Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/78

 ~ 62 THE BUILDING NEWS. Jan. 26, 1872. de Espana,” enshrines the art treasures of Spain. Much of itis occupied by Moorish architecture, and some by that singular and interesting mixed style which, in Toledo and elsewhere, sprung from the inter-action of this and the Western ones; but, whatever the subject, the plates are always worth looking at as splendid examples of drawing. Accurate they evidently are, clearer in every detail they can scarcely be; but the shading and finishing them has been a labour of love, and almost every sketch deserves the name of a picture. There are some de- tails of Spanish domestic work, especially of the characteristic wooden ceilings, with their star-shaped panels, in vols. 8 and 9 of Calliat’s Encyclopedia, 6. Sundries—There are, of course, a large number of interesting works which do not come under any of the headings which we haye adopted. Whether the few we may yet mention will be of service to our readers will depend of course on the special direction of their studies. The student who gives his whole attention to detail will probably care for little besides Gothic of the purest type. But detail, though it is much, is not every- thing, and the time comes, in mostartists’ ex- perience, when they find that detail will do less than they once supposed. They then turn their thoughts to general design, to proportion, to arrangement ; and since sug- gestions for these may be found in every style worth calling such, their researches take a wider range. Itis at this stage, with our own style once clearly fixed on and fairly mastered, that we may look about with profit to other styles, and see what they have to teach us. More especially we may look in other arched styles, and most of all in that other pointed style, which in each of its dif- ferent varieties still retained a striking like- ness to European Gothic. We do not want to transplant it bodily nor to imitate its minor forms; we merely want to search through its examples and see if it has any general ideas worth our borrowing, any seeds worth transplanting, from which new growths may spring. That considerable section of the world who see no use in origi- nality will of course part company with us here ; the important occupation of trying hard to keep things generally at a standstill leaves them little time for adventure. We might ask the rest to glance at Coste’s ‘¢ Modern Persia,” and see how a combination of pointed arch and dome was, and perhaps still is, used for mosque, and palace, and bazaar alike ; how brick building was made beautiful on principles which differ little enough at bottom from those revived in some of our best modern churches; and how some singularly ingenious forms of plan were worked out so as to produce the most admirable architectural effect. We might turn to Ravoisie’s ‘ Algeria,” and see the same things done in a closely-related variety of art, and then to Texier’s “ Asia Minor,” or Texier and Pullan’s ‘‘ Byzantine Archi- tecture,” and examine how they were affected before the pointed arch superseded the round one. For the present, however, we will carry our list no farther, merely hoping that the little we have done in pointing out and classifying valuable books may be of some use to those students who have not been able to read through the twenty or more volumes of the South Kensington Art Library Catalogue. tet Sige et THE SURVIVAL OF GOTHIC. N R. HASTLAKE might have added an interesting chapter to his work which we reviewed the other day, by showing how in certain districts Medizeval traditions have lingered on even down to the present time. People who live in towns, and who are accus- tomed to see each new fashion, in architecture as in other things, sweeping all previous ones away before it, have little idea of the per- manence of old customs in out-of-the-way localities. The benighted population in these less fayoured regions have been known to keep up local types of building for hundreds of years together, apparently without any reason, except that they suited their materials and were found economical and convenient. With the advance of civilisation these natur- ally disappear. The rustic mind comes to despise so common-place a material as free- stone when it has once heard of the virtues of Portland cement, and, instructed by the achievements of the speculating builder, sees its way to a great advance on the antiquated structures it once delighted in. The pros- perous village tradesman and the modern farmer want a little taste in their houses; they want a portico, and a blue slate roof, and some real terra-cotta chimney-pots. So adorned, and fenced in with a neat iron rail- ing, painted verdigris-green, they become the wonder and admiration of their neighbours, and are as justly proud of their fashionable appearance as an African chief attired in a barrister’s wig and a pair of top boots, Arrived at this pitch of refinement, it is only natural that they should leave old-fashioned customs to their inferiors. The local style of building may do for cottagers, and it is in cottage building that we may now oftenest find it. We met with an instance in Glouces- tershire not many months ago. A well-to-do farmer had just built a house for himself, and a cottage for his shepherd. Both were erected by the village mason, the first with much effort to copy the correct villa style, as shown by the best examples; the second in the cheapest way in which he could manage to get the required accomodation. The farm- house was a box with holes in it; it had a plastered front, a hideous green verandah, and aroof hipped four ways to a point. The cottage was of rubble, with stone mullions to the windows, copings to the gables, and quaint weatherings to the projecting chimney—as ! picturesque, in fact, as we have ever seen a building of the class. The inside we did not examine, but when once the exterior gets a little weather-stained it will need more thana cursory inspection to tell whether it belongs to the age of Queen Victoria or of Queen Elizabeth. It is certainly in the cheapest style for the Cotswold district; its planning was dictated by nothing but convenience, and yet the artistic effect was all that could be wished. These are three considerable merits, and this specimen of traditional work is not at all singular in combining them. We would not, of course, encourage any one else in try- ing to combine them on similar principles, because those principles were found out in the Middle ages, and everything is different now from what it was then. The nature of stone is altogether different; the English climate is changed, even the law of gravitation pro- bably acts in the opposite way, and used in the thirteenth century to repel bodies from the earth instead of attracting them. We cannot, indeed, prove these statements, but our readers may be assured that they are true: Mr. Fergusson would know better than to demand a totally new style, if all these things remained the same as they used to be. ee HOW TO BUILD SCIENTIFICALLY WITH THE AID OF MODERN IN- VENTIONS. OW do modern inventions and appliances enable us to build the houses of the present day with cheaper or better materials and conveniences than formerly? I have, since I commenced this series, been told by those whose opinions I value most highly that inventions generally are not applied be- cause they are xot worth applying; and further, that I ought to know that 98 or 99 out of every 100 inventions are useless. Well, while not going so far in condemnation of the inventive genius of the day, I am afraid I must go thus far: that very many are really useless, and perhaps an explanation may aid ( in preventing similar disappointments in the future. I believe it is to be accounted for thus: The mind is directed to one fault which exists in the article it is desired to improve, and in trying to obtain the remedy the mind becomes so absorbed in the one difficulty that it perchance conquers that, but is so forgetful of all else that it creates fresh objections. Let me illustrate this by something which is at- tracting more attention at the present time than any other subject—I mean the invention of the water-closet. No doubt this invention did away with the nuisance of the cesspool ; but what a legacy it has left of apparently never-ending trouble! The Times devoted a leading article on the 15th instant to this sub ject, and ended by simply admitting that no perfect remedy has yet been discovered. Whatever may be the reason, however, it does certainly require most careful considera- tion and extended trial before arriving at a decision. Butsupposing those were correct who say thereissosmalla proportion of good or use- ful inventions, I contend it would still be the bounden duty of architects to keep investi- gating all they possibly can, and test them sometimes in their own residences (until some authority is entrusted with this duty) ; in this way only can they give their clients the infor- mation and adyice they require. That ESTHETICS alone will not be sufficient in the present day for the architect, I would quote from Mr. G. E. Street’s vindication of himself and his designs for the Law Courts. He says: ‘*And inno part have I ignored any modern appliances or uses which present any real advantages.” I have indicated that com- paratively little has been done towards giving the architect improved appliances for his buildings ; but great, indeed, and successful, have been the efforts of the inventive genius of the day in aiding the cheaper production and transport of materials. I proceed first to treat of WALLS. The materials at our command are granite, marble, stone, brick, artificial stone, and con- crete. I shall first treat of each material and showits advantagesor peculiarities, and when Ihave accomplished this I purpose making comparisons. Granite.—Unquestionably now much used in London; a writer has said he believes the day is not far distant when it will be as plenti- fully used as Bath stone, and founds his belief on the aid derived from machinery. Advantages.—Beautiful in colour and tex- ture. It is found in great abundance in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the Channel Islands, France, and Sweden. Is not so liable to be injured, therefore com- mends itself for plinths and those parts of the building which can be reached by men (and boys). Its great value, perhaps, is most plainly admitted in docks and bridges and such works as the Thames Embankment. For Building Wails.—The granites which are best for this purpose are the Cornish. The English granites that are in the market ang are recommended by the trade are Dartmoor, Penryn, Haytor, and De Lank. For Decorative Works, I would almostaccord the preference to the Scottish, though Corn- wall supplies a red granite that some consider equal to the celebrated quarries north of the ‘Tweed. Some of the quarries in use are Peterhead, Ross of Mull, Aberdeen, Cairn- gall, Dalbeattie. The Irish are Newry, Castle Whelan, Dalkeith, and the Fermoy 3assett. The beauty and durability of the latter granites are considered by some equal to the Scotch. The Swedish are from the Malmén quarries. The advantage of the foreign (it is a gray granite) over the native does not seem very great ; it can be delivered dressed, it is stated, at the price of rough native stone, but then it has not the hardness of the Aberdeen or the Guernsey granites. ‘The sizes imported are for stretchers from 5ft. Gin. to S5ft. by 2ft. din. by 2ft. Sin. and for for headers 5ft. Gin. by 2ft. Sin