The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-28 00:00:00

THE NEW CRY,S2;AL PALACE,

Since our last 'notice of it this remarkable undertaking
has made immense progress. More than half the area over
which the flat ridge and valley roofing extends is not only
glazed, but the painting and decoration of it are completed,
More than two-thirds of the gallery flooring has been laid,
and one-half the ground floor. A considerable portion of
the gallery railings is also put up, and the foundations and
framings of some of the staircases have been commenced.
A few of the circular ribs, forming the arched itef of the
nave and transept, have been raised at the west end, and
this part of the work only awaits the construction of some
small steam-engines for hoisting to so great an elevation in
order to be rapidly carried forward. The western half of,
the building is far advanced towards completion, and will
soon be entirely closed in from the weather. The north
side of the eastern half up to the transept at that end is
also in .a forward state, and a great deal of work has been
done on the south side also, though some rows and tiers
of columns have still to be fixed there. Little show is yet
made at the east end beyond the transept, but, with the
bulk of the labour pushed on so far, this will not remain
much longer in its present backward condition.
The inequalities of the ground, which rendered brick
foundations in some parts, and excavations in others, ne-
eessary—the unfavourable weather, which retarded oper-
ations, besides on one occasion causing extensive damage,
—the permanent character of the works, which necessi-
tates unusual care, in the details of construction, and
the difficulty of finding accommodation for the hands
employed, have all more or less tended to impede
progress ; yet it really is wonderful how much has been
done, and while in rapidity of growth the new build-
ing (all these considerations fairly estimated) hardly
yields to its predecessor, it is pleasing to observe that
the experience acquired in Hyde-park has been in every
practicable way turned to the best account. The first and
most important result thus secured has been a perfectly
watertight roofing. The late rains have tested this point
sufficiently over the large area now covered in. Wooden
girders across the ridge and valley roofing prevent all risk
of accidents from high winds, such as took place in Hyde-
park, make the roof an important element in the strength
of the whole building, and afford glaziers the necessary
facilities for executing repairs formerly attended with the
greatest difficulty and danger. The glass used, except at
the sides, weighs 210 z. instead of 160 z., and affords, there-
fore, an increased protection against the risk of breakage
from hail and other causes. The ribs of the circular roof,
instead of being wooden, are of metal, and are taken up in
pieces. Extraordinary care has been taken with the
foundations, and where the strain will be greatest inter-
. mediate columns and girders of enatmous strength have
been introduced. The gallery, which in the old build-
ing passed round the nave, will not exist in the
new ; so that the effects of the interior will be pre-
served unimpaired, and the eye will range freely across
the whole breadth of the edifice. Another great
change introduced is in the character of the
decorations—the columns being all painted a uniform red,
the capitals also being greatly improved in appearance, and
means being taken-to diminish the preponderance of blue,
which was so manifest in Hyde Park when the calico cover-
ing was removed. A point which strikes one particularly
in the progress of the works is the simultaneous manner in
which every part of them is carried on. In the old building
this was not done to nearly the same extent as in the new,
for no sooner are the columns and girders up than on go
the window-frames of the roof and sides, and the glazing
and painting are finished off without an hour's delay.
It is curious to see roofing completed, and' the sash-
bars painted on the third tier, which is only accessible by
a ladder. Of course, at Sydenham, the dashing headlong
pace required to keep faith with the world is not so
strikingly manifested ; but Mr. Henderson, under whose
immediate direction the, works are conducted, does not go
to sleep over the task which he has undertaken ; and,
while it is quite evident that the company cannot possibly
be ready to open the building by the Ist of May, there
seems no just cause for alleging that the contractors have
been wanting in vigorous exertion. The palace itself,
though the, most important part, is not the whole of
the undertaking in which the company have embarked,
and its progress towards completion is at least equal
to that of the other pktions of the general scheme. A visit
to Sydenham, even ire the present rough and unfinished
state of the works, will convince any one of the superiority
of the new structure over its
.predecessor in Hyde-park.
It promises to be an overwhelming piece of architecture—
grander in its site, nobler in its proportions, and more im-
posing in every way than any structure of modern times.
If people suppose that the novelty of such edifices was
exhausted at the outset in Hyde-park a short ride to the
Annerley station will convince, them how mistaken they are.
They will there see how susceptible of varied combinations
these buildings of glass and iron are, and, looking at the
elegant symmetry of the details, they may revive within
their minds the delightful impressions which the first
Crystal Palace created. Crowning the heights of Syden-
ham—visible far and wide, and commanding an unparalleled
prospect, the imagination of the spectator kindles with the
anticipation of what the vast edifice will be when com-
pleted ; of -its attractiveness there cannot be a question.
The tastes of the nation may be vulgar, and our apprecia-
tion of fine art depraved, but the simplest mind will yield
its tribute of admiration to a structure which dwarfs our
greatest cathedrals—which will be approached by an avenue
and staircase 96 feet broad—which will be entered through
an archway 200 feet high, from the summit of which
London and the Thames will appear only as' portions of a
vast panorama, and beneath the lofty roof of which the
stateliest palms will rear their heads without risk of ob-
struction. The glass towers and wings at either extremity
of the building have not yet been commenced, and, as far
r as we can judge from the progress hitherto made, and the
ecaarnriotenbce.
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Next to the question ,of construction comes the hardly
less important one, how 'so vast a space is to be attractively
furnished; and, when we remember how the contributions
of 16,000 exhibitors were absorbed in Hyde Park, we own
to some anxiety upon this point. It is a most formidable
undertaking to fill an edifice covering some 18 or 20 acres of
ground so that no part 9t it shall look desolate or unpro-
vided ; yet those intrusted with this part of the undertaking
seem confident of success, and there is no fair reason to
doubt that they will achieve it. Some parts of the Great
Exhibition Were overcrowded, while others were rather bare
and empty. The teeming industry of this country tendered
on that occasion almost a plethora of its products for dis-
play, while the American characteristically held more space
than *they could occupy. At Sydenham arrangements
have been adopted which, if they have no other advantage,
at least give the company more control over the contents
of their building than was possessed by the Royal Commis-
sion. Three distinct sources of supply are relied upon,
two to be furnished by the company themselves, and
the other by private enterprise. The company are
taking steps to provide a collection of plants illustrating
the chief wonders and beauties of the vegetable king-
dom, and a collection of objects illustrating the pro-
gressive development of the fine arts from the earliest ages
clown to the present time. Our industrial classes are left
to supply their share of the general display on a business
footing, it being conceived that the advantage of showing
goods in an attractive manner to great masses of people
is one which is worth paying for, and which will secure
their presence. The New Crystal Palace will therefore be
set forth partly as a conservatory, partly as a gallery of
sculpture and architecture, and partly as a bazaar
for the display of different manufactures. Other smaller
features are introduced, such as fountains, aviaries,
and fishponds, departments of natural history, geology,
and ethnology ; but the three first-mentioned are
the main sources whence the supply of objects to
render the interior attractive, is to be drawn, and to them,
for the present at least, attention may be confined. Of the
formation of a grand conservatory along either side of the
nave, in the transepts, and at each end of the New Palace,
hardly a single indication at present exists. The only evi-
dence that we could -discover of what is contemplated was
down among the excavations on the south side, where,
behind the basement-spade set apart for machinery, a tram-
. way and other conveniences are being prepared for the car-
' riage of coal, and the accommodation of the heating appa-
ratus required to grow the plants illustrating the vegetation
of the tropics. Behind -this, again, the soil removed in
clearing away the foundations is accumulated in heaps.
ready to be made -up to the principal floor of the building,
when the proper time arrives for doing so. This is all that
is to-be seen, and yet we are assured that a few months
hence there will be such a gorgeous show of plants under
the shelter of the Crystal Palace as man never witnessed in
one spot before; that the gigantic sweep of the nave will be
clothed with the most variegated foliage ; that the million
may disport itself amid the stately and luxuriant vegetation
of the sunny south, and that column and girder, up even
to the summit of the arched roof, will be covered with
climbers, brought to this country from the most distant re-
gions. The collections are all made, the exact space which
the vegetation of each country will occupy is defined, and
already, by consulting the plans, one knows where he will
find the characteristic products of the East or West Indies,
of Japan, or Australia, or China. Sir Joseph Paxton still
follows theprincipanof geographical arrangement as adopted
in Hyde Park, but the actual distribution of space is diffe-
rent. One-half the building is given to the Old World,
the other to the New, and the tropical plants are neces-
sarily placed at each end, in order to secure for them an
increased temperature by artificial means. Australia has
the largest amount of exhibiting space, and India and China
comes next. It would be premature to enter at present
more minutely into details on this subject ; but in the
meantime the slow-paced agriculturists of this country may
well fix their eyes on what is going on at Sydenham, as
furnishing a remarkable example how far the gardener has
distanced them in the intelligent pursuit of a kindred occu-
pation.
The fine art collection, of the New Palace, and the pre-
parations in progress with regard to it, bring us to a gal-
lery fitted up in the north-east side of the building, where
Owen Jones and Digby Wyatt preside over a band of men,
dressed for the most part in flannel, and working away as-
siduously at casts of Egyptian statues of lions from the
British Museum, of capitals for gigantic columns, and other
objects. Here you see the familiar forms of some Rha-
meses or Sesostris, with its defective parts restored under
the skilful hands of Bonomi. Huge packages, marked
"fragile," conceal within them the portions of the collec-
tions which have hitherto arrived from abroad, and there
are specimens of the workmanship which is to be intro-
duced into the Alhambra Court, and views of what it will
be like, with its central fountain of lions. How it is pro-
posed to illustrate Egyptian and Greek architecture is also
roughly indicated, not only by sketches and drawings, but
even by many of the materials to be used. If the designs
which we have seen are to be trusted, some very grand re-
sults will come out of these preparations. What will be
said to a reproduction of one of the four statues which
form the entrance to the Temple of Abou Simbel placed at
one end of the nave, and rising to an elevation of 70 feet ?
hGer Greek
placed, Court
which a
is
large
eTehleisurigiegg, an
atincd rtehpe inroduucsttiraontiwenilili b
ef e
Ecgyompptilaeten
aervehenitetoetturehe
eaelsleouarreedtomepdoeslseesfs
theth this
i
being prepared under the superintendence of Mr. Penrose.
It is .proposed to place the Toro Farn.ese from Naples
Parthenonure. I nis thtoe
same city on either side of the chief entrance. We
in the centre, and the Flora and Hercules from the
do with the Roman, the Byza.ntint, Italian, and other'
might- give many details of what it is in contemplation to
courts. It will be moreccohvenient, how ever, to wait, be-
fore doing so, a more advanced stage of 'the preparations.
In the meantime some comfort may be drawn from the
thought '
will be made of• the facilities
whieh ni e thatder en nn
plrgeasrehite
tse will
repro
duelng in cheap
en-
abled to trace with his eye, and treasure
characteristics of architecture and sculpts irefrom the most
its greatest triumphs—that the humblest: man be forMs
u p in his mind, the
remote ages up to the present time—that from the entrance
of the Egyptian Court, guarded by lions, he re. pass in the
order of historical succession illustrations of . the elegant
Greek, the severe Roman, the ornate Byzantine, the rich,e
to tie e study of the
temple of Abou Simbel he may turn
tb h the arch-
waysElgin Marbles restored, he may gaze inxoug
even f ,han the old, and
yet chaste magnificence of the Moorish schoo From
of a new Alhambra brighter
ed in
Ab-
bati, painter to the Bing of Naples, who, has just arrived
similes traced
this country with an immense collections of enter the Pompeian Court,
decorated by the hand oi f
to illustrate 'the Byzalithist style jtaliall ionyti.uis and
upon the walls of Pompeii. ArrangeY4ents have been made