Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-08
WASHINGTON ARCHITECTURE
How Some OF the Public BuiIdines
Strike an Expert


WASHINGTON ARCHITECTURE.
How Some OF the Public Buiidinss
Strike an Expert
The editor OF the Anrlcan zrchiies, Who
attended the convention Of the American In
stitute Of Architects, lately held in this CITY,
publishes the following observations in that
Journal: Every architect at the late conven-
ton must have been more than ever convinced
OF the unrivaled architectural maguincence OF
Washington in its present state, as well % OF
the seriousness OF the danger which threatens
Its artistic splendor through the unhappy sys-
tenn which now controls the erection Of public
buildings. Even without the terraces nov
being completed under the direction Of Mr.
| Olmstead on the west side, which add i'm
mensely 10 the effect Of the building, the Cap
itol Is, IL seems to us, the noblest architectural
| object In the word II lie easy enough for ar
chitects to crltlcise small details, to wish that
the dome had been of stone instead Of iron, or
that the old wooden skylights were not quite
| SO conspicuous; but they will themselves be
the irst to acknowledge that these trihes count
Tor nothing in comparison with the perfect out
line, the exquistely studied proportions both
Of mass and detail. and the force of artistic
feeling which, by rejecting every sort OF OBJ
| trusive device which a feebler designer would
consider effective" has gained in return q
spiritual loneliness such as no other large
building in the world Possesses Photographs
| which distort the proportions and misrepresent
the color never do justice 10 the Capitol; It
must be seen in the delicate tints OF It's own
marble before it's expression OF pure and tender
dignity can be fully appreciated
We are often told that its situation lends
most OF the charm TO the Capitol, and It's situa-
ton is certainly favorable, but a situation pre-
cisely similar has not done much for the so-
| called "Gen. Buffers house" near by. and n
lodi l..<r,x -,
ceive that the New York post Office for ex.
| ample, on the Capitol Hill would look ten times
| more ungainly than ever. Moreover, the
| critics who imagine that they are subtractlng
from the merit of the great artist who created
the Capitol, by ascribing it's beauty to it, posi-
| ton, forget that DIR. Walters appreciation Of
| Its advantages OF position was probably quite
| AZ u telligent as theirs and that his work, in
| stead Of being thrown together at random, and
| dropped by chance on the hill, was studied for
| the place which it occupies, SO that the sur
| roundings must be considered part of his de-
| sign, essential TO the impression which he in
tended the whole TO convey.
AT the OTHER end OF Pennsylvania avenue We
| md, In the Treasury, building little inferior
| to the Capitol In simplicity and beautiful pro-
portion, and at least equal to ANYTHING else OF
| the kind in the world. Somerset House. in
4 London, with which the Treasury compares in
size, 10 far inferior in design. being squat and
4 broken; while the cOlonnsde of the Louvre
I although longer than the east side of the Treas
ury, and much higher, is hardly more digni-
\ fed and not SO well proportioned The White
House, next to the Treasury, agrees with is IN
scale and style, and is a building OF which We
have at least no reason to feel ashamed; but
here the architecture of the first reservation
1 ends; and as pendant to the Treasury. OF
\ nearly the same size. and occupying a position
| exactly similar, on the other side Of the White
House. we find huge, fussy, bulging carpen-
ter's creation Of little straddling porches d.
| vilions, oormers, domes, roofs, pediments,
| chimneys and trimmings Of all shapes and
| sizes. Such q building would be offensive
| enough anywhere. but as a balance to the beau
| tiful and quiet Treasury ii is revolving The
building itself is evidence enough that its de-
| signer had no architectural feeling or training
| whatever; but it is amazing that SO wanton an
| insult to the symmetry and stateliness Of the
| front Of the reservation should have been car
| ried out under the eyes OF the principal OH
| cials Of the government without objection.
Nothing is more characteristic OF an artist Of
the highest talent than his respect for the work
Of other artists. Walter, in adding TO the old
Capitol the Incompatible wings which make il
what it is, followed the lines and details OF the
original with the most scrupulous care. There
| Is no sudden break 70 advertise the beginning
OF the work OF the new architect, but the forms
sizes and heights of the windows, the profiIes
| and ornaments OF the moldlngs and al the
details Of the colonnades and entablature are
carried around the wings Just as IL it had been
Bullfnch or Latrobe, instead OF Walter Who
was 70 have the credit Of the work, the differ.
ences in detail consisting in refnements which
few persons out Of the profession would notice.
| while the enterprising head Of the government
plan factory, commissioned to design bun d.
ing to balance one Of the most stately and beau
tiful structures in existence, instead OF repeat
ing - nearly a. possible the Treasury facade
on the other side OF the White House, which
| would have made . group unriyaled In the
world, throws away this splendid artistic oppor-
tunity and, to the lrreparable loss Of the conn
try and Of art, thrusts upon us o costly concoo-
ton Of stone sheet iron and slate, ugly, inoon-
venient and expensive to keep in repair, which,
even in his eyes, could hardly have had any
other merit than the fact that he invented il
Unfortunately the mischief is done now and
cannot be undone, but IL ID not too late 10 stop
the further course OF the stream OF groteeaue
architecture, military and otherwise, which
since the exclusion Of professional architects
from the public building work, bids fair TO
overwhelm the once beautiful city. It has
been decided 10 erect Q new post once on
Pennsylvania avenue between tie Capitol and
the Treasury on one of the most conspicuous
sites in Washington. and it does not seem q n
Il would be asking too much to beg, In the
name of the community, not alone Of architects
and education, that the intended structure may
not be "polychromantic" object, with red
and yellow stripes; that, II adorned with fAmil-
lar classical features, these may be designed BY
some person who has seen and studied good
examples of them, and not by people who don't
know how they ought 70 look and don't care;
that columns eight feet in diameter, and eighty
feet high, may not be employed 70 hold mp the
skylights, and that tin, galvanized iron. roofing
slate and other speedily perishable msterials
BE- sxsluded from il construction
Two Important Epochs.
A. seventeen he stood before TIE giAss ana vsry