2 74 



NATURE 



\_Jan. 20, 1887 



lighted wall-space in proportion to floor-area. But witli 

 galleries side-lighted, in which some part of the collec- 

 tions must necessarily be housed, an increase of floor- 

 area will be required. 



9%. In adopting these estimates, we think an indefinite 

 series of demands for accommodation, involving an 

 indefinite extension of space, ought not to be contem- 

 plated. The pleas commonly put forward for such exten- 

 sion at the close of every Exhibition are the number of 

 articles which are either offered as gifts or are said to 

 merit acquisition. We think that merit alone should be 

 the ground of admission, and that even this ground must 

 be subject, in the first place, to the consideration of 

 space, and next, to that of scientific arrangement. If 

 space is to be in any degree limited, and scientific 

 arrangement to be maintained, it is evident that exclusion 

 and depletion, as well as completion, must be kept in 

 view ; and that while the Department of Science and Art 

 is left all possible freedom in determining what the con- 

 tents of its collections shall be, it should be strictly con- 

 fined to the area which is represented to be sufficient for 

 the future. 



In the due appropriation of this area we do not con- 

 sider that, as a role, and except in cases of historic 

 interest, engines and machines of the original size should 

 be acquired, or even accepted on terms implying that 

 they will continue to be exhibited otherwise than in 

 models. 



29. Comparing now the estimates of space recjuired 

 with the area at present available, we find as follows : — 



The total available floor-space in the present buildings, 

 assuming the Western Gallery, D, to be given up, and the 

 buildmg E to be abolished, is 51,500 square feet. 



This is 17,480 feet less than the collections at present 

 occupy, and less than half what the Committees estimate 

 for them when fairly completed. 



It is clear, therefore, that new buildings are absolutely 

 required. 



PROVISION.S FOR HOUSING THE COLLECTIONS 



30. The second duty confided to us is : — 



To suggest plans for housing the collections in the 

 existing galleries to the so7ith of the Horticultural Gardens, 

 or in new galleries to be built upon their site, and the 

 adjacent ground now the property of the Government. 



31. In considering this matter, we have had the valuable 

 assistance of Mr. Taylor, the Surveyor to Her Majesty's 

 Office of Works, who has, in accordance with our sug- 

 gestions, carefully examined the existing buildings, and 

 prepared sketch-plans and estimates to meet the circum- 

 stances of the case. 



32. We have already referred to the land available. It 

 is shown on the Drawing No. 1., marked G, and coloured 

 red, and it consists of a plot of ground to the south of 

 the South Galleries A, B, c, containing 4 acres and 23 

 square yards. 



This land, as well as the site and ground of the Natural 

 History Museum to the south of it, was purchased by the 

 Government, in 1864, from the Commissioners of the 

 Exhibition of 1851, and the particulars of the transaction 

 are fully set forth in the Fifth Report of the Commis- 

 sioners, dated August 15, 1867. 



33. In this Report (p. 31) the Commissioners say : — 



" We have set forth in detail all the circumstances con- 

 nected with the sale by us to Her Majesty's Government 

 of the site of the Exhibition of 1S63, with the sanction 

 of Parliament, and under the special condition that the 

 site in question shall be permanently devoted to purposes 

 connected with Science or the Arts." 



This condition is fully and strongly carried into effect 

 in the deed of conveyance, which is published as an 

 Appendix to the same Report ; so that the appropriation 

 of this land for the erection of a Science Museum is in 

 strict compliance with the conditions of its acquisition. 



34. The buildings forming the southern range A', A, c, 

 B, b', although not of first-rate character, will \et last in 

 good order for many years to come, as will also the 

 Western Gallery D. 



We are, however, of opinion that a plan should be 

 prepared to include the eventual reconstruction of the 

 whole southern range. 



But it should be a plan capable of being carried out by 

 degrees, as and when necessity demands. 



35. Drawing No. II. shows aground plan of a design 

 which fulfils these conditions. 



It provides for two three-storied buildings of orna- 

 mental elevation, forming frontages (with returns) to 

 Exhibition Road on the east, and to Queen's Gate on the 

 west ; and for plain two-storied buildings adjacent to 

 these east and west frontages. These buildings, together 

 with the existing southern buildings (-\, B, C) will afford 

 the recjuired space until the latter become unserviceable, 

 and permanent structures have to be erected on their 

 site. 



These buildings would give room for the collections, 

 with the necessary offices, for the Portrait Gallery, and, if 

 desirable, for examination-rooms. 



Measures Recommended 



36. The measures we recommend are as follows : — 



Section I. — Alteration of Arrangements in the existing 

 Galleries 



(a) Remove the collection from the upper floor of the 

 Western Gallery, D, and place it temporarily on the lower 

 floor of the same building, and in A, B, or C. 



{b) Remove the Portrait Gallery into the upper floor 

 of the Western Gallery, D ; this floor has been used 

 during former Exhibitions as a Picture Gallery, and has 

 given great satisfaction to the artists. This gallery, as it 

 exists, is more secure against accidents by fire than the 

 building in which the pictures are now placed, and can 

 be rendered, at a moderate outlay, practically incom- 

 bustible. 



(c) Clear out the ground floor of theWestern Gallery, d. 



(d) .Then use this ground floor for examination-rooms, 

 when this is done, the entire Western Gallerj', D, will be 

 occupied, and none of it will be further available for the 

 collections. 



(e) Make an opening through the wall which now shuts 

 oft" the centre building, c, so as to give an approach from 

 Exhibition Road to the western parts of the galleries, 

 and thus do away with the unsightly gallery K. 



if) Proceed to arrange the rooms as they are set free. 



(g) In addition to the access from Queen's Gate to the 

 portrait gallery in D, afford access to it from Exhibition 

 Road through the Science collections. 



Section II. — A'ew Works to be undertaken 



37. The proposed new building is so designed that it 

 may be carried out in separate portions progressively. 



The portion to be first undertaken should be on the parts 

 marked L and L', with the temporary entrances, all 

 coloured yellow on the drawing No. II. These buildings 

 may be completed in about eighteen months, and are 

 estimated to cost about 43,520/., which may be distributed 

 over the financial years 1886-87, ^nd 1887-88. 



Before the end of 18S7, also, the option must be exer- 

 cised of purchasing the central building, C. 



When the above-mentioned first portions of the new 

 building are completed, they will add an available area 

 of 28,700 square feet, which, with the areas already 

 existing in the southern galleries, will make a total of 

 80,200 square feet. 



This will provide, for the Science collections, about 

 11,000 feet more than they at present occupy, and it will 

 admit of the Patent Museum being removed to the 

 western side of Exhibition Road, and of the building E 



