The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-08 00:00:00

METROPOLIS IMPROYEIIIENT.

We have been favoured with au inspection of
Mr. Horace Jones's plans for an edifice to be appro-
priated to purposes of trade, which he suggests as
a substitute for the rubbish hole which at present
occupies the area of ground at the intersection of
New Cannon-street and St. Paul's-churchyard.
It may be remembered that the Institute of British
Architects, by the most influential of their body,
did some time back propose that the fine view of
Wren's ma.sterwoik, obtainable from the vicinity of
the point of intersection, should be preserved to
the public, by the permanent enclosure of this plot
of land, and the prevention of all buildings thereon.
But as the Institute were not prepared with
the funds to purchase this boon from the Corpora-
tion, who very naturally winced at the proposal to
sacrifice some 13,0001.—the estimated value of the
ground—nothing seems to have been done. At all
events, there the enclosure is, and a skeleton rail
appears within it, indicating, we believe, what
portion of the site the City are prepared to devote
to public convenience, and what they reserve for
building purposes.
Mr. Jones proposes, in the first place, to stop
up or perhaps cover with an arcade that fraction
of the street named Old Change which lies between
Watling-street and New Cannon-street. This
would be attended with no public inconvenience,
and has, we believe, the sanction of those imme-
diately on the spot.
The ground thus gained, with a small portion in
the rear now occupied by the warehouses of
Messrs. Phillips and others, and so much of the
now unoccupied land as the City reserve for build-
ing purposes, he proposes to cover with a handsome
pile of warehouses, to the plan, &c., of which our
attention was invited. The style may be denomi-
nated the Anglo-Italian, as practised in the age of
William and Mary and Anne, examples of which
are found in the works of Sir Christopher Wren at
Hampton Court and elsewhere, and in many
buildings erected. under his contemporaries and
pupils. The materials are red brick and stone.
The lower or ground storey is a Doric composition,
carrying an lonic order, and the whole crowned by
a light imposing attic, the windows being treated
with considerable breadth. The architectural
features form the skeleton of the building, aiding
its general appearance, and indicating their own
utility. The general lines and character of the
design are somewhat in harmony with Sir Chris-
topher Wren's great work—as much so, at least, as
an edifice devoted to commercial purposes can well
be with a metropolitan cathedral.
Vaults roofed with glass might be carried under
so much of the triangular area as the Corporation
should elect to keep open, the enclosure being main-
tained by a suitable balustrade or railing. Thus
the area might at all events be partially productive
of revenue ; or, if it seemed good to the civic autho-
rities, it would afford an unexampled site for a
statue, securing in either case to the public as ex-
tensive a view of the cathedral as we can be war-
ranted in expecting the municipality to provide,
when there are so many demands of tenfold
urgency and importance to the community upon
the funds of which they are stewards.
The building proposed is of an exceedingly light
and ornamental character—adapted, of course, to
the special requirements of those trades which are
principally carried on in the vicinity of Wood-
stmt.

What the intentions of the corporation are as to
this present disfigurement of the City, we are of
course unprepared to say ; but, as wo are given to
understand that they are open to proposals for
leasing the site, we may assume that they have no
positive intention of raising any structure on it on
their own account ; and we may, therefore, safely
aid the general desire to be rid of an eyesore, and
to continue the recent advances in street-architec-
ture, by inviting consideration of the plans we have
loosely described.