New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-28
THE ARCHITECTURAL LEAGrp
FIFTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

L
| but the proportion Of architectural drawings ,s ~-
| larger than before In this department Of the ~
hibiton there seems TO be increase in the nur,
of large plans OF designs for business buiIdnVs 49,
| hotels. and in the number Of plans drawn h, "a.
architects themselves. There are fewer small wat
color sketches Of country houses, other minor bun,
ngs and interiors and this detracts somewhat from "a
| purely pictorial effect Of the exhibition AT the o.
trance the visitor finds two sets of drawings Whit,
| have timely interest. One set IS composed Of IA
signs for the Cathedral Of st. John the Divine IN.
other exhibits competitive drawings for an entran
IN a Worlds Fair. The second gallery Is dey~ax
to examples OF various decorative arts allied "a
architecture but for reason or another exampls
of the work in applied art which is being done tod,
appear merely to supplement the usual loan coecos
Of all manner Of antiques from the Greek amphon
TO eighteenth century chairs, from painting boky
assigned 10 Raphael to Dutch milk can, and from
BYZANTINE crosses and old tapestries 70 the neytass
sedan chair These objects are interesting and man,
Of them are beautiful examples Of design or ooLor
Int we expect the League 70 show US what he
museums and art stores cannot, that IS an adequate
Illustration Of American progress in applied art.
The cathedral drawings represent only portion
OF the work called forth by this competition but u.
exhibition Is sufficiently suggestive. 1t indicates
labored effort TO deal with An overdihcult problem
and II may be questioned often whether the architects
svmpathies were deeply engaged in his task II wO1N
he out OF place here TO ask whether cathedral
will be more helpful 20 the public than
a great free lending library and other institutions
designed for practical public needs but we may infer
from these designs that there would have been iu
greater sponanciy and freedom If the architects had
felt that they dealing with actualities enboy
ing the spirit OF their time As 1t is they asked
by the jealous to work in the spirit Of the medaeva
church builders These plans, however, have been
passed upon. Some Of them, like the design n NJ.
Casey might represent city hall or another Official
building, since the cathedral character is almost in
perceptibe. Others show an industrious attempt u
assmilate the dome and combine IL with general
Gothic treatment. Mr.. Goodhue, seemingly in de-
spair has inserted a tower close beside his home with
ont regard 10 its relevancy. Messrs Carrere and Hast
ings, who may have drawn some suggestions from s.
Eustache in Paris and from Seville, exhibit far
better example OF large treatment and the thoughtful
management OF the dome which is described French
transition Renaissance. Mr.. Jennings exhibits
design which indicates too close massing 10 speak in
general terms, and consequent loss Of breadth and
dignity Of effect. Mr.. Gibson shows one Of
the more important Gothic designs which
is deliberately worked ont, and there
plans Of special consequence from Messrs sturs
& Cabot, Cope &c stewardson, Mellen, westa Kirby.
and Peabody d stearns The average visitor, We
think will care very little TO know the particular
Gothic or other period 10 which the architect has
ferred, or to anayze the plans in detail. There
nothing here which can gain consensus Of approval
The public will agree with the judgment Of the
mttee the cathedral plans, and we may hope that
this agreement will continue.
The competitions for the Leagues medals show
that the tomb Of utrious architect is regarded
as more engaging subject than the entrance to
Worlds Fair" Perhaps the former had a personal
interest which the latter lacks. Last year the fifty
five young architects expressed their ideas regarding
the tomb of the illuStrous one, but this year only
twenty five have felt sufficient interest in World.
Fair to design entrance. The drawings submitted
are usually more or less frank assimilations Of
Roman models, sometimes at second hand,
The gold medal has been given TO Mr.. Julius Harder
whose arch closely follows the familiar Arc de
Triomphe' On either side Of the driveway there are
barrier pillars Creditably designed and arranged and
surmounted by sculpture. Mr.. c. F. Bragdon has
ceived the silver medal for plan which includes
central arch and two smaller arches connected by
colonnades with Italian Renaissance columns nhar.
monious Accomplishments for the severe Roman arch.
All these designs are shown in the anterO0m In the
main gallery we meet Mr. Whitney Warren's excellent
notes OF an architects foreign Ourneyings, and the
pleasure derived from these drawings may sustain
the visitor in his enforced contemplation Of the dis
mally unnteresting screen at the other end Of the
gallery This screen which will be used in connection
with the Newburg monument, is a piece Of purely
mechanical metal work, conventional and mOnOtOnous
in design, and wholly unnstructye. Tie larger arcn
tectural plans seem TO indicate the passing Of the
massive Romanesque which was common hall
dozen years ago, and may infer that less
reliance is placed upon the s0called colonial eXeriors
and upon Louis XVI decoration. If it is possible to
generallze with justce-and cancellations alone are
possible in spscet may be said that the exhibitors
have been working backward on French lines The
distinctive feature Of this exhibition may be described
as the prevalence of the style of Francis I. Every
third designer betrays affection for s0ld walls
comparatively high and narrow windows and pointed
towers. These towers reappear in private houses,
hotels and other buildings and it possible that
we have entered upon period Of chateau architecture
which will multiply certain phases made familiar 70
the general public by the house OF Mr. W. X. Wander
bt There practical objections to this STYLE bus
its adaptabity to conditions need not be ds'
cussed here. The plans for country houses sho"
several notifications Of Colonial designs and there are
comparatively few of the often ncoherent combins
tons which have been persisently miscalled Queen
Annep The church plans show little which is dis
tinctive but the designs for large business buildings
form an interesting feature Of the exhibition. Messrs
Babb Cook & Willard exhibit views OF the clock tower
of Montreal insurance building and the entrance and
han Of building at ST. Paul. Mr.. Post shows pan
of the Union Trust Company's building, Mr.. Clinton
exhibits a drawing Of the building of the Bank o.
America Mr. Gilbert sends elevation OF the Tower
Building Mr.. Kmbau shows the Corbin BUILDING
and Messrs. Burnham & Root, of Chicago Send
an example of their way of dealing with the require
ments of modern business in the cities. Mr.. Rome!a
shows a design for the Groler Club and MeS'rs Gao"
& Chandler exhibit a drawing of Hastings Han
Cambridge building which is as easily superior
Weld and Matthews Halls sever Han was To Ihaye.
Mr. H. p Kirby is of the largest contributors a."
Messrs Luce, Iapgood, Alden a Harlow, Price BF.T
ner a. Tryon, Avery, ROsster & Wright, and hno"s
may be numbered among the many contributors
plans which for one reason or another nave Ia
upon our attention ON the whole, we think -
there is gain in the essential qualities Of hrgeos
buildings and OF country houses. There are evde
of the familiar straining for "picturcsqueness'
novelty in some OF the hotel plans and elsewhere ~
Il is not difficult to believe that there is an lneess
appreciation of the elementary consequence OF u's
and harmony. and even II a desire for 4" color
variety is responsible for ncongruous and tes"
clements il is safe to say that our architecture
lustlated in these exhibitions is gaining ground