The buildings of Hutchison's Hospital being removed from the Trongate, to make way for Hutchison Street, the patrons, 1803, erected a hall and offices in Ingrain Street, suitable for their accommodation. This building, and the spire of 150 feet high, which rises from the north front, is a great ornament to this part of the town. The great hall an:I committee rooms are fitted up in an elegant manner, from designs by Mr David Hamilton.
The citizens of Glasgow were the first to erect a monu ment to the memory of the immortal Nelson. Immediate ly after the hero's fall, a subscription was opened, and on the first of August 1806, the foundation of a solid ashlar obelisk, 142 feet six inches high, of chaste proportions, was laid at the west end of the high green, with great masonic solemnity : the subscription at that time amounted to 20751. On the 5th of August 1810, the upper part of the obelisk was completely shattered, and the greater part of its shaft rent during a violent storm of thunder and lightning. It is very remarkable, that although the ashlars of the upper part were thrown out of their beds, and so suspended that a passenger could sec through the obelisk, yet at the pre sent moment, after a lapse of five years, they seem to be still in the same situation.
The Hunterian museum was erected in 1804, and is situa ted at the west end of the college garden, in front of the common hall. This was the first public building erected by Mr Stark, who must be considered as singularly fortunate, at the commencement of his professional career, in having such an opportunity of displaying his talents and his taste. He was no less fortunate also in being employed by a socie ty, which, from full confidence in his abilities, avoided every interference with his arrangements.
Mr Stark chose the Roman Doric for the portico, as the gravest and most imposing order that could be employed in so confined a situation ; and he made its parts as simple and large as that order could properly admit. Behind the portico he formed a recess, divided from it by a second row of columns, like the pronaos of an ancient temple. By this arrangement securing great depth of shade, without pro jecting his columns too far into the nat•ow court, he pro duced a very rich effect in the angular view, and to so small a portico giving wonderful dignity on a near approach.
The merit of this building, however, is not confined to the portico ; its general proportion, the simplicity of its parts, and the elegance of its form, render many views of it from the garden little, if at all, inferior to that of the prin cipal front. The interior, likewise, corresponds in a re
markable degree with the exterior appearance. There are, throughout, the same simplicity, the same elegance, and the same attention to picturesque effect. The saloon for paintings is particularly beautiful in its form, propor tions, and decorations, while it is at the same time well con trived for exhibiting to advantage the collection which it contains. With the exception of the staircase, which is too small and too plain, a man of taste will discover, in this elegant building, a unity and consistency rarely to be met with in modern works : no part is neglected, and no part charged.
The gaol and court houses, situated on the west end of the Green, were built in 1810. The magistrates having resolved to erect a new gaol and court house, applied to several architects, and from their designs, all of which were too expensive, they made a selection and arrangement ac cording to their ideas. Mr Stark was then desired to adapt his elevation and court hall to the new design. The former has been executed exactly from his drawings; but in the latter, some deviations were afterwards made by or der of the committee. Every consideration pointed out the Grecian Doric as the proper order for such a building, and particularly in so open a situation. But architects have seldom succeeded in adapting this order to a front, in part of which the columns are to give place to a simple wall. Either they have reduced the massiveness of the entablature, on which the magnificence of the order entire ly depends, or the cornice, which is admirably proportion ed to the immense columns by which it is carried, has ap peared heavy and even overwhelming in those parts where it is deprived of their support. This difficulty Mr Stark, by the general simplicity of the arrangement, and the size of the window dressings, has, in as far as possible, over come; and though in this design there may be somewhat wanting of that unity and symmetry which charm in his other works, the magnificence of the poi tico rivets thc at tention, and diverts the mind, from what may be less per fect in the other divisions of the facade.