THE NEW ALEXANDRA PALACE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1749, 13 March 1874, Page 4

THE NEW ALEXANDRA PALACE.

(FROM THE DAtLY KEWS, DEC. 26.) ■ Some months ago the fiat went forth that the Alexandra Palace on Muswellhill was to be restored, and the work has been: poing on with hearty vigour and earnestness ever since. It can hardly be doubted that this intelligence will be unaffectedly welcomed throughout the'metropolis, and indeed throughout the country. The feeling of regret was sincere and general when, on the 9th of last June, "The shouts were heard mid fire and smoke, And twice ten thousand voices spoke, The :* Palace' is in flames." The, calamity was; so sudden, so unexpected. , It fell upon people almost like a personal calamity. Only a fortnight before — on that 24th' of May which has become so memorable as the day when M. Thiers was thrown from power — the palace was opened with a festival entertainment, which allured a brilliant throng to the summit of Muswell-hill, and gave promise of many similar gatherings during the oncoming summer. People rejoiced that a work 'which had met with, so much interruption had at length been hapily completed. They were glad that on those northern heights of London, around which so many interesting associations cluster, an edifice had been erected which henceforth would give a new attraction to the district) I and open, out to the dwellers in the metropolis a delightful place of resort like that of which Syc'enham had previously had the monopoly. Alas ! in a few short hours the fire had done its work. The New Palace was a heap of smoking ruins, scorched, blackened, and bare ; a melancholy wreck, at sight of which even the least sentimental might grow sad.

To say that the palace is being rebuilt, is not, however, to say enough. It is being rebuilt according to plans which present many features of novelty, and it seems likely that the new edifice will far surpass the old one in its internal arrangements and the accom modation it will afford to visitors. To begin with, all danger, ' of a fire so destructive in its ravages, and so rapid in its course,' as that which took place six months ago, will be at an. end. The Palace will be, not so much a single building under one roof as a succession of buildings, enclosed within their own solid brick walls, but so arranged as to present externally the appearance of one vast edifice, somewhat resembling that which previously stood on the ground. Indeed, part of the old building will be adopted into the new. The two gables facing north and south were' comparatively little injured, and they accordingly remained, and will form part of the design. The new features of a prominent kind in the external appearance of the palace will- be fou/ towers at the corners of the building. These will be 150 ft. in height, including their very lofty Mansard roofs. Mr John Johnson, of Buckingham street, Strand, it may be stated, is the architect, who has supplied all the designs.

The itwo old gables will indicate, as before, the 'central part of the building. Here will be the great hall of the palace, which bids fair to be one of the finest in the kingdom. The width will be 184 ft., the length 385 ft., and the height 100 ft. This hall will be richly decorated ; a capacious orchestra will be erected at the northern end, in front of an organ, and here grand concerts will be given, the ordinary musical entertainments taking place in an entirely separate room. To the right and left of the great hall there will be wide open courts, that is to say, courts open to the sky, and in these plants, and ferns, and : statuary, aud fountains, will be distributed with artistic effect. On sunny days the scene will no doubt be vividly bright and picturesque. Beyond the courts there will be two conservatories, one at either end of the building, filled with plants and flowers, and arranged as promenades. An idea of the dimensions of these conservatories may be gained from the . statement that they will in the centre b« 100 ft. high and 205 in width. In addition to the two concertrooms there will be a large theatre capable, it ;is estimated, of seating 5000 spectators,, and entirely enclosed within its own solid brick walls. In a building of this size, and with the very ample space which has been allotted to the stage, some very fine scenic effects can, it is obvious, be displayed. Aft, too, is to be worthily housed. Two picture galleries, also surrounded by their own walls, are to be erectei?. Their length will be 205 ft., their width 30ft., and their height 30ft. These are good dimensions, and if the galleries be but as well filled as were those. in the old building, a feature will be added to the palace attractions which cannot fail to be of interest to the more appreciative, class of visitors. Of refreshmentrooms there will be, of course, no lack, andj as before, they will mostly be placed on the south side of the building. Some of the rooms are to be of very ample proportions, suitable for dinners on a large scale, such as take place from time to time at the Crystal-palace.

The question naturally suggests itself after this account of the New Palace, when will the building, or buildings, be finished? That is a question, however, which iB not easy to answer. Mr Olemence, under whose energetic superintendence the works .are being carried out, : looks grave when May 24, the anniversary of the opening, is spoken of, but admits that " hopes" are entertained of that day. An army of 800 men are busily engaged on the building, and the works are in the practised hands of the well-known contractors, Messrs Kelk and Lucas. But while it is evident that much has been done, it is equally evident that much remains to do. The place is; in fact, just at present a choas of unfinished walls, arches, doorways, passages, and corridors. On all sides the movement of labour is incessant. Locomotives dragging truckloads of building materials startle the unwary visitor at every step. Steam-en-gines, are at, work mixing mortar in all directions. "Wheelbarrows are hurrying to and fro, and workmen, sometimes high in the air, and sometimes low down in the ground, are excavating, or building walls, or laying foundations, as the case, may require. In the grounds, too, towards the north-east there is an army of labourers at work ; forming j a .reservoir. f .Hitherto the winter weather "' has not ! interfered with the operations, so that the works have never come to a standstill ; and it may safely be said that at the present rate visible progress will be made with "the great undertaking day by day.