New-York tribune., 1868-06-13
FINE ARTS.
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN.

We venture to express hope that DelOle long uo
Institute of Architects will set on foot an annual ex
hbiton of their own, so that the public may be able
to for, notion of the progress architects make
from wear to year. If such an exhibition were man.
aged as il should be- on so large plan, and with such
uberaty as TO make it matter both of interest and
Measure TO contribute to it, we might look TO see
architects from all parts of the country represented
architects from the West and from the East, from
Chicago and ST. Louis from Philadelphia and Balti-
more from Portland and Boston, and Providence, as
well as from New-York. The Institute is dong a
good work among US, for which we laymen ought TO
be grateful but we shall not be quite satisfied until
it gives good illustrated agricultural journal
and establishes regular yearly eNhlDitoh' IN
deed we do not know why either OF these deSlaole
things is any longeTsdelayed. Surely enough de-
signs could at any time be collected 10 lorili
rpspecable show and with such clever writer IN the
profession as Calvert NauX and Leopold EuIltl'
Wrev Mould and Russell Sturgis' with others we
might name and with the cheap processes Uy Uynna moJ
practical and readable illustrated J0urna Is easily
In dcfaTIf of an Exhibition purely architectural
few architects have contributed drawings 10 inc
prespnt Academy Exhibition, where they VIII De
found I'M the corridor. OF these Designs the most
conspicuous are the two contributed by MI. OaNeI
NauX No 1S ENTRANCE FRONT OF TIIE SHEPPARD
ASYLUM FOR TIIE INSANE, BALTIMORE, ana No %,
HUDSON RIVER STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, IN
COIrISr OF ERECTION At POUGHKEEPSIE In looking
nj these two designs the first impression one receives
is of want OF artistic unity Each OF them appears
to be mere assemblage of buildings III close JlNta,
position, the old COnVenuonal idea OIL pnhclpM anu
subordinate parts arranged with an ordered syhhe-
try being entirely abandoned. Nor VIII any SuDSe-
onept study remove this impressions for, Ii II be
a fault IL is one with which the designs may
be fairly charged. But we believe TINS WanI vi
uuitv and of symmetry is the result OF carelul
study and consultation and have speclaI RELATION
to the particular for which the buildings are de-
signed. 1t VIII be easily understood that an lhstIu-
tiop for the treatment of the insane may demand
building very different in theory from one INTENDED
fOY college a hospital. In either OF these eN-
ternal elegance. or dignity, grandeur, may be
aimed at m connection with an internal Slnplclty
and even monotony of plan. A student IN college
NAV take pleasure in contemplating the extent ana
dignity of the building in which his life for the time
being is passed; he may naturally and laudaOly
enough enjoy its having the look OF an INSTITUTION
The patient in the hospital wards, conihen 70 ms
bed or limited by weakness 10 his daily walk in the
corridor viii be Indifferent whether ms temporary
prison is 50 feet long 800. The exterior may De
drsgned for the public only for few weeks of con-
yaescence can the patient study that eXterOr during
the greater part of the time that he Is an inmate ns
knowledge of the building is confined to the room IN
which his bed happens to be placed. But with the
insane patient the case is very different Under the
improved Sy stems of treatment that are employed TO-
day his Surroundings become OF vital Importance.
Not merely light, and air, and Diet are TO be con-
sideTed, but everything that through the senses may
affect the mind. In the majority OF cases ~ Is Nv no
means necessary to restrict the insane or usJepeltd
person to his own TOOm OF even 10 the interior OF
n1rticul9r huiding. Under kindly-Wachtul, but
delicately unObtTuSve guardians, he may wander at
will and the impression he may receive OF MS uWCIl-
ing-pace thus becomes matter OF great importance
tits found be in the highest degree essential 10
prevent his entertaining the notion that he Is not
merely not in prison, or place OF cohneuehu' ouU
that he is in an institution particularly large III
stitutiOn The bonds Otsdsclpllne, OF cOnStIant OF
tutOTship need 10 be reduced 10 the MINIMUM pohi
consistent with safety. to prevent the morbid mlnu
from becoming iTTitated or alarmed ms statement
will explain the want of unity in design and OF sym
metry in treatment which may be complained OF IN
MessTs. VauX II Witherss Asylum 1t mas been eX-
DIN foh he Is
possible and it is further intended, by careful plant
ing and the arrangement of the ground. to increase,
as far as possible this appearance OF sepaTatenes-
this look as somebody has described it, of coGc-
tiOn of country hOuseS-so that each fainly OF pa
tiene, whether indoors or outdoors may ENJOY actr
tain flavor of domestic life, and receive IN the hlgh-
est degree attainabe under the circumstances, the
benefits that would result from home-treatment
No. ST. DESIGN FOR THE ALUMNI AEMoRiMrh HALL
BoWDOIN COLLEGE, BRUNSWICK, MAINE-Although
this is by 10 satisfactory design, II has good
qualities, OF, at least 1T has one good quaity SIM,
nIcity Perhaps it may be Teckoned another, that i
can be built it will not be necessary to talk over II
for ten or twenty yeaIs and to apply the screw tC
Iicb mems nockes i'm order to get the cornerstone
laid. But on the whole, we would rather Walt ioi
the good building. than build the poor one. A Me
mOria Hall is not an absolute necessity. Good archl
lecture is a necessity. This building OF MI Backus
il nearly souare structure two stories high with
dOuble-pitch mansard roof, making In reality three
stories. There almost no projections, Tor tlle
porch is atta he'd to the building and seems unWll
ling to leave it. The windows and all the openings
have pointed arches of that weak. disagreeaDe type
which one in the white wooden churches all over
NewEngland, arches with no apparent spIlng-polnI.
In the second story there arChed TeceSses III the
outer wall, the upper parts OF which are tlled IN
with glass, clumsy eXpedlent Which SHOWS want
of invention and resource IN MT. Backus. We VIII
mention two other points of objection. One Is,
the way in which the sidewalks of the doTmer-wln-
dOws supported and the other, the meanneSs Oh
the chimueys, which entirely inadequate to do
the work OF so large building We thought the
time had gone by when chimneys were believed to
have rights that architect IS bound to respect
But Mr. Backus seems to inherit the old dislike that
led builders TO disguise these useful, ard-wOrKng,
and essential members of the house, In hundred
tumpeTy ways, Even now, chlmneys large enough,
well-desimed and plenty of them, would 20 far, with
porch with mind of its own, to redeem this at
present somewhat clumsy design
Nos. So, SO, l39, DESIGNS FOR STONE HOUSE, AND
FOR TWO HOUSES IN BRICK AND STONE by Eastbun
Hastings. show real feeling for picturesque, do
mestic architecture and for color; qualities, 1t is
needless to say most rare among our arcDltects.
Each of these designs is carefully studded as every
architectural design should be, 70 secure uAity OF
effect; but Mr. Hastings shows himself an artist In
securing this unity by hamOniZlng variety and not
by simply balancing Tepettons. Every story III
these hOuses-the reader who has not seen the draw
ingS may need TO be told that they are designs for
city houses, and not for isolated buildings IN the
cOuntry-every story is different from the rest ITS
windows are differently shaped; or grouped apOther
way; il has balconies where the others nave none;
OF there is different combination or cOOTs; YET
the eye is not disturbed with any sense of
frippery or OveT-decOTatOn. There may have been,
I'm earlier designs by this gentleman, something too
much of ornament, and want OF harmony III the
arrangement of the minor parts but his later ones
have been less and less open to this criticism and we
think every one must enjoy with u.s. the breadth OF
these designs and their bright, cheerful effect We
wonder that some one does not build a house after
one of these drawings and set the fashion, 1t only
wants that people should be able see how the thing
looks in execution. TO break up the ugly monotOny,
or if the reader like, the mOnOtonOus uginess OF our
rows of city houses, ugest always in the most
Mr.. j. Cleaveland Cady's designs we should say,
are hardly up to his mark, or, rather to his promise
His Church at Plantsvle, Conn" Is very unsatls-
factory and the most unsatisfactory thing about 1T