New-York tribune., 1867-06-08
r2E DtMGNs FOR THE posroFF1CE.

or COIrSc. among the % designs for the new Post
Oliice buil1ipg, there must be some better than
other5 although this cannot be twisted into an ac-
Acknowledgement that any one of them is good There
IS not as every competent person who has examined
them will support us in saying single design on
these walls that deserves to be carried into execu-
ton But some three four of them are better than
tie rest aud Of these propose to say few words.
one OF che most satisfactory designs on the whole,
Is NO. g,' Ii is marked 10y extreme simplicity both
IN il, leading lines and masses, and in its Ornamen-
tai details. which consist for the most part OF mold
ings only. We do not mean that the holdings are
merely introduced for ornament, which would OF
course bc indetensible. uut wherever they were
found necessary or desirable they have been used,
iOr the most part, rightly and effectively. The
opening ia flis design the windows and doors.
are nearly all pointed, ana they are
faces OF the bnilding AZ the south end Is a tall
clock tower which is not Ill designed looked at sep
aatelY. bu Is not in harmony with the rest Of the
building. IL depresses the main structure IN hight,
and adds its apparent length. Beside il is not
Ccssary, nor, indeed particularly useful. 1t contra
diets IN spirit the principles by which the architect
has hcc': moved in designing the main building,
where we see him animated by desire 10 keep his
structure pure, and unwllhng to make the least con-
cessOn to the yulgarity Of the present public taste
The proposed union of the Post-OhIce with the
Courts Of Lava proposition whose father is paIsi-
nony and whose mother is foOlishness-has so stag
gercd the wits of these various competitors that not
one in tca has much as attempted 10 show how 1t
10 their dianay. on looking into tie matter, that
their part IN this ill-deyised union ls decidedly a
subordinate one United states Justices ~ would
appear. have no rights that aIchltects are bonm to
respect. Whatever pains have been taken with the
planning of the interior Of this building have been
bestowed upon the Post t-Oihce department. In some
cases the Judges have been allotted squattug room
the roof but generally they put into closets
on the second story and carefully locked in.
One OF the most carefully designed OF these plans
for the P0SOfice Department is No. As. and there is
also considerable merit IN the elevations II IS IN
what is called the French style. or as we heard q
stout genticman give 1.-THE had not been long ont OF
the rcfrashment room" the TOOTiOOl style. In fact
within the last few years, the builders, carpenters
Pnd masons who call Themselves architects haze
had tle good fortune 10 get hold of what they take
for anidca and they now think that If they can pt
q MauSlrd roof and pavilion on ana abOut square
box and the sides of the box with pasteIs and
pedmonts and inches. they have achieved
even delight every reasonable person. This French
mania has infected nearly every one OF the cOltlDut
to the present competition, and OF No ~ the best
we can say is that the designer OF 1t Is by 10 means
an ignorant person. Ills drawings are 10y al oddS tne
best in the room, and II one or two points were m0q
fed such as the ornament round the top OF thc
large central pavilion, we should not De Unwilling
for our own part to this design carried out HE
plan for the PoSt-Oiice Department Is, as we have
said very carefully studied by the author of No. is
and we are thai il Mr. Kelly will look INTO IL hc
viii find much to approve.
No. % is design of some merit, though we think
carries simplicity almost TO the bounds of alteration
The tower is good, and Il looks as though much OF
the ornamental detail might be well designed by the
author. VI course, KNOWING NNtl lutA Mdlt VI lit
New-1Orl; public and Of the character OI the ton-
mission neither the author OF No 81 nor OF tins No
81 could have supposed for moment that ne stood
any chance of being allowed 10 carry out MS design
and reckon it for courage that they have sent IN
what thoy thought good and not what they
fhought ",,xDedient.n The love for cheap and nm
meaning ornament is too firmly planted in the mind
of this generation that il should fall in love with any
such simplicity as these gentlemen have arrived at
and for ourselves while we respect their nten-
ton there is at least IN the OF No. - too tte
beauty too little decoration But the effort TO bring
us back to simplicity must he applauded:
No. 81 and the one next u mounted IN the same
style are poor designs, probably by the same author
Stripped of their accessories they are nOthng. lake
off the heavy pedlmented. pllastered ana hlched
structure al the southern end of each, useless IN
itself and what is leftY This ls the wee Of young
architects, and especially for young architects VINO
are sucked at the breast OF the later Renaissance;
they believe ornament TO be something that can be
stuck on or knocked of at pleasure. They have no
knowledge of the structural laws that govern every
good building, even the smallest, and no natural
love of such laws loyalty TO them when they are
set before them OF such is the author OF TINS de-
sign. whoever he may be. \ more hagrant example
Each of the last-named three is the work of man
not ignorant in the sense in which many Of these
contributors are ignorant but rather, we may say,
perverted He has reasoned himself INTO an attniIa-
zion for a thoroughly bad style and would IKE 10
reason the public into it, too. The author OF no -
has less originality than the others; he does not hes
itate to copy almost direct not from love for pla-
giary but because his love tor his model mas de-
prived him Of the power to design just al present
ve see a good deal OF this sort of thing IN our clty
and adjacent country but II Is fashion that VIII die
away.
Nos 10 and IS may be noticed here. not because
they are good but because they are tbOughi so by
people who could not be expected TO know better.
We advise the Committee. who. we understand,
have expressed q determination 10 keep - sun
upper lin and LET the architects see that the bnIeu
States Government can dD without them, 10 ilu--
frate this healthy and lOuOrablc frame o. mlnb by
acceptiue No IS Ii has not q single merit. but tlIat
only makes il more suitable Tor the Committees pur-
Dose ANY stone is good enough TO throw at q dog,
and how can the architects be more efeciually dinl
aged than ly accepting design wholly unworthy OF
a great city without force, originality, beauty, on
sense and then asserting that the architects might
however they may halt III their decision Perhaps
IL NAV occur 10 them that, after all if the Govern
ent can afford to do itself discTedt, the architects
can well afford to bide their time: and perhaps they
may he moved, even at the eleventh hour' 10 take
the advice of competent people and out OF TINS poor
collection of designs to select the best and not the
worst.