THE PROPOSED EXHIBITION IN MELBOURNE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5360, 1 June 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE PROPOSED EXHIBITION IN MELBOURNE.

(From the Argus, 14th instant.)

' 'The description furnished of. the approved design for the proposed Exhibition buildings by the authors, Messrs. Reed and Barnes, enables us to: give, some particulars of the plans. They have been prepared in . anticipation that Garlton-gardens will bo obtained as-the site. The architects state that the object they ' aimed at was to obtain a fine architectural appearance, combined with convenience and economy. For an outlay of £00,975 —the amount was incorrectly printed yesterday—they propose to erect the main edifice and the machiney annexe. The former is meant to:have a frontage to Victoriastreet of 520 ft., and :to Nicholson-street of 280 ft.. The length of the nave will be 480 ft,, and the width 60ft., The iprincipal feature will be the dome, which is to have a diameter, of 100 ft., and a height of 140 ft.: For the annexe a frontage of 460 ft. will be provided, and : it will have two return wings, each 140 ft. long. The nave will be 40ft. wide,, and in the centre there will be a lantern dome 80ft. in diameter. It is proposed that the whole of the required area l shall be , enclosed, by a brick cemented wall, 5 treated architecturally with piers, arches, porticoes, :&o. . . The description of the plans then proceeds as follows : The space is arranged into a main nave and transept surrounded by courts.. With the exception of the nave and transept, and the lantern well; holes in the northern court (where, the ground .floor is open from floor to ceiling), the whole of the building has a ground and a first or gallery'floor, thus giving a large .floor area at the least possible expense.. The total area of the ground floor and the first floor of the. Exhibition i buildings is 208,000 square feet.. The principal, entrance faces Victoria-street. Two other main entrances face Nicholson and ■ Bathdowue streets. There ,is also another main; entrance at the north end of : the transept opening into the machinery court. Eight staircases 10ft. wide, one on each side of the:' four • main entrances, give access to the first or gallery floor. The whole of the building is well lighted from side lights. - the windows; in all cases are above the level of the eye, and are so arranged that .the light can be modified, if required, to suit tho different objects to be exhibited. All the windows can be made to .open,'those under the eaves of. the nave and transept by machinery, so that they could be opened: or closed in a few minutes. There are no skylights. Tho nave and transept would bo available for; •sculpture,,and ;the larger.: and more imposing exhibits, and for promenade ; and might be decorated with plants, and eventually used for promenade -concerts, flower shows, &0.1, The: courts and galleries leading, therefrom are well ! adapted- for the proper:,; classification: of the; exhibits of the .different colonies and foreign; countries ; and for convenience■ of, reference, the name of each colony or country may be put over .each court; or gallery., .The refreshment department may ho conveniently arranged on either side of the north entrance., The machinery annexe is well away from the' main building, thus, avoiding any inconvenience from noise or, smell, and risk from fire; : but: it., is .connected .therewith by. two covered arcades, and it - has also a separate entrance on the .north from Caritan-gardens. Tho total area of. the, machinery, annexe is 60,800 square feet. 1 .The dome is made the: central-feature■ of the design, both inside and out.

The materials proposed to -be used for the™ walls are brick and cemeul. The decorative portions it i - proposed to execute in “sgraffito,” or colored plaster, a mode of decoration combining the unusual merits of durability, artistic effect, and’ cheapness. The roofs are intended .to be covered, with gal-.'. ..vanised iron. The dome will be in wood and glazed. Internally the columns, dome, proofs, floors, &c., will be : of wood ; the roof similar in construction to the roof over the large ball at the Melbourne Public Library ; and the decoration of simple design, and executed in distemper color. .4 The cost of the buildings is as follows : Number of feet cube in Exhibition buildings, 6,212,200, at 2d. £51,70S 6 S Number of feet cube in machinery annexe, 1,104,800, at 2d. .. .. 0,206 IS 4 Giving a total of .. ...£60,070 0-0 The Exhibition building in London of 1862 cost at the rate of 2d. per cube foot. It was of a much more expensive character than our own. There is ample space for an aquarium as a distinct building, between the Exhibition buildings and the machinery annexe. The aquarium proved a most successful addition to the last Paris Exhibition, and those at the Crystal Palace and at Brighton, in England, have proved commercial as well as popular successes. ' ■■