There is a small additional staircase and entrance to the principal leeture.•oom of the Gresham College (which I pro pose to use for the exit from the lectures only and this opens into the loggia under the portico.
The comtnereial room proposed to he attached to Lloyd's, and which, in a letter flout Mr. Barnes, of the' 6th February, I am requested so to manage as that it might be appropriated fur offices, if eventually required for the above purpose, has been placed by me int the principal story on the north side. If not required by Lloyd's. I should propose to convert this room into a double range of offices, one lighted from the street, and the other lighted from the area of the Exchange, each office haw ing, a 1'00111 over in a third floor; the access to these rooms would be by a distinct stair case and entrance on the north, for which a distinct shop must be taken. The mean width of this commend:II room is 39 feet, and its length 90 feet ; allowing, theretnres for an S feet passage in the middle, it would provide for 12 sets of offices, each 10 feet by 15 feet.
The shops and offices are very material of any design for this building, for. under the 6•nd section of the net fhr pn(viding a site for the 11oyal the Committee are bound to compensate any part) holding a lease in any part of the old Royal Exchange, unless the owner or lessee is reinstated. As regards the offices this bably only be the value of the difference between the reserved rent and the actual rent, and not a matter id' much itnportanee ; hut unless the valuable trades and occupations round the Exchange are reinstated, the question would become a very IMportallt, one, because it would involve the good-N% ills of the I. artier. The mere question of reinstate ment, however, is not the only one ; for it is clear the revenue to be obtained from the shops, after the expiration of the present leases. must form a very important item in any income to be derived from the buildin. In order to meet these requirements, and still, I hope, in no way to injure the design. 1 have placed the shops or olfiees on a level with the street, round the north, south, and east sides ; and, inasmuch as I bound that in the old Royal Exchange there were shops in three of the entrances, and as I could very conveniently arrange a few in the east entrance of my design, I have placed six there. I.et the claims, however, arise as they may.
this plan there could be no diffi culty in meeting them all, fw the area of all the shops and offices of all descriptions, in the ground-floor of the Old Exchange, amounted to 5,100 feet only, whereas, in this plan, the shops and offices provided, exclusive of the part tioi>ropriated to Lloyd's, to the Gresham College. the As.uranee, and the Royal Exchange Assurance, exceeds this quantity by 1.057 feet, the total being 9,217 feet. The increased value of all this, and the exact nature of the ft.e.monodation, will, however, be further explained under other heads of this descriptive particular.
Arcot/In/oda tioir.
G•esh«in College.—In considering this department of the building, I was placed in considerable difficulty, not only from the total absence of instructions, but because I f as well amongst the committee as in society, very consider able differences of opinion on the subject.
After much reflection, I have, however, arranged What I hope will be considered a complete establishment for most purposes. and it is as fillows:—On the north side of the Exchange, about 45 feet from the west end, is an entrance with a small hall and staircase. In this hall a porter would be placed, who would prevent the admission of improper persons.
The entrance-doorway is large, and over it is placed a shield containing the arms of Sir Thomas Gresham. This entrance and hall are also quite distinct, and, like all the other parts or distinct portions of the design, it is separated by party-walls. On the first landing of the staircase is a porter's room, which would also serve for umbrellas, coats, or cloaks.
On the one-pair. or principal door, is a lecture-room or theatre. 4•1 a lumrse-shoe firm, the dimensions being 46 feet, 6 inches, by 36 feet. To this is added a library or lesser lecture-room. 25 feet by 24 feet ; a lecturer's or librarian's room, 19 feet by 15 feet 6 inches; apparatus-rooms, 10 feet :3 inches, by 11 feet : with a water-closet and washing-room ; and two rooms over the librarian's, and apparatus-rooms for some resident servant.