The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-30 00:00:00

THE NEW COAL EXCHANGE.

To those who may have been familiar with the
mysteries of the Old Coal Mart (filen in St. Botolph's—their
depths and their 'looms, finely illustrative of dant:nu vi-
alak—amosest whit* the congregated ustfactore moved
about, under, it Rut be supp,sed, the guidance of •
mead instinct, the new erection, to which her Majesty
;anuses the honour of a visit on Tuesday next, most appear
equally wondrous in aspect and accommodation. The eon.
treat between the old and the new may be fairly and fitly
illustrated by that between the black diamond and the brff-
liant—a fragment of Well's Bad nand " The Mountain of
Light." Nolan/9 the leenfity of the mart in the heart of
Teases street, sat cheek by jowl with Billingsgate, nor he
special associations, can be taken to hays Vent parties-
lwly happy sources of architectural inspiration.
Uufafia-
steed by either, Mr Bunting's design is creditable
external features, while his internal arrangements alma be
stmolimented tones of much stronger import.
With regard to the former, the two lagtetee of the build-
ing, the one in Thassesstreet, the other in Fit. Mary's-kilt,
accommodating themselves to the necessitate of their rem
striated pose, are quite plain, 'awing a bald cornice, sad,
we may add, the intense' (Ass I) of their Portland stow.
They wholly avoid, with the above exception, ornamental
projections of any kind. At the corner, hawever, where
the entrance is most conveniently placed, • tower is intro-
diced with columns of Roman done at its bale, ionic above,
and the whole surmounted by a graceful campanile, de-
rotated with panelled pilasters, and terminated with a finial.
Upon entering, through a vestibule of considerable ele-
gance, the great rotunda hall of the building, wherein Its
merchants moat will congregate, and circle upon its admir-
able detsicated timber flooring, the airiness of the whoa
structure, lit up, as it is, by an ample glued dome, by which
the full circumference is copped, at once Burpriees and grati-
fies the eye. A closer inspection confirms the first impres-
sion, by presenting an ingenious arrangement of three tiers
of galleries, formed of light iron-work, which etimenand the
area of the hall, a d, at the semi time, are connected with a
series of chambers in the rear. The whole is painted a bright
creamy et lour, with the exception of the piers, on which
ornamental abject', all illustrative of scenes connected
with coal mining, have bun executed in encaustic by
Mr. Sang. Hew long the gnomes, what* duty it is to shield
the creations of art from untoward visitations of wind and
weather, will be ab • to preserve these fresh and brilliant tints
from the ambient influences of Thanintetreet atmosphere,
may be, without difficulty, imagined. Whether they flou-
rish or fade, however, the substantial convenitocm of the
place will remain unvaried; and throughout the whole hive,
in 'change time, the busy ham of brokers and factors, most
comfortably accommodated, will do k or swell, indifferent to
such mutations in the transcendental. The fund, which has

supplied the espouse of erecting this building was, for the
most part, raised under the provisions of an act having
reference to the corporation coal duties, which devoted
a penny rate to the repairs of the then ezistioe mart.
Upon this, after all due outlay, a considerable surplus mow,
which by accumulation attained sufficient magnitude to jus-
tify the contemplation of a new and thoroughly convenient
maitre. If we are not misinformed, however, this fund
not being quite sufficient fur its purpose, its deficiency was
made up by a liberal advance from other resources of the
corporation. The result is surely such as may afford full
satisfaction to all parties 1110 f• isamedia ely interested In the
transaction—a satisfaction in which the general public may
well find reason to concur.

One of this most remarkable butane of this building,
wills which, however, the public eye cannot be familiar, is •
very extensive structural amassment for the purpose of
securing an effective ventilation.—The Architect and Build.
lag Operative.