New-York tribune., 1877-03-07
TILE STATE CAPITOL.
WAR OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.

WAR OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.
THE EXPERTS WHO EXAMINED THE NEW STATE
CAPITOL DEFEND THEIR CRITICISM
TO the Edit0r Of The Tribune.
SIR: The undersigned have recently appeared
before Joint Committees Of the Ways and Means and
Finance OF the State Legislature, at their request to
testify experts to the propriey OF the changes
made in plans Of the architect for the state Capitol build
ing by the Advisory Board" subject to which plans
some work has been already executed The assertion
has been made l the daily papers that the
undersigned are representatives OF the Renaissance
school OF architects and that therefore their testimony
IS OF 10 value in this case, the upper stories and
porches as arranged by the Advisory Board, are OF
Gothic design and that ther opposition 10 the design IL
natural result OF the notorious war OF styles Were
II true that the undersigned were exclusively devoted 10
the practice of Renaissance architecture. their opinion
shohd for that very reason b. entitled 10 very
great weight, as the building practically is more than
hall completed in Renaissance architecture OF The most
distinctly marked character But in reality. they mainly
belong to more liberal school, and have seyeraly
studied and practiced both styles while one OF the
subscribers designed except in the most pure
Gothic Ii has been stated ta some OF the suDscrOers
have never examined the amended plans OF the Adj
vI-ory Board" AMI consequently being Ignorant OF
tho designs their criticism Is valueess Those OF the
subscribers who had opportunity 10 examine the
amended plans are familiar with the published plans OF
the Advisory Board and have seen the work already
executed under its direction and in conformity
with its final detailed drawings. The latter
alone is sufficient show in the most emphatic and con-
elusive manner that no amendment OF the Published
drawings OF "the Advisory Board" while the s stem OF
design which they adopted is retained can reduce
TO harmony elements so dscorant pure horizontal or
Italian Renaissance surnOunted by ROmanesque fOrIns
treated with late Gothic ana Moiesque details
The undersigned maintain that they appointed as
Judges to select design for Capitol building thcy
would without hesitation choose that design when COM
biped most perfectly the best solution Of the practical
problem of convenience and constructive IN rt Win
artistic excclcuce without regard to the style in which
il was studied but they certainly would consider
it disqualfyIng defect in any design, were one style
used for the lower half Of the building and radically
different one for the remainder. The fact that the
Advisory Board" have supplemented an Italian
Renaissance design already completed for more than
onehaf Of the hight Of its walls by design essentially
Gothic practically either assertion on their part that
it impossible to achieve satisfactory result By com
petiDg the build the style which ii Is begun or
admission that they were incompetent to undertake
to do 90. The magnificent examples Of Italy and ku
rope generally a sufficient answer to the first
position II the second il accepted II was the clear
professional duty Of the two arctects In the board u
resign their po7tohs. Inc examination 81 tne N"I1
already executed from the amended designs has served
te tim m which their attention was fist directed
published OF the Advisory Board that II carried
uuliv. aud consequently architectural failure.
A. SIZE, beauty OF material and TorAm iushlp form tue
first Of grandeur, the structure, wlth lis great
mass and ncOngruuus magnhc"nce, would ytato IN
stead Of educating the taste OF tAe masses and snQhd
the public improve IL artistic appreciation, would De
received its just value lasting monument TO
the narrow mindcdness aud blind devotion 10
fvOrite STYLE which led the authors Oi The amended
design i.nOre ali considerations " estheilCii pro
prrti,s in plans which tuCy prepared; aud II
allowed erected without formal protest II wOnd be
"A perpetual reflection upon the architectural skill oi the
generation IN whose time IL Was erected
GEO. p. Posi-,
VI. HUNT,