Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-03
HINTS UPON ARCHIrECTVRE.

glimpse Of cist ;efal Interiors, as We set forth
few weeks since. lie also tndS his PERCEPTIONS of
nt atness and taste continually of Tended by the
character OF many Of the exteriors. We win
admit that Firth Avenue IS one OF the hand
soonest OF stree: -: hut " no cannot see that. Il
one prevalent material ami one careles>iy~ re-
pe2ted model bad been varied by other DEVICES,
and other tintS arG forms, row really superb the
street would be 4? The browIt-stOns, for which
We have such fondnsss, is OF itself handsome
material, but, when repeated in long miles OF
houses, the uniform OF darkness of the tone
gives a gloomy character to the scene. Fifth
Avenue is wide. When the sun il out in fun
glory, and the street flied with brilliant equip
ages ard well dressed proTnenaders, the picture
i quite fascinating, despite the dark-toned
structures But in the narrower streets the
double wall OF brown-stone, that sometimes
stretches for long squares, gives anything but a
cheerful aspect. We need some marked inn
prove ments in the character of our domestic
architecture IN the towns; but our builders seem
70 think We have reached the best development
OF taste. ii We NAV judge by the persistence with
which they adhere TO rxed models. The more
modern houses are often admirably fitted with
CCnveDiences for the house keeper; il would
eem as If the builders had exhausted their skin
in this direction; hence they may now the more
readily give study 20 exterior design. Preten-
tiCus hOuses do not need this consideration so
much as the smaller domiciles; great houses are
to,erably certain to have an air of dignity and
breadth satisfying to the eye, even if the design
be faulty; but the residence for the average
citizen needs almost entire renOvatiOn-needs
something tasteful, cheerful, and inviting. as a
substitute for the solemn and often forbiddng
facades that now affrOnt us in every street. The
most offensive char acteristic OF MANY of our
Lighthouses is the inferiority of the material
Structures of so-called brown stone, bat really
butt of very common red sandstone. which show
almost before completed the destructive effects
Of the elements in their slivered surface, give
any thing but an agreeable picture; and, if to
ms broken, half-rotten character OF the ma
teIlal he added ill-painted door-ways, iron rail-
lngs all awry, stone steps Clipped and broken,
the eject Is OF course. exceedingly sloyenly; yet
Va tnr 10 hx-r1
paratIvelv new houses. Unless the best grain
OF brown-stOne Is employed, brick is far better
material, both for wear and neatness Heavy
stone trimmings give good effect 10 a brick
front, the Caen stone being the best for the pur-
pose. The brick and-white- houses of
Philadelphia are rather garish; vet the exqui-
site neafnCss with which the Philadelphians
Keep their house-frOntS-One could dine Off one
OF their white-stone ''stOops'' las we in New
York call them more cleanly than from half
the restaurant table-cloths-gives notable cheer
and freshness to their dOmciles. Their white
wooden shutters are the most Objectionable fea-
ture; hut they are scarcely more glaring than
the White shades which in many New York
houses stare from the windows like great, lidless
eyes, CHASTITY and appalling. The Venitian
blind was once universal in our city; the taste
which has discarded il should have given ~ a
better substitute than a spread of white linen
Recently, dark green shade for window-panes
has been coming in fashion; but there still re-
mains To he invented for the window a pleasing
and artistic device, such as will give to the ex-
terror view OF these openings a happy richness 3,
of color and elegance OF form that will harmo-
niZe with the architecture, and helm to give
grace and beauty 10 the structure. The Veni-
tan awning, as well as the Venitian blind. gives
picturesque charm to the exterior of house
and mellow tone to the room it shades. The
windows OF dOmicile sare its ewes; the express
sion they give forth determines the effect upon
a spectator; and. like lustrous ewes in a homely
face. well-ordered window redeems ugly fea-
lures IN the rest of the building. While speak
ing OF windows, We must refer to the singular
narroWness which builders give to these aper-
lures, although of recent years there has been
great improvement. Before glass was invented
windows were reduced to the smallest size that
would 30 for the admission OF light and air; in
those early periods narrow apeTtures were
also necessary when everybuilding was castle
and built for defence against foes. These two
ideas, originating iahe necessities of the times
stu III measure control our architects; we are
only Just beginning to understand the beauty,
nobility, and largeness. which ample window
space gives, not only 70. the exterior but TO the
interior of a building.
From windows let US pass to balconies. What
excellent opportunity exists in these for pictur-
eSqUe form, and yet how rarely do we discover
taste or invention in their design! A formleSs
narrow parallelsgIam is what we usually see
not hint OF imagination, not a suggestion that
the architects aware of their great pOssibili-
ties toT charming artistic expression. Let man
OF taste nave control OF the construction and
adOrrment of windows and the erection Of bal
cOnies, and, even within this limited exercise
of his power, he could give in every street a
succession OF delightful surprises. But, ii TO
adds pleasing roofs and sky-lines, artistic en-
frances and dOOr-ways, We should have street
architecture not yet even hoped for in our
cites. The dead uniformity of sky-lines. a
We fnd them now. Is alone destructive of every
idea OF beauty; the old-fashioned steep roof
with dormer- windows, was far better than the
present Tat line. The MansaId has come in to
modify our mOnOton0us mathematical notions
on this subject; but, with our usual passion for
indiS cTminate Imitation, the Mansard has been
: IMPLY vulgsrized. We find il now surmount-
ing every little railroad station-house, while
Villages of little frame buildings are crushed
bsneath the superintendent proportions of the
roofs. The Mansard, although very beautiful
on large buildings, has become, by the epidemic
which has carried il to every painted shanty,
a matter OF ridicule.
Cannot, We ash, public taste and the inven-
ton OF the architects be aroused to a better
domestic architecture? Let us build no more
avenues of solemn brown. Let us remember
that long, unbroken lines have no authority in
art or nature. Let US come TO see that fat sur
faces are without elegance or grace. Let Us
realize that sparkle and picturesque spirit are
easily attaInable, and would give to daily
baunts a charm and perennial pleasure not
without their value in the formation of charac-
ter. Let Us awake to the fact chat the ugly de-
grades and demOralizeS, filling the mind with
low ideas and inferior tastes. The human race
has been building cities ever since the world
began-is 1t not time for il to build them with
larger wisdom, with greater elevation, with
something of that aesthetic taste which enters
into other arts?-AppletOa's journal.