The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-25 00:00:00

ONE PEN.

THE NEW SMITHFIELD-3LLEKET.

The style of architecture adopted in the new
market buildings, which were opened yester-
day, may be included in the guseral term
Italian, but we .are by no moans inclined to
dispute the authoritative declaration that It is of
" a type more nearly allied to the Renaissaneetweisi-
tecture of France than the more severe tailludian
school." In point of fact it is an enormous aquae%
surrounded by walls about 30 feet high,' of nel
brick, relieved by pilasters of Portland stone, and
divided into'four separate quarters by means of a
public hut covered roadway, which runs north andsouth, ancitthe cestral avenue which interact/1 it
at right angles. The prevailing feature of the
exterior is a series of &nada recast* between
Delia pilasters fluted on the upper two-
thirds; and elevated on pedestals; and
the general Bahasa of the design is re.
by four towers at the angles of
the buildings, a ooaple of ornamental 'wades at
the two extremities of the road aleqisdy referred too
and an equal number of pedimented gateways des
the east and westfrouts. The towers. wilich ap-
poach; • KWe too nearly to the " pepper -box "
form to be altogether satisfactory, are cohattructed
entirely of done; the bulk of the building being
of red brick. At the base they are equare; then
mines an .octagonal story, carrying a dame.
pierced by four dormer windows, and aboveall there
is a lantern surrounded by an ornamental iron
rallies.' These towers can hardly be regarded as
especially beautiful in themselves, but they
the merit of breaking the almost necessary,
of a building devoted to the purposes of • market.
This monotony is further broken so far at least as
the north and south fronts are Concerned, by the
covered roadway which divides the market into
two sections, and which runs from the' end of fit.
John-street to a point nearly opposite Bt. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital. This roadway, which it
must be understood is as much a public 'highway
aa:the ;old road which used to traverse Smith-
field in the seine direction, is fifty feet wide ;
its aides are shut off from the market by an elabo-
rate screen of ironwork 14 feet high. and at its
intersection with the central avenue there!are two
hairs of handsome iron gates. This roao enters
and leaves the building between double
_piers.
which carry a richly-moulded elliptical aren and
pediment of cast-iron. Over each doable pier
there is an emblematical figure in Portland atone.
representing ono of the four principal cities of the
United Kingdom. The two which adorn the
south front represent London and Edin-
burgh. The sculptured images of Dublin
and Liverpool look towards the north. The
principal entrances are at the east and west male
of the market. The openings arc 27 feet high by
19 wide' and they are closed by iron gain which
ale said to be unequalled in Great Britain, ii not
in the world, for their elaborate and nets design,
as will as for their size. Though made Off light en
is consistent with the necessary strength, each
pair weighs 16 tons. In-dealing with the interior
of the market the architect has paid more "regard
to utility than to effect; but although he has had
to cover the ground with a aeries of stalls divided
y the various avenues into blocks, and
garnished with the ugliest and most spiteful-
looking books that the most vicious-minded
butcher's boy could have invented, ho bas- not
allowed hie attention to be entirely :theorised by
these vulgar but necessary aocesnories ; anti the
effect of the central avenue, with its ornamental
edlumne, elliptical arches nisi spandrels, sure
mouuted by the curved prineneds of the roof, is
as light and agreeable as ant thing with which we
are acquainted in, the way of market architecture.
A most important point, iu reference to •
building of this description was to secure
light without 'sunshine, and free !ventila-
tion without exposure to rain or snow. This
has bet n accomplished by the adoption of
the nutosard form of roof. The lower part is tilled
in with broad glass louvres. which admit air, while
The overlapping of the plate glass shad out the
eireet rays of the sun. The effect of this arrange-
mint was tested during the exceserive beat of last
emumer, and the thermometer showed that the
temperature within the building was seldom lea
than tea degrees below that in the shade
entside. The stalls—or shops, as they may more
properly be called, since each one ~includes
a eet of offices or temporary dwelling-roouse--
are arranged on blocks, which are formed by the
inttra ction of six passages. each IS feet wide,
with the central avenue, which has a width of 27
feet. Thum shops are formed of a cast-iron
framework, composed of iron tealumns and lattice
gitelers. and to these are attached the brackets
and rails for currying the vicious-looking meat
hooks which attracted so ninth attention while
we were waiting the arrival of th civic
dignitaries yesterday. Theta are in the
market 162 shops, each including a taunt-
ing-home, private room, &e. At the eastern
ILO one bay will be reserved fee dealers in
poultry and game; but no fish or vegetables is ill be
sold in this market ; nor is any space appropriated
to the accommodation of the poodles sad Skye
terriers, whose presence gives. or used to give, so
much interest to - old Leaden/tall." The pave-
ment generally is of wood. but the wide margins
round the shops, immediately beneath what are
called the butcher's "heeginge," are formed of
the " Pyrimont Sessel'Aspinfttin end it is sit least
doubtful whether it Veinal.: not fig* been
wise to • adopt this or mu* similar com-
pound throughout the building. So upieh for
the market-building, the entire cost of whieh will,
it is said, be somewhat within the architect's esti-
mate of 21:10,000/. . We Must, not, 'however.
forget to mention that the whole 61 this
structure rests upon iron girders and brick
arches ; and that the space below is,
as it were, an enormous cellar excavated
at the expense of various railway companies, and
intended to be used as a ea, t depot for goods, and
especially for meat. hither will ha broaght, by
means of the different lilies wht h are wchked in
combination with the Metropolitan Reulway, tliat
is to say by almost all, if nut all, the linter which
run into London, the carcases of boasts anti
sheep, pigs and alves from all parts of Eng-
land, and hence they will be transferrel by moans
of hydraulic lifts, one of whieh is to IN• eon_
rtructed in each quarter of the niariset to the
steam above. The excavatcou of this imsteuso
cellar, and the formation of the artiticiel flooring
of the market, Wllll of itself a work of no lutanist-
c!crabie magnitude. No less than 3.300,000 cubits
fret of earth had to be nnuoved. and 21 Main
girders were carried across the entire width -240
feeterson wrought-nun stanchioue. tin thrice were
laid erg/371 girders, between whick brick anises were
turned, and the whole was covered with oirktrote,
ready to receive the wood and asphalte pas. slant
of the market.

•__ . .
itithin the last few days, several of the, grand
mart& tableau:, eleeuted in inlay work by Baton Tri-
plett, and intended for the decoration of tie Albert
Memorial Chapel, have arrived at Woodaer Caw* Two
of theta beautiful works of art have Welt elefod their
proper po,itione ova the earth welter the interior of the
Tice tint to be wonted allied orebibutelt by her
!loyal ITiflibeas rrineites LouW .4 Hoot, (Printlice of
Great sutil Itelard). 'negihime 11. "Thant 41 CM-
Mink J wept heavy. of klxvpt.- Tbe, watt upon
the tralh well, ie Tie tittering of tho tiort,br of do
Qwita sod the Isle Prinett Cele.ort." It iv mdecturp
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