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The Palace at Westminster: the Buildings in Old Palace Yard.--SR CHARLES BARRY, R.A, Architect.

view. The balconies for viewing the state procession are very ably managed; and the whole front, whilst it has perhaps the most elaborate workmanship of this claborate building, is certainly not inferior to any part in beauty. The Victoria Tower has reached within a very short distance of the intended battlements. The mode of terminating this tower is perhaps not finally decided upon; but the design which we have seen, shows lofty open-work pinnacles and battlements; and within, an octagonal lantern or cage of metal-work, with tall bannerets and light flying buttresses, supporting the royal standard at a considerable elevation. In the main archway are fixed a set of gates in wrought iron, and these are the best specimens of metal-work, both as regards beauty and propriety of design and workmanship, that we have seen in England. The whole of the iron and brass work throughout the building, we may say, is of this superior character: the crown of lights depending from the roof of the Central Hall is especially good, whilst elaborate. The Clock Tower is nearly completed, the iron framing of the double pyramidal capping being now in progress. The clock will far exceed any other in London in its capabilities. There has been some difficulty about the intended chimesbell-founders in England being considered at fault in that particular. With these buildings the great work would terminate, unless, indeed, on the removal of the houses in Bridge-street for the access to the extended width of the bridge, it should have been decided to run a further portion of the Palace building along that side of New Palace Yard, as the architect always contemplated. But a far more extensive scheme has been broached. This comprises, in addition to buildings on the line of Bridge-street, the removal of the Law Courts; the erection-somewhat in advance of the present line-of a range of buildings with bay windows, and an arcade, now much needed in wet weather; of a grand gateway at the angle of New Palace Yard, thus enclosed; of the raising the roof of Westminster Hall; the removal of St. Margaret's Church to a fresh site, and of several houses in Old Palace Yard; and some other works. Thus it is believed that the present disjointed and incongruous character of the whole would be remedied; that a proper entrance would be afforded, and that the general mass would group with the abbey; that building, with the new portion of the Palace, forming two sides of a quadrangle. The new buildings would be chiefly used for Commissions, and similar purposes; for which, as we remarked in a former year, enormous expense is now incurred. The cost of the Palace, with the works in progress or sanctioned, would come to 1,944,2267. (inclusive of what has been paid for houses and land), and if Sir Charles Barry's last proposals were accepted, it is believed that the total cost would be made up to 2,595,5117. A number of works of painting and sculpture have already been added to the building. The frescoes in the upper waiting-hall, descriptive of passages in the poets, have been some time complete; Mr. Maclise is painting the subject of his picture, "the Marriage of Strongbow and Eva," in fresco, in the Painted Chamber, or conference hall; and amongst the recent works of

sculpture are bronze relievos in the Prince's Chamber by Theed, and statues of Selden by Foley, and Walpole by Bell, in St. Stephen's Hall.

The north wing of the Wellington-street front of Somerset House is now completed. Attached to it is a small porch of entrance, with Ionic columns having rusticated shafts. The backs of the houses of Somerset-place have been taken down, preparatory to the erection of the central portion of the new building.

A building for the office of the Duchy of Cornwall, by Mr. Pennethorne, has been erected at Buckingham Gate, at the obtuse angle of the new street and James'-street. The doorway, and the Italian details of window-dressings, and the cornice of the building with its enriched frieze, have merit; but the use of cement is scarcely creditable in such a case. The architect has got over the difficulties of the plan cleverly.

At the Tower of London an additional storehouse has lately been erected. The building is chiefly in plain brickwork with recesses, but shows effectively from the river.

Uxbridge House, in Burlington Gardens, lately inhabited by the Marquis of Anglesey, was built, under the architect Vardy, towards the end of the last century. The front was designed by Joseph Bonomi. It had the great defect of being obviously a mere facing of stone-work,-not being even the front of entrance. The house is now occupied as a branch by the Bank of England; and the formation of a new entrance with a large open porch has certainly effected an improvement.

The

The plan of the Carlton Club has been completed externally, the columns of polished Aberdeen granite appearing on each side. smoking room is at the back, at the top of the house, with a projecting balcony. The interior arrangements seem excellent in plan, and perfect in their convenience. A flight of steps leads from the entrance hall to the grand central hall, which is square in plan. It is surrounded at the level of the first floor, by a gallery octagonal on the plan, and is lighted from the top. A broad staircase ascends in front; the morning room is to the left, with the library over it, and to the right is the coffee room, in the portion of building completed some time since. The upper part of the central hall has coupled Corinthian columns, executed in scagliola, the walls being green stencilled. The whole of the joiners' work is executed in wainscot, or other expensive materials. In the decorations of the morning room the flat style of treatment is carried out with success. The library has the novelty, in England, of a sloping ceiling-that is, higher along the centre than at the sides. The space is divided by main and cross beams (the former springing from brackets) into a number of coffers, filled in with ornament. The colours are wainscot, with a pattern in dark brown, and with mouldings and bosses, or drops, gilded; and for the pattern of the coffers and panels, colours of a grey tone, with the scroll or interlaced pattern on a dark ground. Mr. Sydney Smirke is the architect.

The new building for the Junior United Service Club is being erected in the place of the old one, at the corner of Charles-street

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The New Junior United Service Club.-Messrs. NELSON and INNES, Architects.

and Regent-street, the site however being enlarged. The character of the building will be sufficiently understood from the illustration which we give. Messrs. Nelson and Innes are the architects. The exterior only is completed.

Some alterations have been going forward at the Army and Navy Club.-Mr. I'Anson has lately been forming a new entrance to Merchant Tailors' Hall, and we believe is about to put a ceiling of appropriate character to the hall itself.

We were desirous to give some particulars of the Scottish National Galleries in Edinburgh, but have received no reply to the application that we made. The newspapers tell us that internally there are 66 two suites of rooms, with porticoes at either end." The saloons are all octagonal; the centre one, rather larger than the others, is 43 feet in diameter. The saloons are lighted, wholly from the roof" by cupolas in plain coved ceilings," and communicate with each other by lofty arched openings, so that from the entrance the coup-d'œil is said to be very striking. Externally, the Ionic order is employed in the four end porticoes of four columns each, and in the two lateral porticoes of six columns each. Few windows appear in the exterior, the walls being relieved by ante resting on a stylobate of steps, and crowned with a balustrade. Mr. Playfair is the architect, and the cost of the building has been about 40,0007. The site is on the Mound, immediately behind the Royal Institution; but it is now not considered a good one, the view of the rugged Castle rock and the vista beyond it being interrupted; whilst seen from the high ground at the head of the mound the building itself appears buried.

The Free Trade Hall at Manchester, which may be completed externally about the time that this notice comes before our readers, is a work which should rank very high in modern architecture. The plan provides a grand hall for public meetings, and a suite of rooms for concerts and similar purposes. The principal front is divisible into two main stories; the ground story forming an arcade of nine arches, with broad piers and plain archivolts, imposts, and block cornice, but having the spandril spaces filled with the arms of different towns; and the upper story, of greater height, having a range of three-quarter Ionic coupled columns, with pedestals and blocks of entablature, bearing archivolts with consoles, above which is the great entablature cornice of the building, with its frieze enriched with medallions and festoons, the whole building being terminated by a balustrade. The spandril spaces of the range of arches last-named, are enriched with wreaths and circles of red granite, and the semicircular panels in the arches, are about to be filled with alto-relievos by Mr. Thomas. Immediately below them a narrow panel, ranging with the cornice of the order, will contain a fret. The windows have architraves, trusses, pediments, and balconies. The building derives great effect from the width of its angle-piers, which are without quoins, and undecorated except by the lines of the several horizontal impost and other mouldings. The architect is Mr. Edward Walters; and what he has done entitles him to a place with the chief professors of his noble art.

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