XVI.-ARCHITECTURE AND PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. 1. GENERAL PROGRESS.-ART AND BUILDINGS.

SINCE the period which has elapsed from our last publication, an unusual number of topics have been afloat which are connected with Architecture and Public Improvements; legislative enactments have come into operation bearing immediately on these; and if few buildings of an interesting character have been completed, unless some of which last year we noticed the commencement, there are now a greater number of new projects than have for many years occupied the attention of architects. The Metropolitan Local Management Act, and the Metropolitan Buildings Act, 1855, have come into operation; and the chief improvements, metropolitan and architectural, by the terms of both acts, now are within the control of the Metropolitan Board of Works appointed under the act first named. So far as the Schedules of the Building Act are concerned, we believe that act may be considered an improvement upon its predecessors; and much greater rigour in the condemnation and removal of ruinous buildings has resulted from the change, than was possible under the old act. The act still, however, is unable to grapple with many points in the internal arrangements of dwellings which have much influence upon the health of the inmates; and in the class of public buildings no regulation is attempted as to area of egress, the desirableness of which, and the lamentable deficiency of it in many theatres and other places of amusement, have lately been much discussed in consequence of some recent disasters. The two new acts leave many questions, such as are connected with projec tions from external walls, with porticoes to buildings, and with the erection of shops or similar low structures on the site of the gardens in front of houses, to the Central Board,-which thus is invested with an amount of authority over all efforts in architecture and sanitary improvement of the most important character. Street improvements form part of the duties of the Board; and the great question of London drainage is also in their hands. We fear it must be admitted that hardly any of these objects are in the position in which it was hoped the Board would place them.

Questions appertaining to architecture are now commonly discussed. Although the value of external colour in materials, and of truth in structure, have been too much neglected; for the future state of taste, it would be as unfortunate that either or both should prevail to the exclusion of other equally important attributes of architectural art, as that the present state exhibited in ordinary town and suburban buildings should be accepted as satisfactory. It is quite erroneous to view the use of imitative cement, or 66 compo," as if maintained by 66 our architects;" compo is demanded by the public and given by the speculative builders for several, with them, very cogent reasons. It is always worth inquiring whether the prevalence of any course may not partly arise from some element of correct principle, and whether a particular opposite course even were it for a time attractive by its freshness-might not itself be a mere exchange from

one partial form of acceptance of the several required principles of good architecture to another. For the best art in architecture will prevail, only when all the attributes of the art are understood and put forth. Some of these proper attributes may be consistent with the use of cement; others may be absolutely inconsistent with it as an imitative material: effect as to colour may be got by treatment of brick work, but it does not follow that every building which is so far successful, has all the attributes referred to, some of which may be best expressed by stone, which, it should never be forgotten, is the material which affords the most scope for expression, as well as for the development of all the attributes in their due relation. Where external colour is designed-as properly it is in many buildingscoloured materials indeed afford the best medium of its application. But the highest efforts in external colour do not approach the beauty of what has been called "Nature's own polychromy," expressed by weather tints on the stone,-an element in the effect of architecture which, presenting as it does that contrast to the regularity of lines which is required, is of the highest value. The uniform or shining surface of cement is unfavourable to such effect; but equally in attempts to substitute for the work of Nature any strong artificial colouring, some degree of disadvantage is attendant. The argument from the smoke-laden atmosphere of towns must indeed have weight. Still it must be understood that the grandest architectural results are resigned or lost whenever so much inferiority as now exists in a London atmosphere prevails.

Great efforts have been made to remove this blot upon the metropolis; and the obligations respecting the construction of furnaces to burn their own smoke, has been extended to the manufactories which were before exempted-the Lambeth Potteries of course included.' The smoke of London, however, mainly proceeds from the chimneys of the 340,000 private houses. But, were not the application of many inventions to the domestic fireplace under singular disadvantages of prejudice, even this evil might at length be removed.

The proposal to erect new Government Offices is one of which the objects concern the tax-payer and the general public, the members of the departments responsible for the official business, as well as all alike who are interested in the improvement of London and the advancement of art. We may suppose it is now admitted that the results from works of art are such as justify expenditure on their account alone; but it happens that architectural decoration or effect does not necessarily demand an outlay large in proportion to that required for a structure; and beyond this view of the question, it generally happens that what conduces to one of such : objects as have been referred to, will at the same time forward another. In illustration of the want in one direction, so long allowed to exist, we may refer to one statement by the Select Committee, which reported to the House of Commons on the 18th of last July, on the best means of providing accommodation for the departments in the neighbourhood of Downing-street. It appeared that the business of the War Department, exclusive of the Horse Guards: branch, was carried on at ten different places, "having separate ess

tablishments of clerks and officers," this expression implying much that would otherwise be unnecessary in expenses of housekeeping, messengers, and fittings,-in addition to the cost and inconvenience of the frequent alterations and removals. The houses held on lease by the different departments represented a rental of 22,000l. per annum; and although the whole ground required for a concentration for the offices is estimated to demand the outlay of 1,250,000Z. (or 1,500,000l., taking in the cost of requisite approaches to Westminster Bridge), whilst the buildings are supposed to call for 1,000,000l. more; such expenditure, even taking it as spread over very few years, would not be excessive for the national objects and the improvement of Westminster,-seeing that about one-fourth of it may be taken to be already represented by the capital value corresponding to 22,000l. a-year, which at thirty years' purchase is 660,000l. And when we are told that in one branch of the service, by the consolidation of different pay-offices into one PaymasterGeneral's Office, a saving of about 40,000l. a-year has been effected, whilst the work has been positively better done, we have the best possible evidence of the gain which may accrue from some alteration of the mere plan and structure of a building.

It is therefore proposed to take a site, north of Bridge-street and Great George-street, extending north to Richmond Mews on the one side of Parliament-street, and taking in the whole area on the other side bounded by the Park, and up to and inclusive of the present Treasury buildings; a total area which, including a space to be embanked from the river, and the south side of Bridge-street, con siderably exceeds 1,000,000 superficial feet. This would afford adequate space, not only for the present departments and the new War Office, but for the Horse Guards and the branch of the Admiralty now lying out at Somerset House, and also for the street improvements, and for present or modified and additional routes across the river, which are to be considered along with the other parts of the scheme. Plans of the site, and some particulars of accommodation required, have been issued, and premiums, amounting in the aggregate to 5000l., have been offered for designs by English and foreign architects.

Much dissatisfaction has been expressed by sculptors who had competed for the Wellington Monument, for which a fresh competition is announced for a site in St. Paul's Cathedral. In this latter case, nine premiums have been offered for models to be sent in, in June 1857, the amount to be expended being 20,000l., and the highest premium to be awarded being 7007., which, however, as in the former case, will merge into the payment for the work, if the artist is employed to execute his design. Another monument to the Duke of Wellington, in the form of a column and statue, is proposed to be erected at Liverpool; a competition in that case also being announced. At Manchester, the Wellington statue by Mr. Noble has been completed. The statue and four subordinate figures, emblematic of Valour, Wisdom, Victory, and Peace, are placed upon a group of pedestals. These last are little more than blocks of granite, and might, like many other pedestals of statues, have received, with

advantage, more of architectural character. The area in front of the Infirmary, where the statue is placed, has been flagged and converted into a promenade, a central space is left for a proposed figure of the Queen; there are two basins and fountains, and the statues of Peel and Wellington occupy sites to the right and left of the fountains. Somewhat more dissatisfaction than was justifiable has been expressed at the Scutari Monument to the British soldiers, which has been sent to the East, and of which a model has been exhibited at the Crystal Palace. The design, by Baron Marochetti, consists of an obelisk, with four winged figures around a supporting pedestal. The cost, however, of the work was enormous. The Bellot Testimonial has been erected on a spot within the area in front of Greenwich Hospital. Its main feature is an obelisk of Aberdeen granite, designed by Mr. Hardwick, R.A.

In speaking of public statues, we should have stated that some timely measures of reparation have been adopted, under Mr. Scott's direction, in the case of the statue of Charles I. at Charing Cross. The feet of the horse had become infirm in support, and the group was therefore raised. A slab of granite was bedded in the pedestal, and secured by copper bolts, and the statue was again fixed. It is now slightly higher than the original level; but the difference, so far as it could be detected, is rather an advantage.

The extension and improvement of the resources of architecture, in the department of building materials, is a subject which should not be allowed to pass without a word, to show that we continue to recognise its importance. Improvements in the material and form of bricks and the patterns of tiles, in window glass, and especially in ornamental ironwork, continue to be made and in all the mechanical contrivances required in houses and fittings which pass under the comprehensive designation "ironmongery," very great ingenuity is shown. The various forms of bath apparatus deserve to be specially attended to, though in all kinds of hydraulic apparatus recently much has been added to the available comforts of life. Of improvements connected with materials applicable in building, Mr. Bessemer's process for the more ready and economic production of steel and wrought iron promises to be one of the most important.

It must be admitted that the advantage of brickwork as a material for art has not been duly felt; but if its scope of expression through form, which is perhaps the most valuable element in the production of the beautiful, is limited, much may be done with it, and with especial fitness, in the atmosphere of London. But it must be regretted that the difficulties in the choice of stone, and in its preservation both from smoky hue and from rapid disintegration, continue so great. Experiments have been tried on portions of the Houses of Parliament, by what is called Davies' process; and if only two years' experience could be deemed sufficient, the results might be called satisfactory. A dark hue will be noticed in portions of the front in Old Palace Yard, where the process has recently been applied; but this is said to go off after a short time, unless where the stone may have previously been allowed to imbibe much impurity. In Paris, where however the atmospheric test may be less severe, a

solution of silicate of potash is said to be employed readily and with good result. As connected with the interiors of buildings, the choice of a preservative solution for stonework is also important, considering the disposition which there is to use chimney-pieces of carved stone, of superior design, in private houses. Hitherto there has been little alternative, except to have an enormously-expensive work in statuary marble, on a plain boxed chimney-piece of common and tasteless design.

2. SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS.-SEWERAGE, WATER-SUPPLY,

CEMETERIES, &c.

It will have been inferred, from what we have already stated, that the past twelve months have not added many works to those which we should notice under the present head. The works carried on by Local Boards of Health do not demand any especial notice. Their labours have not been satisfactory in a few exceptional instances. An endeavour was made to show from the case of the town of Luton, that the change from the cesspool system, and the consequent pollution of the river Lea, had been attended with greater injury to health than existed previously. The case of London seems quite analogous. The cesspool system has been abolished, but the proper disposal of sewage has not been settled on, and water-companies still draw their supply where impurities from sewage either exist, or probably will exist before the lapse of many years. The medical officer for Marylebone, during the last summer, felt called upon to advise that the water supplied by the companies should be boiled, because from "considerations connected with the origin of the supply," he deemed that "the vitality of vegetable and animal germs" should be destroyed. But he also found by examination, as the consequence of inefficient surface drainage, that accumulations of animal and vegetable matter existed in the soil adjacent to houses, which he considered had relation to the fatality of various situations, in reference especially to infantile diseases. It is however shown by the Registrar-General, that England is the healthiest country in Europe, and that whilst in continental cities the annual rate of mortality is seldom less than 30 in 1,000, in London the rate is 25 in 1,000. The salutary effects of the improved water-supply, and other sanitary measures in Bermondsey, are pointed out. In Liverpool, the high rate of mortality is being duly regarded with a view to additional sanitary measures. The beneficial effects of a constant supply of pure water, on the health of towns, the Registrar-General remarks, is every day more apparent. The same authority regards the dust of London streets as having something to do with the prevalence of diseases of the respiratory organs. Efforts have been made to prevent this in Oxford-street, by a regular system of watering and sweeping. In Leadenhall-street, an experiment is being tried with iron pavement. The first portion laid down failed, it is said, in consequence of defects, not in the principle itself, but in the execution of the substratum, or foundation.

To find what is the position of the London drainage question is no