The Bank buildings, which are near the Exchange, are extensive, and executed in a rich style, but reflect no great credit on our national taste. The south front is composed of highly ornamented and very trifling parts. The north front differs little from a dead wall, with co lumns and pillars placed where it is difficult to assign them any use.
The Liverpool Exchange is, with regard to dimensions and architecture, superior to any other in England. The building originally intended for that purpose, was begun in 1749 from a design cf Mr Wood, the ingenious Bath architect. It is a large square building, with a rustic basement, and upon that a magnificent Corinthian order, which is continued around the whole edifice. A range of tablets, enriched with emblems of commerce, occupy the space between the Corinthian capitals ; and the pe diment, on the centre part of the south front, is also till ed with emblematical sculpture in high relief. The ge neral proportions of the whole structure are good, and the execution of the sculpture is masterly. In 1796 the interior was destroyed by fire, but repaired for the town courts and offices, and an elegant cupola and dome con structed, which added to the general effect. The height from the pavement to the centre of the dome is 120 feet. It is remarkable, that this splendid building should never have been used as an exchange, the merchants preferring to meet in the adjacent street. This led to the project of converting an extensive space on the north side of this edifice into a quadrangle of commercial buildings, with arcades. The north facade extends 177 feet 8 inches, and is from the pavement to the top of the attic 62 feet 4 inches high ; those on the cast and west sides of the quadrangle are each 131 feet in length, and 55 feet 8 inches high. The style of the whole is judiciously
made to correspond with that of the old exchange. The facade on the north side has, like it, a break or projec tion in the middle, upon the rustic basement of which rises a noble portico, consisting of 8 coupled Corinthian columns 25 feet high, each of the columns formed of one stone. On the entablature are placed four emblematical figures. Under this portico there is a vestibule or en trance, divided into three avenues by 32 Doric columns 12i feet high, with their proper entablatures; and• sur mounted by elegant groined arches. The arcades round the three sides are 15 feet wide. The exchange news room in the cast wing is 94 feet 3 inches in length, 51 feet 9 inches in breadth, and in the middle 31 feet 4 inches high. The ceiling is supported by 16. Ionic CC/ IDIOM, and over this is a room of similar dimensions, ap propriated for underwriters, Ste. - This quadrangle'. wiR be a lasting monument of the spirit and exertions of this enterprizing town, and an excellent specimen of the iaste • and talents of John Foster, Esq. architect to corpo ration, from whose designs and directions it was erected... It was begun in June 1803, and the masonry was Com pleted in about three years.
Bristol Exchange consists of a small open ?quarc•piaz za, encompassed by an elegant colonnade, which supports _ a flat ceiling, thrown into compartments by beams,..which. reach from the columns to the walls ; and these haying enriched soffits under this part of the edifice sufficiently ornamented, the whole piazza is ments where business is transacted. The street front* ig in a style somewhat similar to the Liverpool Exchange, , •