(160-162) bar scales of 1/8 inch to 1 foot (163, 164) bar scales of 7/16 inch to 10 feet

160 labelled: New Buildings for the Board of Trade &c, Treasury Passage, The dotted lines shew the projection of the Columns of the proposed wings, Line of the Face of the Columns of the Board of Trade continued, Line of Paving, Portico of Melbourne House and dimensions given 161 labelled: New Buildings for the / Board of Trade, Line of Pavement, Board of Trade, Treasury, Lord Melbournes, Horse Guards, Pay Office, Admiralty, Charing Cross and dimensions given 162 Board of Trade, labelled: 6.0 above AA, A, Passage leading to the Treasury &c, A, Landing, Office Keeper, Landing, Principal / Staircase, M^r Capper / 1 P[ai]^r, M^r Plasket / 1 P^r, Library, Ab[ou]^t 60'0'', Line of Paving, Portico of Melbourne House 164 labelled: Private Houses, Fludyer Street, Foreign Office, Downing Square, Line of Old Building (twice), Downing Street, Stable Yard, Stables &c, Staircase / leading to the / Treasury, Leading to the Park, Area, (pencil) Park, Treasury Passage, Treasury, Home Department, Melbourne House, Whitehall, Board of Trade, (pencil) Hall (3 times), Council Office, King Street, Lincolns Inn Fields and some dimensions given

• (160) Lincolns Inn Fields / 30^th March 1825 (161) 31^st March 1825 (162) Lincolns Inn Fields / 1825

(160-162) Pen, grey and pink washes, pricked for transfer on wove paper (520 x 742, 521 x 740, 518 x 735) (163) pen and grey washes, pricked for transfer on laid paper (304 x 487) (164) pen, red pen, grey, pink, yellow ochre and blue washes, pricked for transfer with six ruled, sepia and black wash border on wove paper with two fold marks (556 x 742)

(160, 164) Charles James Richardson (1809-71, pupil and assistant 1824-1837) (161, 162) David Mocatta (1806-82, pupil 1821-27) (163) Soane office

(160-162) Smith & Allnutt 1820 (163) C Ansell 1824

The original line of the front of the building as designed by Soane cut into King Street, but Lord Harrowby objected to this and directed Soane to alter his plans so that King Street would not be interrupted (q.v. drawing 20). The change of the line caused problems when the rebuilding of the Home Office was added to Soane's brief.
Drawings 160-162 show the outline of the former Home Office and Melbourne House (now Dover House) and, overlaid in pink wash, the line of the new building including the Home Office. Drawing 163 is more detailed, giving the internal layout of the old and new buildings. Drawing 164 probably dates to a similar time - it shows the old Foreign Office in Downing Square prior to Soane's alterations to that building (see Soane: Office of Works: London: Old Foreign Office, Downing Street, 1825), as well as the outline of the intended new building on the south side of Downing Street.
Soane was questioned extensively by the Select Committee about the 'pavilion' (the projecting part of the building in front of the new Home Office). It was estimated that the pavilion would project 'about 12 feet' in front of Melbourne House and, while Soane did not explicitly state it, he produced drawings to demonstrate the problem (1828 Report). According to his testimony, 'there was a great deal said upon the subject; I observed, that perhaps the effect might not be displeasing, but, as far as convenience was concerned, every one must condemn it.'
Mr Plasket was Chief Clerk of the Home Department. Mr Capper was another civil servant at the Home Office.

Drawing

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation

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