SESSIONAL PAPERS OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872 Excerpt: ...amount of heating surface in the various coils is represented by about 28,000 feet, of 4-inch hot water pipe. The chief difficulty in connection with the management of the warming and ventilation of such a building is the control of the inward draft when the doors are open from the ingress and egress of the audience, but by carefully attending at these times to the closing of the louvres of the upcast shaft through the centre ring of the roof, this draft can be controlled. The conditions prescribed for the exterior were, as I have said, that the facade should consist of red brick with terra-cotta dressings. The subject of terra-cotta as a decorative building material has been so fully treated of by Mr. C. Barry that it is unnecessary for me to do more in relation to its use in the Albert Hall, than refer briefly to the principles which guided us in its application and treatment The terra-cotta material was considered simply as a superior description of brick, to be used in conjunction with plane surfaces of a somewhat similar material, but of another colour. It was though therefore unnecessary that the lines and edges should have the precision of stone-work given them, or that the blocks should be of large size. It was further judged that delicate modelling would be out of character with a building which must be of very massive appearance, and which should depend more for its effect on the sweep of its lines than on exquisite finish. These opinions were held strongly by Mr. Townroe, to whom the Hall is indebted for the actual modelling or immediate superintendence of the whole of the modelling work, and I judged them to be correct. Many, undoubtedly, think that the modelling is too coarse, but I have been gratified to observe that the eye of the painter is ...