Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/458

 456 THE BUILDING NEWS. ~ May 31, 1872. STREET ARCHITECTURE IN GLASGOW. NE of our illustrations this week is of a house in Bath-street, Glasgow, which was built about twelve years ago by the late Mr. John Cairney, glass- stainer, and from designs by Messrs. Alexander & George Thomson, architects in that city. Bath- street is a quiet thoroughfare in the north-west part of Glasgow, having in its east end a few places of business and in its west such mansions as that in which Lord-Provost Lumsden entertained the Prince and Princess of Wales. The building illustrated is in the former, and was planned for (generally) shop and counting-houses, and a workshop and warehouse for the proprietor’s own use. The site being on a ravine (the course of S. Enoch’s Burn) gave an opportunity for two stories below the level of the street, and in the lowest were constructed Mr. Cairney’s kilns and furnaces. The building faces the south ina GOft. wide street, and is supported on the east by the Mechanics’ Institution, a building erected about the same time from competition-designs by Mr. Salmon, and on the west by a business-pur- posed tenement, and also of about the same date, from a design by Mr. Baird. The style is that peculiar variety of Greek which the Messrs. Thom- son may he said to have created, and by which they have achieved a not only high but widely-spread reputation. The building is now the property of Messrs. Rowley & Dick, oil-merchants, by whom it is partly occupied. >. ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. HE last ordinary general meeting but one of this Institute for the present session was held on Monday evening last, Mr. T. H. Wyatt, Presi- dent, in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr. Charles Hadfield, of Sheffield, and Mr. J.S. Phené, Carlton- terrace, Oakley-street, were elected Fellows; and Mr. Horatio K. Bromhead, of Glasgow, and Mr. Capel N. Tripp, of Gloucester, were elected Asso- ciates. The Prestpent stated that in consequence of a representation made by the Committee for the Con- servation of Ancient Monuments, the Turkish Government proposed to take measures for the pre- servation of the ruins at Baalbec. Lord Granville evidently took considerabie interest in the matter, and if an English engineer were appointed to take charge of the ruins the Institute would have done some service in taking up the subject. Several donations to the Library having been an- nounced, The Prestpenr said that n the occasion of the last annual Conference considerable interest was created by the visits paid by country members to works in the metropolis, and he was happy to say that a communication had been received from Mr. Penrose to the effect that he would have much pleasure in showing members over S. Paul’s Cathedral. Sir Digby Wyatt had also intimated that he would be happy to show members over any of the works connected with the India Department. The executive of the Institute had been in commu- nication with some distinguished public characters in reference to the annual banquet, and the day to be fixed for the festival would depend on the reply which was daily expected from Mr. Gladstone. Carratn Seppon, R.E., then read a very elabo- rate paper on “‘Maxwell’s Diagrams of Stress,” which was supplementary to the paper he read on the 22nd ult., ‘On our Present Knowledge of Build- ing Materials, and How to Improve it.” We give part of the latter paper this week, and the re- mainder will follow, together with an abstract of the discussion, which took place on Monday evening last, the speakers being Major-General Scott, R.E., Pro- fessor Kerr, Mr. J. P. Seddon, Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Thomas Morris, Mr. Dynes, Mr. H. Dawson, and Mr. C. Fowler, Mr. David Kirkaldy giving some account of his apparatus for testing the strength of materials. Votes of thanks were accorded to Captain Seddon, Major-General Scott, and Mr. Kirkaldy, and the meeting terminated. The last meeting of the present session will be held on Monday evening, June 10, when a paper will be read by the Presi- dent, Mr. T. H. Wyatt, “On the Works at the New Liverpool Exchange.” This meeting will also serve as the inaugural meeting of the Architectural Conference, which will extend over the three or four following days. NEW DRILL-HALL FOR THE QUEEN'S EDINBURGH RIFLE BRIGADE. HE want of a good and commodions drill-hall, says the Scotsman, has long been experienced by the Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers. There was no building large enough for the drilling of (say) two or three companies, when the weather was unfavourable for out-door exercise, or when the dark evenings of winter rendered field-work in the Queen’s Park im- possible. It is true that the Corn Exchange was available, and it was used by the City Volunteers ; but the double row of pillarsin that building caused sad breaks in the drill, and put the men out. Ac- cordingly, some 18 months ago, a number of gentle- men interested in the volunteer movement formed themselves into a joint-stock company, of which Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonald is chairman, for the purpose of erecting adrill-hall worthy of the Queen’s Edinburgh Brigade and the metropolis of Scotland. A site, central and spacious, wassoon after secured at Forrest-road. The preparation of plans was en- trusted to Captain Menzies, of Messrs. Stewart & Menzies, architects and civil engineers, and from his designs has been erected a drill-hall of noble proportions and elegant appearance. The interior of the hall measures 135ft. by 96ft., and the height from the floor to the highest part of the semicircular roof is 46ft. The walls, which are of varying thick- ness according to the strain they have to bear, rise 13ft. above the floor. The sides are divided into ten bays by means of pilasters, with frieze and cornice above. From the top of the pilasters spring strong, but light and elegant, iron girders, which span the width of the hall. The girders are crossed with wooden purlins 4ft. apart, and the whole covered over with clean sarking. Then there is super- posed a skin of felt, the object of which is, in the the absence of any heating apparatus, to keep the building warm ; and the felt is in turn covered with slates, or, where the slope of the roof is too flat, with zine. The hall is remarkably well lighted by three stretches of glass extending the whole length of the building, and thorough ventilation is secured by means of louvre-boarding on each side of the centre light. The floor is of Val de Travers asphalte, laid down by the Scottish Val de Travers Company— this being the first large building in Scotland where this system of flooring has been employed. It is said to be extremely durable, and to be pleasant to drill upon. At the north end of the building a gallery, capable of accommodating ninety people, projects from the wall; and at night the entire hall will be illuminated by means of two rows of four-centre starlights.« The hall has already been used for drill purposes, although it will not be completely finished for five or six weeks to come. It is the largest room in Edin- burgh, if not in Scotland; and certainly it is the most complete and commodious drill-hall north of the Tweed. Architecturally speaking, its leading and best feature is the very light roof and very large span. At the north end of the drill-hall, and on the ground floor, there is a room 44ft. in length, for company meetings and musketry classes, while adjoining are improved latrines and store-rooms. On the first floor of this projection there is an armoury capable of storing 2,500 stands of arms. Access to the armoury is had by a central staircase, which also leads to the gallery projecting into the hall. At the north-east end of the hall, on the ground floor, there is a reading-room 28ft by 16ft., with a hall-keeper’s house, having a private staircase from the outside, immediately above. This house is to be occupied by one of the staff-sergeants of the Queen’s Edinburgh Brigade. To the drill-hall there will be two entrances —the main one being at the south end, terminating in a splayed angle, and communicating with Forrest- road by a passage 10ft. wide leading right through the corner block of front buildings. The other access is from the lane recently formed near the north end of Forrest-road. Below the armoury pro- vision is made for coal stores, and for putting in boilers in the event of its being found necessary to heat the hall at any future time. In connection with the hall there will be offices for the use of the brigade. These are placed in the large block of buildings at the south or main entrance, from which a private stair leads to the first flat, where an orderly-room, staff-sergeants’ rooms, &e., are pro- vided. The whole buildings and accessories are most complete, and reflect credit on the architect and promoters of the undertaking. ———.»——_ yan Chapel has been opened at in the Gothie style, built from the designs of Messrs. Jackson & Longley, architects, Bradford. The cost of the structure, which measures externally 77{t. by 42ft., affording accom- modation for 440 persons, is £2,600. A new Wesle Frizinghall. It HOUSE PLANNING COMPETITION. ee design for villa illustrated in our last week’s issue was submitted in this competition, and placed by the referees second in order of merit. The materials supposed to be used in its construction were, for the exterior, pitch-faced wall stones, with ashlar dressings, green Westmoreland slates for the roof, and red ridge tiling. Internally, the finishings to be of pitch pine, picked out inebony, and polished. The glazing for the upper portion of the windows to be leaded, and for the lower British plate. The author of this design is Mr. James Ledingham, 29, Hanover-square, Bradford. —————o———— THE PROVINCIAL SCHOOL BOARDS. Drirrietp.—At the meeting of the School Board on Thursday week, the members proceeded to examine and consider the school plans as further altered and modified by Mr. Paul, the architect, to meet the views of the Board. In the letter accompanying the plans, sections, and perspective, Mr. Paul stated that the arrangements were now simple and good, and, as the Board required a plain type of building, he hoped the plans would now be approved of. It was ar- ranged to have a meeting with Mr. Paul before sending the plans to the Education Department for approval. Heckmonpwike.—At an extraordinary meeting on Monday, Messrs. Holtom & Connor were ap- pointed architects to the School Board. Ipswicu.—At the penultimate meeting of the School Board, Mr. Butterworth’s plans for new schools in Wherstead-road were provisionally ac- cepted, and a sub-committee was appointed to com- municate, with Mr. Butterworth. After some discussion the clerk was requested to communicate with Mr. Butterworth, informing him that his plans had been approved, provided that the building could be executed in a sound and satisfactory manner for the sum of £2,500, with such alterations as the Board might require, and which would not materially enhance the cost. With reference to the Argyle Estate, the committee decided that the plans of Mr. H. M. Eyton should be selected upon the basis named by him, £1,875. At the meeting on Thurs- day week the chairman said the clerk had received a letter on the subject of the plans. On the 11th of May he wrote, by direction of the Board, to the Education Department for further instructions as to the matter of specilications, first as to the form in which such specifications must be drawn out, and, secondly, what amount of detailas to quantities and prices should be embodied. The reply was to the effect that it was not necessary that the specifications should be accompanied by details of quantities and prices. Before proceeding, however, with the ques- tion of specifications and detailed plans it was desirable that plans of the proposed sites should be sent for their lordships’ approval. The chairman explained that before the Board could construct their buildings, plans, specifications, and estimates must be approved, but the effect of the last letter received was that their lordships wished to see the plans before giving this Board the trouble to get out specifications and estimates. ScarnonouGu.—At an adjourned meeting of this board held on Wednesday week, the designs, with estimates, submitted for the erection of the proposed infants’ school at Falsgrave having been considered, it was resolved that the plans submitted by the following architects be selected :—Messrs, Alley & Wilson, Manchester; Mr. D. Oldfield, London; Messrs. Stewart & Bury, Scarborough; Mr. W. Watson, Waketicld; and that Messrs. Stewart & Bury be requested to show their proposed arrange- ments for a future extension of the school. Ata special meeting on Monday last, the Committee appointed to examine the plans recommended those sent in by Messrs. Stewart & Bury, Scarborough, and Mr. W. Watson, Wakefield, as best adapted ta the purposes of the Board. The Board eventually accepted Mr. Watson’s plan. The clerk was in- structed to advertise for tenders so soon as the details were completed. ——— S. Marx's Cuurcu, LEw1sHamM.—The east window of this church has been filled with stained glass, re- presenting the Crucifixion of our Lord, andthe scenes attending his Passion. A window (proposed to be one of a series) has also been placed in the south aisle, representing the Raising of the Widow's Son, subscribed for by members of the choir incommemo- ration of the Prince of Wales’ restoration to health. ‘he whole has been executed by the firm of Messrs. Lavers, Barraud, & Westlake, with the generalsuper— vision of the architect, Mr. W. C. Banks.