The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-14 00:00:00

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION BUILDIR

07 1861

The designs for the Great Exhibition Building
in 1862 are now completed and drawn. The building nIl
cover a little over 26 acres. There will be some 300.0
feet of flooring more in 1862 than in 1&51. The greet
height of the proposed banding will be 260 feet, and
nave will be 1,200 feet long, by 85 wide, and 100 feet high.
The dimensions are to be 1,200 long by 700 broad, exclusive
of the space set apart for the diepbiy of sgricultunl
implements, which is in rough numbers 1,000 feet
long by 220 broad. Messrs. Belk and Lucas cow
tract to furnish the edifice for 200,0001., though
in reality it will cost 300,0001., but the payment of the
extra 100,0001. is conditional on the gross profits exceed*
500,0031., as they did in '5l. The buildings will be erected
at Kensington, in front of the new grounds of the Ho*
cultural Society, which they will enclose. the side of the
edifice abuts upon the Cromwell-road, the main entrance
on the Exhibition-road, and the third side a
Prince Albert-mad; the fourth or rear aide face
immediately upon the grounds of the Horticulturd
Society. Externally the building will be, as wo have said,
1,200 feet by 700, though the grotinchplan shows that in
some parts the width is diminished to liW feet. The are
rage height will be 100 feet, nearly 60 of which will be solid
brickwork. Taking one of the main sides of the WWI.*
on the Exhibition-road, as an example, it will presents
lofty recessed facade, from the cents* of which will rise I
superb dome of glass and iron to the immense height of 2d
feet, with the bill* of the dome of no less than 160 fret
diameter. These, for there are to be two, one at each
end of the building, will be the largest domes eve
built. That of St. Paul's is only 108 feet 4
diameter at the base, and even St. Peter's is aft
139. These domes are to be reared over the intersection d
the nave end transepts at right angles, and, as the flue
beneath both will be elevated above the level of the Home
of the rest of the building, an unequalled view will be gel
from here through almost every part of the vast intern,
One magnificent nave will be continued from this entrant
in the Exhibition-road to the extreme mull of the buildinea
the grounds of the Horticultural Society, and at the tee
urination of this the second dome will rise. The ace
is, therefore, to be 1,200 feet long by 85 wide audio/
high. The transepts, in which it terminates at either est
will be each 700 feet long by $5 broad and 100 high. hi
the roofs will be of wood coated with felt, and meeting ii
the centre at an angle, like the roof of Westminster.LJ
and most of our old cathedrals. The effect, however, fire
the interior will not be that of an angular roof, u tli
girders will be arched and coloured, and on these the en
will naturally rest. The whole design and all the phe
connected with the building are the work of sftpas
Fowke, R.E., and we (Tierra) think the public will pre
nounce that for the purpose for which it is intended, es
more beautiful structure has ever been planned, and or
tainly none could be better adapted for fulfilling all
'Arleta uses. The time fixed for the Exhibition is the um
as that in 1851—viz., from the let of May to 15thd
October. _ _

The guarantee fund now amounts to nearly 305,000/., sal
it is anticipated that it will extend to 11 much larger Rum s
the course of a week or two. One fact sufficiently ilia
trates the progress made by this country since the Ext.
bition of 1851. Its that year the railways to London sr
only equal to bringing and taking away 42.000 perstni
daily ; now 140,000 travellers could be brought to tl!
metropolis by mil, and the same cumber taken Wu
each day.