THE FREETHOUGHT LYCEUM.

Evening Star, Issue 5762, 27 August 1881, Page 2

THE FREETHOUGHT LYCEUM.

The erection of a large and handsome building for the Freethonght Association has just been commenced in Dowling street, on the vacant allotment next to Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen’s warehouse. It will have a frontage of ■l7ft Gin to Dowling street, will bo carried back from the road-line 106 ft Gin, and will be built to d h«ight of 44ft. The entrance hall reading from iiio main doorway to the main hall i* roomy and convenient, and suitably provided with comfortable anlo-rooms on either side of it. Capacious stairs lead from this entrance to the "aUcry, -vnd swinging doors admit to the body of the main Imll. The dimensions of this ball are 55ft long by 45ft broad; in addition to which there is a stage 25ft by 19ft, two anterooms, and a refreshment room 12ft by the breadth of the building. This latter room is oa a level with the stage, of which it be made a portion by taking down the partition. Access is given lo this refreshment room from Iho body of the hull through the stage asterooms, and from the gallery by back stairsThe appearance of the hall a? presented by tbo' plans is somewhat similar to that of tbe Queen Theatre. Its stage is 4ft from the floor of th® main hall, and its proscenium tastefully deagnea and elaborately decorated with moulded and pannelwork, whilst the walls are dado-fined sft high and plastered above. The seating accommodation will be forms at the back and chairs in the front part of the hall, the gallery probably being similar to that of the dress circle in the Queen Theatre. It is intended to provide seating for about 450 persons downstairs and 250 upstairs. There appears to be a considerable amount of tastefully designed and elaborate work in the front part of the gallery and upon the ceiling, which will add greatly to th® general appearance of the hall, and, judging from the plans, we should say that it will be both a comfortable and pretty hall. Its height Is S2ffr from floor to ceiling. Every attention has been given to secure perfect ventilation and good light. Leaving the main hall, however, and proceeding to the basement, we find a number of small rooms suitable for a caretaker, and a large hall 87ft by 44ft by 12ft high. Hie object to which it is intended to appropriate this room has not yet been decided on ; but ifc has been suggested that it should be made a skating rink, and, if not kept exclusively for this purpose, it will no doubt be used for fit at times. The front of the building has a good, rich, substantial appearance, and will fill up very advantageously the empty section upon which it is being placed. It is 47ft Gin broad by 44ft high from the footpath to the roof, and is designed in the Doric style or architecture. It Is divided by massive columns about 3ft each in diameter into three bays, m the centre of each of which there is a heavy and tastefully designed and doorway. The columns are surmounted „by ftn enriched entablature, with a pediment in-the centre, on ; either side of which is a neatly-desigaed figuroTbe building, which will piobably be aSLatUne Lyceum, Will be erected of brick cemented wKD, bluestone foundation; and its cost when com- "" pleted will be about L 2.000. Mr A. Burnside is the architect and Mr Henry Martin the contractor. ______