New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-10
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.

| A BIG THEATRE, A BIG HOTEL AND NUMEROUS
BUSINESS OFFICES UNDER ONE ROOF.
Chicago. Dec. 9.-The Auditorium Building is a
monumental addition to Chicago and one more in the
list Of great amusement houses in the world II
90 square feet and has three fronts-on Michigan
ave. Wabash-ave. and CongIess-st The site Is leased
for nlnetynlne years. at a rental OF 100000 year.
with rcvaluaon in the twenty first year. The building
alone cost SO 100000. II ncloses three distinct yet
blended. structures, a great opcrahouse, series OF
Offices and hotel. The entrance to the offices is on
ave. tho main entrances to the operahouse are
on Congrcssst The hotel fronts on Congrcss-st AMI
Michigan-avc. It will be completed In January It
contains 375 guest rooms Its dinngroom Will s,at
100 persons. and It WI have In addition to this and
restaurant on the ground floor a banquet hall for 600
polsons 1t IS leased for ten years Bresn South
gate OF New-York. The construction OF the building
twill enable guests to enter any OF the amusementhals
without going into the street. Tho kitchen and din
Ing-room are the highest floor Tho main front OF
the hotel is Mlchlgan-ave. feature OF tho facade
Is long logca sustained by solid granite pillars open
ing toward Lake Michigan at the outer and into
ladies' foyer at the inner SIDE
The Auditorium Building, in all its parts IS as IRE
proof as It is possible to mako any structure. The
materials granite of two tones Indiana limestone
lron steel and porous terra Gotta. Should fire break
out in any apartment tho doors could be closed and
IL would die Of exhaustion, having nothing to con
sumo but the few articles Of furniture, and being
unabe TO penetrate the walls The building has been
three years I'm process Of construction, and except tho
hotel Is complete. The idea originated Win
Ferdinand W. Peck, who, himself tho heir OF CON
siderable fortune and sympathetic with higher things
than pork desired to adorn the city with great home
for art lie organic vi the Auditorium Company Win
a CAPITAL stock OF 81 100000. His own zeal overcamc
be doubts of the sccpca and he succeeded in getting
the cooperatIon of large number of business mon ana
captalists The plans prepared by Adler d sui
van Mr. Adler is one Of the most experiehceu OIL
Chicago architects His associate Is young Bostoniah
trained I'm the Institute of Technology OF that city, ana
subsequently, in + Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. The
design of the entire building, in mass and DETAIL even
to the scheme of embellishments Is his although nc
vas only thirty -one years old when he drew It,
The exterior of the building Is massive dlgnlhed ana
simple Roman arches characterize the BASE AFFORD
ing a sense Of strength and endurance, me next
main characteristic Is series Of windows 80 feet in
height and twelve feet wide, extending on the
hrcc sides at regular intervals and terminating in the
Roman arch \ graduated colonnade enlvens the next
plane Of the structure. 1t IS sumounted by square
tovcr reaching to a height Of $50 feet from the
,round The dimensions Of the tower for business
,uDoses are 40 feet by IL The obserV atory which
cans the tower will be used by the Signal Service
The unity which marks the exterior is matched by
core, ponding cohcrency in the main structural fsat
ures and decorations of the Interior Plastic and
color decorations proceeding by two principles, per
wade the building variety always present with unity.
The first principle is that the decoration IS strictly
architectural and not independent of or inconsistent
with the structural relations. Inc second principle
a."ciaics some color with gold The execution of
Iecorai ION has been entrusted 10 liealy Mllet the
fotmer son of the American portrait painter who ha,
80 Iono resided In Paris. The auditorium Is in ivory
and gold. The recital hall, which seats 4'4 persons,
ard gnh and the ladies' drawing-room blue and gold.
Foreign marbles fine woods and onyx arc used in the
deoiiion scheme the natural note always kcylng the
| uot u
floors an integral part OF the dToratol, Delhg Ol
Italian mosaic IN gc0metTical or moral patterns. on
ain folds of subiucd tone. The heating. lighting
and vcntilaiing apparatus also enter INTO It, Nine
Inc and eleven dynamOs accentuatc the expressive
DOLLY, tn the general effect The decoration OF
sn 0prri House Is Impressive simple and beautiful
TI Structural elements arc skilfy involved in H.
s % a@ IN The Ia nc af S shs
Il greatly heightened BY three mural paintings The
proscenum fricze is happy II somewhat conventional
geStve OF the dance song selcnhade' diige poetry.
religion grief, science a.twaii t,at CONSTITUTES the
IONS from either side Of the stage towam the cene OF
the audcncoroom: me enu i seating caPaclty is
acceoons demanding room; essencd TO 5000 by
hinged ceilings which cut of the upper galleries.
a,nrs az The ladies' cloak room Is forest Of pegs
sor b"nners and wraps, which will be free. and will
not injue what is put upon them. The
,nsnagcnent OF the Auditorium and the adjunct hal
las been placed In the hands OF Mlwanl
Hdams, who was trained by the man who first put
we we alanc "f nigh standards the late George b. Car.
nnn,er MIR ADAMS would be delighted II laa-s,-s hOuld
apcGulre The habit OF leaving their bonncts IN the
cloak rooms but is not prepared to enforce what he
wifi cordially encourage H.. l., a., , = :,
The stage the Opera House Is the work Of Mr.
49,, ata-pinIue upon It's cons trIictiOn IL is
Improvement upon that At Bnda Pesth which Is adj
.rs iron and steel. ths entire apparatus
being worked by hydraulic power fed from tank IN
u,p n minute being maintained by two pumps
TT@elve miles Of flexible steel cable are required for
he handling OF the scenery. The rigging loft IS eighty
ioc fcct aboyo the stage floor. The width OF the
stage Is nnctycight feet, and It runs seventy feet
"ncning Is seventy,hve feet. and The curtain width
sprYtseven dcet There are connected with the
stage resting dressing a ana reception rooms Inc
stage cost nearly 100000
The organ IL on the left front Of the proscenium,
occupying a chamber twenty-five feet wide, forty