New-York tribune., 1873-07-24
THE CENTENNIAL Bull DING.
PLANS AND PROSPECTS.
A LITTLE PRELIMINARY CRITICISM THE PAVrfn
PLAN DESCRIBED.

busy with designs for the building in which the National
Centennial is 10 beceebrated az Philadelphia. Already
understand. hiry-seven designs have been sent
in and a correspondent that many OF them
have an excellent loOk-on paper. We need hardly say
that the public expects TO find In the buidng-whOeVer
may design it-hrst Of all, perfect adaptation
may be 20 the purpose for which It s intended and
when that ia secured much elegance IN the exterior
and interior as be cOntrycd t Is alsO greatly 10 be
desired that our American building shall resemble as
little as possible those that have been erected IN EOpo
for similar purpose during the last twenty years. We
hear 1t whispered that too many Of tho designs
thus far sent in look ike variations the we'll
known air OF the Exposition Univcrseo OF 1851.
or the Vienna Exhibition OF determinations
with distinct Hail Columbia passages for tho
anyil3 and cannon. that IN rather oddly IN the
composition. Now little desire " Hail Columbia"
designs European ones. We want something UniVer-
sal and Original And extravagant az the demand may
SEEM II ia really possible have t met Universal tho
design may be made by following certain universal laws
OF building aud by recognizing tho fact that there ara
some things which all human beings are agreed m liking
In monumental building These are-plenty OF Light
plenty Of air. plenty OF ROOM convenience OF access OK
ingress Of egFess safety equal rights for all IN tho
way Of seeing what be SEEM and what must result
II all these good things clevcry cOmbIned-diniy
and elegance in the structure wherein they COM
bned. These qualities everybody recognizes and enjoys
and therefore, II they belong 10 the Centennial Building.
its architecture will deserve be called Universal And
any structure IN which all these good things SHAH bo
found united would be pretty sure % be Oug.nail
It's consolng 10 remember that on the only occasion
when we wanted building at all resembling IN It's uses
tho ono that DO erected in Philadelphia we we're
fortunate in getting very pretty and very suitable oae
We say pretty because that word describes best the
not very large Worlds Fair Building that once adj rned
ReseryorsQuare IN this city And It would still havo
adorned It, IT, unuckily, having been built OF iron and
other repro0f materials t had not easily taken fire ana
burned up 80 completely that might well Aayo been
built Of tissue paper! There IS as much ta'te IN our
community now "a there was when that elegant dome
and those elective ransepts were coosiru'ted-inoFa
taste we believe and more widely d.f1scd, and with
higher standards At the same time We know better
than We did then-however seldom may put our
knowledge practice-hOw TO build secure and strong.
as well as stately.
without di5paragement TO the o'h,r designs that havo
been sent in % the Committee, will briefly describe
one which seems 70 Us wen thought out aud therefore
! worthy Of consideration. IL IS called "TAe Pavilion
| Plan" and we describe t from engraved ground
pan with sections and elevations that accompanies tie
! compact printed description.
The ground plan shows rectangular space lf.i feet
long by Gs2 feet broad This IS the main bC.dug Tho
Restaurants" properly sO-called, arc external but
connected the principal Hall by covered pasag's'
while rooms for light rcfrcshment. Offices and dressing
rooms are arranged close to the entrances Of winch
there are no less than 90 AS the main building only
succession Of dOmed paviOus al Of the same dmcn-
sions evident that may bo indefinitely Increased
m the direction Of either its length ITS breadth Tbess
pavons which IN the present design are Il in number,
are each 2lO feet in diameter. Each pavilion is spacious
court entered on either Of It's four sides BY lofty
pointed feet WIDE and the various per5 OF tho
building thus included in yely simple and Jes
striking way under roof Il is great advantage.
too. that thus unit Of expression IN what
ever way we may chance to look. whether we look
across the buding up and down It's length or
| 4
attractive VISTA saved from wearsOme oEotJny by its
wide openings on either hand THIS advantage ID pro-
cured hy very simple means. Each pavilion, with tts
| four side and two diagonal arches sprircnG
from the ground level Gor There are no columnsl'
Is framed such way that each pair OF
| principal trusses used in its construction inter-
another pair at Right angles and as the two are
put In place at the time, and start from tho sla
centerframe scaod, when this, having served its
present purpose is removed 10 tue site Of The next
pavilion the first structure is left standing squarely on
four broad feet secure any accident OF ram or
wind This obylates a difficulty commonly met With IN
this method OF construction, long stretches of roof being
liable to be blown over in the OF building because
the design does supply natural provision FOR lag
eral support aud stay 1t will be Observed too. tt tho
scadolIing for pavilion will serve for tho whole
building enormous saving IN cost, and also IL con-
veneuce.
These, however, merely matters Of construction.
and DO not affect the main pointsthe adaptation OF the
building its ends aud the comfort of the visitors. In
the famous Hyde Park building OF i65l the objection
was felt that there neither any central point OK
architectural interest, nor any arrlu-2moLt b. which
complete idea could be arrived at either Of the con
tents OF the building q whoo. or OF any one depart
ment. In the Exposition Unyerselle Pars,
1861, the ingenious plan, while abandoning any
attempt at architectural effect, secured perfectly
10 each visitor the Of getting knowledge Of
what tho whole world doing in any department
OF industry As everybody knows this was done by
arranging the different nations as the spokcs OF wheel,
and industries cODcentrc circles, rather, ai
they were in reality elhpses Then in walking round
one OF these elipsos the visitor passed III succession
through the department Of each competing nauon and
supposng the epse to be that of silks when be had
gone round It's entire circumference he had the best
that every nation could do that particular mSnnfaS
ture. This admirable plan for that one purpose
but It was decided unanimously that it was very un
satisfactory arsticay. There general eject ia
emphasis possible anywhere, and no gre1tcr vista was
possible than for about onehird Of the short diameter
OF the cllipse.
In the present Exhibition at Vienna the general Naye
| and Trausept arrangement OF the Hyce fdrk Crystal
Palace Qs5D has preferred only there are more
transops-a succession OF small ones instead o. two
short ones-and the middle point Of the nave, no0ie
DOME 333 feet In diameter makes an imposing ceutFA
| object kE:~z
The design we are cons ering for tho National Gem
tennal Building endeayOrs 70 unite the utility o. tho
Paris plan OF 1857 with the elegance OF the nave and
iransopt plan This is sought be accomplished By pro-
yidng for tho exhibition of each manufacture, IN zones
bat as there Is no common cent'r This object cannot be
so well accomplished Il was in the French building.
on the other hand is not one nave, but three and
thero are really transepts, The payons being al
alike: the "Pn as good az you" principle IS not IN
appropriately embodied here the sc1rnu may say.
! We do not know that anything OF vital importance
| ,royld bove been gained by preserving these two