CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING.

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in Spain, and in other countries of Europe , had qualified him for the task, wasenabled at an early stage in the progress of the building to foresee the effect ofthe combination in perspective of its various lines. Serious apprehensions were atfirst entertained, as to the propriety of the application of colour usually devotedto the decoration of extended surfaces to what were asserted to be lines only.

Mr. Jones was, however, enabled to estimate how far the merging in distance ofthose lines would give them the appearance of surfaces, and the three tints ofblue, red, and yellow have been distributed by him over the columns and girders,so that as the surfaces blended in perspective, each column has allied itself incolour with its fellow column, each vertical face of girder with the vertical facesof its fellow girders, and each soflite, or underside, with its fellow soffites.

Breadth and distinctness were given to the enunciation of each colour. Thelight of the sky appearing through the interstices of the roof, the principalportions of which have been tinted of a delicate blue, unites with the colour,giving it at once air and brilliancy. The effect of this mode of treatment hasbeen to add considerably to the apparent elevation of the building. By varyingthe colours of the vertical and of the horizontal lines, and retaining each uni-formly, the eye is enabled to detect, at even the greatest distance, the directionand position of every part of the construction, and thus the otherwise endlessconfusion of the complexity of lines is reduced to order and simplicity.

Although a provision for the gratification of the intellectual tastes of the ™” ef jj^ limcntvisitor has been the main object in the formation of the Exhibition Building,ministering to his more ordinary appetites has not been lost sight of. Commo-dious refreshment rooms, with the accompaniments usually connected with themat large railway stations, have been provided around the trees at the northernextremity of the transept, and adjoining open courts towards the eastern andwestern extremities of the buildings, where the presence of the trees dictatedtheir location.

The official business connected with the conduct of the Exhibition rendered The offices,necessary the employment of a large staff of clerks, &c., for whom, and for thejuries, &c., a considerable extent of accommodation has been provided in officesplaced on each side of the southern entrance.

We have supposed our visitor to enter on the south side; admittance may, The entranceshowever, be also gained at the eastern and western ends, where similar vestibules,

72 feet by 48 feet, afford accommodation for turnstiles, check-takers, &c. Dis-posed at nearly equal distances from one another, on the four sides of thestructure are 15 exits, by passing through either of which the building may bequitted.

In issuing from its precincts the visitor will pass through the gates of an iron The exterior ofrailing designed by Mr. OWEN Jones. Betreating to some distance, he will be the bu,ldl,1!! 'enabled to take in a general impression of the whole building, as shown in fig. 16.

Fiom the north-west angle the most picturesque view is to be obtained, and fromthat position may be best appreciated the grand effect produced by Mr. Paxton’shappy idea of raising the semi-cylindrical vault of the transept roof, above thetiers of terraces which extend on either side of it. For much of the grace ofproportion and beauty of form, which from this point of view the visitor cannotfail to notice, the building is indebted to Mr. Barry. Upon the form and distri-bution of the arches and lilling-in frames, as well as of the columns, the sug-gestions of that gentleman exercised a happy influence.