HALL, in Architecture, a large room at the entrance of a fine house and palace. Vitruvius mentions three kinds of halls; the tetrastyle, with four columns supporting the platform or ceiling; the Corinthian, with columns all round let into the wall, and vaulted over; and the Egyptian, which had a peristyle of insulated Corinthian columns, bearing a second order with a ceiling.
The hall is properly the finest as well as first member of an apartment: and in the houses of ministers of state, magistrates, &c. is the place where they dispatch business, and give audience. In very magnificent buildings, where the hall is larger and loftier than ordinary, and placed in the middle of the house, it is called a saloon.
The length of a hall should be at least twice and a quarter its breadth; and in great buildings, three times its breadth. As to the height of halls, it may be two-thirds of the breadth; and, if made with an arched ceiling, it will be much handsomer, and less liable to accidents by fire. In this case, its height is found by dividing its breadth into six parts, five of which will be the height from the floor to the underside of the key of the arch.
HALL is also particularly used for a court of justice; or an edifice wherein there is one or more tribunals.
In Westminster-hall are held the great courts of England, viz. the king's bench, chancery, common pleas, and exchequer. In adjoining apartments is likewise held the high court of parliament.
Westminster-hall was the royal palace or place of residence of our ancient kings; who ordinarily held their parliaments, and courts of judicature, in their dwelling-houses (as is still done by the kings of Spain), and frequently sat in person in the courts of judicature as they still do in parliament. A great part of this palace was burnt under Henry VIII.; what remains is still re-
served for the said judicatories. The great hall, where-
in the courts of king's bench, &c. are kept, is said to
have been built by William Rufus; others say by
Richard I. or II. It is reckoned superior, in point of
dimensions, to any hall in Europe; being 300 feet
long and 100 broad.