the designs admitted 

 to them, or it very naturally excites a suspicion that all is not quite so 

 fair and straightforward as it professes to be, but that the "instruc- 

 tions" have been conveniently mystified, in order not to enlighten 

 people too much on the subject. Obscurity, we are told, is one source 

 of the sublime; and if so, the committees who preside over competi- 

 tions must be some of the subliinest people in the world. 



One motive for my thus bringing forward this Ipswich affair, is the 

 hope that the attention of the Institute of British Architects will now 

 be called to it. It certainly is what it ought to take up ; but although 

 I belong to that body myself, I must own that it has hitherto shown 

 itself by far too supine in all such matters: it is sadly deficient in that 

 heartiness and zeal which, only exerted, would correct many abuses, 

 and would no less directly than essentially benefit both the act and 

 the profession. It ought not to leave to individuals in the latter, the 

 onerous and not particularly gracious task of trying to effect what it 

 is beyond the power of individual zeal and energy, however well di- 

 rected to accomplish. The Institute, it may be presumed, possesses 

 a certain degree of authority with public opinion: if so, let it exert 

 that authority to some purpose, and beneficially. Let it convince the 

 p-.iblic that it is something more than a mere name, and that its influence 

 extends beyond the wads of its own council-room. Unfortunately, 

 however, those who have most weight and influence there, are least 

 ol all interested in bringing forward or promoting measures having 



for their object the interests of architecture and of the profession 

 generally. That such should be the case is, perhaps, natural enough: 

 why should those who are not at all personally affected by them, give 

 themselves any concern about grievances and abuses which they do 

 not feel, heavily as they may press upon and depress those who have 

 to contend with them? The tranquility with which they view — for 

 hardly can they be ignorant of them, may look like philosophy — like 

 Mahommedan assignment to unavoidable evils; yet though their in- 

 difference may be very justifiable, all very prudent and proper, it cer- 

 tainly says nothing for their zeal, their generosity, or their public 

 spirit ; nor does it at all tend to raise the character of the Institute as a 

 body in public estimation. Tout au contraire, it exposes it to animad- 

 versions all the more severe, because well merited. Perhaps I am 

 now expressing myself rather strongly, and may besides be thought 

 to spin out these remarks too largely, for I began them merely by way 

 of preface to what follows, and to what I will now let follow at once 

 without any further comment. " " 



" Instructions to Architects desirous of submitting designs for 

 the proposed new custom house, ipswich, suffolk. 



" To Architect*. 



" The Corporation of Ipswich, propose to erect a public building 

 upon the common quay, in that town, as a Custom-house and Excise- 

 office ; to comprise also, suitable offices for the accountant and col- 

 lector of the dock commissioners, and other public business of the 

 town connected with the mercantile and shipping interests; accom- 

 modation will also be required for the lessees or occupiers of the 

 common quay wharf, which is the principal landing place for goods in 

 the town, and anv spare rooms may be adapted for private offices or a 

 bonding warehouse. 



" Cost. — The expenditure not to exceed iMOOO. 



"Premiums. — Twenty guineas will be given for the first selected 

 plan, and ten guineas for the second. Such two plans to become the 

 property of the corporation. The architect whose design is selected 

 will most probably be employed to superintend the erection of the 

 building, provided he can produce satisfactory testimonials as to his 

 ability, &c 



" Slit:. — The site for the proposed building is an open space, mea- 

 suring about 240 feet by 130 feet, with a water frontage. 



" MOTTO. — The different drawings, See., are to be distinguished bv a 

 motto, and the name and address of each architect to be sealed up in 

 an envelope bearing the same motto as his design, which letter will 

 be returned, unopened, to the unsuccessful competitors. 



" The plans, &c, to be delivered at the town clerk's office, Ipswich, 

 on or before the 1st of May next. The selection of the premium de- 

 signs will be duly advertised in the local papers, after which, the re- 

 maining designs will be returned to their respective authors, on their 

 writing for the same, stating the motto affixed to their various draw- 

 ings, &c. 



" S. A. Nolcutt, Jux., 



" Town Clerk. 



'• Ipswich. March 1S43.'' 



" 11th April, 1843. 



" Sir — I shall feel obliged by your favouring me with replies to the 

 following queries relative to the competition for the new Custom- 

 house, Ipswich. 



" 1st. Is it necessary for the competitor to see the ground previ- 

 ously to preparing his desings ? 



" 2nd. What is the nature of the foundation ? will it be requisite 

 to use piling or concrete, or is the natural soil sufficiently solid to bear 

 the ordinary foundations of a building of the size and nature re- 

 quired, without any extraordinary outlay for this part of the work ? 



" 3rd. What accommodation will be required for the Custom-house 

 and Excise-office, and what dimensions will be required for the 

 rooms ? 



" 4th. What is to be understood by 'suitable offices for the account- 

 ant and collector of the dock commissioners ;' are there two or more 

 rooms: and about what dimensions will they be required ? 



" 5th. What accommodation will be required for the ' lessees or 

 occupiers of the commou quay wharf?' 



" bth. What spare rooms are expected to be provided for offices 

 and bonding warehouse, and what dimensions are they required to be? 



" 7th. Are all the rooms, warehouses, &c, contained in the first 

 paragraph of the 'Instructions to architects,' to be included in the 

 expenditure of £4000? 



"8th. What distance is the wharf or water from the site of the 

 proposed building 



