1S41.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



2S9 



EPISODES OF PLAN. 



( Continued from page 143. J 



We should be less embarrassed by the extent and complexity of 

 our subject, could we command an unlimited number of cuts to illus- 

 trate it ; but being under the necessity of observing economy in 

 that respect, and to confine ourselves to Jloor-plans alone, without at- 

 tempting to show anything further, we experience no little difficulty 

 in determining whatsketches to give in preference, out of the ample 

 stock of our materials. Under such circumstances it will jjerhaps be 

 expected that we should select such as bear the least resemblance to 

 each other ; yet, bv so doing, we could not show how the same lead- 

 ing idea may, bv some slight modification of it, be so altered as to 

 produce a room of quite dilferent character. Which last consideration 

 induces us to give a second plan for a dining-room, bearing a strong 

 resemblance to the preceding one in its general shape and arrange- 

 ment, yet greatly varied from it with respect to many otlier circum- 

 stances. Therefore, in order that the two may be more conveniently 

 compared together, we will here again introduce the first one, which 

 wa5 but indifferently printed when originally given. 



FiR. 1. 



Owing to the peculiarity or singularity of both these ideas, the re- 

 semblance between them will probably be thought far more striking 

 tlian the difference, since the second one also shows a room whose 

 ends are convex in plan, and which is otherwise very similarly ar- 

 ranged. The situation here given to the fire-place would be in itself 

 too trifling a variation to call for notice, were it not that it materially 

 alters the character of the whole, by leaving the entrance recess en- 

 lirelv 0[ien to the room ; and in consequence, the elevation of that end 

 liecomes precisely similar to the opposite one, each of them present- 

 ii!g three open intercolumns, formed in this instance merelv by a di- 

 style in antis, consequently with two columns less than in the other 

 plan. A more important distinction is that in this second plan the 

 corners of the room are cut off, whereby not only is the somewhat 

 objectionable sharpness of the angles, occasioned in the other instance 

 by the curved ends being brought up to the side walls, avoided, but 

 the proportion which the end elevation bears to the entire breadth of 

 the apartment is also altered. Besides which, four niches, placed 

 diagonally on the plan, are thus obtained, where they would seem to 



No. 48.— Vol. IV.— September, 1841. 



come in with great propriety — conspicuously, but not obtrusively; on 

 the contrary, where they are in some measure required in order to 

 fill up, and give importance to those spaces: For the last assigned 

 reason, niches are likewise introduced into the entrance recess A. 



Should it be made an objection that in consequence of its forming 

 two intersecting curves in its plan, the part A would either occasion 

 much space to be lost, or render it difficult to connect this apartment 

 with an adjoining one, it may be got over by converting the cm ved wall 

 in which the door is placed into a flat one. Such alteration would 

 still leave the rest of the design just the same as before ; nevertheless 

 its character would in some degree be affected by it, and that for the 

 worse, if only because the uniformity now kept up, by the smaller re- 

 cess A being curved both ways similarly to the larger one B, would 

 then be destroyed. How far the circumstance here noticed would 

 create difficulty by interfering too much with the general plan of the 

 house, must depend upon what would be altogether foreign from our 

 present purpose to take into consideration ; our object here being 

 merelv to suggest new ideas, and bring forward episodical portions of 

 a plan, not to adapt them to plans in general. We leave the particu- 

 lar application of them to others, leaving also those who may care to 

 adopt any of our hints to adapt and modify them accordingly as cir- 

 cumstances may require ; for what would be found eligible and con- 

 venient enough in one case, would prove exactly the contraryin another 

 A remark to the same effect has, we find, already been made by us, 

 nevertheless it is one that will very well bear to be repeated, as it 

 is likely to be forgotten by others, though it is highly important that 

 it should be constantly borne in mind by our readers. 



The sideboard alcove B does not call for much explanation or com- 

 ment, we shall therefore confine ourselves to saying that the same ac- 

 commodation is here afforded as in the first plan, namely an entrance 

 into it for servants. Though two doors are shown, one of them would 

 be sufficient for the purpose, and the other might either be a sham 

 one, or should the plan allow of its being done, might be made to lead 

 to a strong closet for containing the more valuable articles of plate, 

 and also a small retiring closet, &c. The window in this alcove is 

 supposed to be at a considerable height from the floor— eight or nine 

 feet — as the sideboard would be placed beneath it ; and it is intended 

 merely to obtain some light from a back court or area, for which rea- 

 son it should have coloured or ground glass, but merely of such hue as 

 would be sufficient to correct rawness of effect, and throw a sunshiny 

 glow into that end of the room. Though it is differently represented 

 m the cut (fig. 2), it would perhaps be better to confine this window 

 to what now forms its centre compartment (corresponding in breadth 

 with the centre intercolumn of the alcove), treating it as an oblong 

 transparent panel, slightly sunk in the upper part of the wall. 



We will now submit another idea jirofessing to be no more than a 

 variation of the alcove capable of being adapted to either of the pre- 

 ceding plans ; for which reason it is unnecessary to show the whole of 

 the room in the cut. 



In this instance the alcove is great'y extended as to depth, more 

 especially as compared with that in fig. 1, from which, indeed, it is 

 altogether dissimilar, because there not orily is the recess considerably 

 shallower, but its back wall is curved convexly, and concentrically 

 with the elevation towards the room. At the same time it resembles 

 fig. ), in so far as it occupies the entire width of the room; but then 

 again, such resemblance is attended with a very material difference, 

 inasmuch as in fig. 3, the alcove is more enclosed, so that it seems to 

 expand itself wilhin, as viewed through the external columns. The 

 same may be said of it, if it be compared with fig. 2, that being a sim- 

 ple recess merelv divided off from the room by columns, and no wider 

 within than its opening towards the room. 



Fig. 3, on the contrary, affords an example of what may very well 

 be distinguished by the name of a compound recess, — and also of what 



2 R 



