New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-28
PLANS FOR THE NEW CITY HAIL

great cry on the other side Of the Atlantic, and
az we make Il point to follow sui! in all doings
of our English cousins, We hope We shall take
I'D their new popular cry and demand 10 every.
thing hereafter the right man for the place, from
the President downward. Anybody can see ss
glance that in the question Of our public build.
ipgs, heretofore, the ssoney man has, By some
municipal fatality, always been hit on. Blu.
there are indications of ; new dspensstion ia
civic affairs, and, the right mao for the r;stt
work having been put into the Mayors off 70 ia
spite of our teeth, We hope that the ns1t 90
lection of an important City servant will 10
equally ausplclOus.
The City needs rcw Hall for the accommods-
ten of its public oEces and on the wisdom
shown in his selection depends tho convenience
comfor. and qualification Of orr posssrity for
many generations to corse. We must 10. dsads
ourselves with the idea that the riskt kind Of
man for this immense wo:a is to be found in every
builders shop 1t requi. the united efforts Of
four Of the greatest geniu,ce that Italy has pro-
duced to design ST. Peters at Rome, and tho
great WreI had to make tree desigos Cor st.
Paus before he su ,ceeded IL pleasing his sster,
and then it required life prolonged tea yesrs
beyond the allotted space, 70 finish it. essx
architects ke7e been the rarest of all tho
different forTs Of human gree mess. A splendid
opportunity is Afforded for the architectural 20.
nius of our co1rtrymen 10 furnishing design for
our new City hall, which should be structure
of such magnitude and msgnifcence a. 10 dwaf
sill other buildings appropriated FOR civic purposes
in the world; and we think it will be. Yester.
day there was an exhibition Of several nov Do
signs In the Common Council chamber of tho
City Hall, but one Of which, no xever, had sum-
cieLt merit to entitls'it to serious consideration;
and We are glad to learn that it hss not only beea
approved by the Committee who have the meter
IN charge, but also By all the intelligent officers
ct the City Government, including the Judges Il
or Coarts, who hsve sxamihedit.
This plan is the one designed b. lar. Gilbert,
which may be called the "Quadrsnsular PlAa,"
a rude drawing Of which was exhibited in tho
of Go Of the Commissioner Of Repairs aud Sap
plies last winter, and Of which We ttcn gave
brief description and General approval. 1t WAS
the only plan which made proper disposition Of
the present Hall. AMI afforded tie number Of
Offices required by the exigencies Of the public
business of the City; while in la ornamental
character it fulfilled the exactors of the cult.
vatsd taste of the times. We need hardly describe
tho other plans that lave been offered, 40 they
are 70 inferior TO that Of Mr.. Gilbert aud are 90
defective in design and arrangements, as to leave
no ioabt of their rejection. Mr.. Gilbert proposes
four storied building with fronts on BroAdwaH
Chambersst., and Centre ST., formisg a qusd-
ralele with the present City Hal, and central
open court of two acres, with fountain in tho
center of the inclosrre. The principal front, on.
Chambers. st., will Do five hundred and twenty
feet, and the two wings on Broadway aud Gee,
tre-st. three hundred and sixty sSs feet; the dis
lance of the front from Broadway will be Afty
feet, and the open space betv the wings End
the present Hal, will be tairty. Eve feet. On
the basement Ger there Gre forty. three acxt-
ments, the largest ~ hich is ninety two by f,ry.
four feet, and tia smallest tw nty nine by twsay-
five. There ars about the same number of rooms
on each Of the four floors, with the exceptoa Of
the second floor, which las magnificent spst-
ment in the Broadway wing 40 by "a feot, and
As FEET in hight; go tiat the entire building win
contain about one hundred and City rooms. There
are entrances on eseh front, but thst On Chan
bersst. will be the grand entrance, directly
from the street, By q hall fifty feet In width; tho
entrances on Broadway and Centre.sa are bus
forty feet. There is a corridor Of afteen feet
width extending the entire length of the building
en- each floor, SO that each room viii. 5s perfectly
lighted and ventilated.
II is intended to have the enti7s structure Of
white marble, and The general style Of OrniueatA
ton, which looks extremely beautiful 10 the ele-
yation on paper, is to harmonise with the present
hall. Butwe fear tina: the carya.ides and statues
which the architect has so literally bestowed
upon the edifce, will be found too costly TO sd-
nit of realization in marble, and the iroa. dome
Of sixty feet spsn and seventy feet height from
the roof which be has pu. upon the prinsiph
front, we would advice him to erase. An orns-
mental dome of such Dimensions, to ssrve no pur-
pose but that of external decoration, is . costly
piece Of frivolity which New Workers. would DO
likely to regard with derision. With the single
exception OF the dome, which, We learn, was not
in the original design Of the architect, We sse
nothing 10 cavi at, but everything TO approve, in
this plan It would be impossible to make anything
like an accurate estimate of the cost Of sAOh q
structure, as so much would depend upon tAs fai'h
of the interior, and the amount Of orn1mentssion
bestowed upon il; but 1t is roughly Estimated ths!
it would cost not far from two millions and hsi
of dollars. Even that seemingly large SUN would
be much more economical expenditure than sa'