File:The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette (1839) (20467421279).jpg

Title: The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette
Identifier: civilengineerarc06lond (find matches)
Year: 1839 (1830s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture; Civil engineering; Science
Publisher: London : (William Laxton)
Contributing Library: Northeastern University, Snell Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Northeastern University, Snell Library

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270 THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. (August, Fig. 1. FiK. 2.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 3. steam from around the float-wire, &c, the effect of which always proves so injurious to the boiler. The compensation-valve, I presume, will be too readily understood tojneed any explanation from me; it may, however, be noticed, that it is composed of brass, and that the part which is attached to the float, as well as the other part, is cast is two pieces, as may be distin- guished by the section-lines in fig. 2—this is essential to the putting of the valve together. It may be further observed, that, to avoid any alteration in the original feed-pump, a spring-valve is introduced in a convenient part of the pipe adjoining to E, just sufficient to allow the surplus water to make its escape without subjecting the plunger to any additional strain. Vesper. Leeds, July 1, 1843. GRESHAM COLLEGE. ( With an Engraving, Plate XI.) The widened line of communication from the Post Office to Loth- bury and the Bank is an improvement that was greatly needed, for it used before to be not only most inconveniently but dangerously narrow in many parts, and those where there was the greatest traffic of all. Nor has the improvement which has taken place in that respect been unattended with considerable improvement in regard to architectural appearance, both as regards the elevations of the houses generally, and one or two designs in particular. Of these last, the chief is " Gresham College," which stands at the comer of Cateaton and Ba- singhall streets, and which, if we are rightly informed, is now to give its own name to the first of them, it being intended to be called Gres- ham Street. This building was erected from the design of Mr. George Smith, architect to the Mercers' Company, at whose expense the building is erected. The elevation, represented in our engraving, is that of the entrance front towards Basinghall Street, and is a more than ordinarily dignified composition, and of marked monumental character. Besides that the order itself is upon an ample scale, (the height of the columns being rather more than 35 feet,) it displays itself to very great advantage, owing to there being no windows, nor any other aperture than the entrance door; consequently there is great repose and breadth of surface, besides a decidedly peculiar character, of which we have so very few instances even among our public buildings—which do not always show with the happiest effect the orders applied to them—that it amounts almost to a novelty. It is here too, a greater merit than it ought to be, that the order is treated consistently—that, instead of being at all neglected, the en- tablature is well finished up with carved mouldings to its architrave, and the cornice itself made unusually bold and rich, so as to be a striking feature in the whole composition, and give decided expres- sion to that important part of an elevation : and if it may seem ex- aggerated in its proportions and enrichments, to those who are ac- customed to the meagre and shelf-like things usually put as the finish- ing of an Ionic or Corinthian eDtablature, even excess in this respect is far less reprehensible than the opposite fault of deficiency. We do not say, that as the columns are unfluted, too much embellishment is put into the cornices, because a cornice equally rich might be ap- plied where there are no columns at all; still we are of opinion, that had, in this instance, the three-quarter columns been fluted, tbey would have been better relieved against the plain wall, and there would also have been a pleasing degree of variety arising from the contrast between them and the angle pilasters. Such further degree of decoration was all the more desirable, be- cause owing to the aspect of this front—which is that facing the east, the effect of boldly defined light and shade, which it would else have, is nearly lost. Much, therefore, is it to be regretted that this eleva- tion could not be adopted for the south one, in which case it would have had the further advantage of being towards the wider of the two streets—and it evidently shows itself to be properly the front and not the side of the edifice. At present the side which is now made the front, looks too secondary in importance to the other, and as seen at the same time with it in an angular view of the building, not sufficiently of the same character, for while the east elevation is nearly solid, the south one is—we were going to(say—full of windows; and so, indeed, it is in one sense, because, though there are only six windows in all, viz., three on a line on each floor, they fill up the design too much, the extent of frontage being only 37 feet, which was not sufficient to allow of such breadth for the piers as would have produced a character of solidity, in keeping with that of the entrance front. It could further be wished that the windows themselves were more alike as to style, for the three lower ones, which are arched segmen- tally, and have " kneed" architraves, do not very well accord in cha- racter either with those above them, or with the rest of the design. The upper windows have slightly projecting stone balconies before them, and full entablature dressings, which do not leave sufficient space between them and the general entablature of the order; and unless these windows could have been kept from rising higher than the lower line of the pilaster capitals, that iuconvenience might hare been in some degree obviated, by giving the pilasters themselves only shallow ants-caps. The interior is devoted to the purpose of lecturing; the upper story contains a well arranged but small theatre, and the ground-floor contains private rooms for the professors, entrance ball, and a noble staircase. The Greenwich Pier.— The lawsuit between the stone pier company and Messrs. Grissell and Peto, the contractors, has been stayed by proceed- ings in Chancery. Messrs. Grissell and Co. have obtained an injunction; the caTSe has been referred to eminent counsel, and an amicable arrangement entered into for both parties to bear an equal proportion of the expense to be incurred in putting the permanent pier into really substantial condition. It is stated that to do so at least 17,000/. must be expended. The pier company are driving a number of piles close to and alongside the watermen's floating pier, and are determined to drive them away from their position.— 1 "net

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