New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-16
TIE NEW YORK CATHEDRAL.
BREADTH AND SERIOUSNESS PREFERRED TO
NNEEOWNESS AND LENGTH.

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: I'm the pending competition for tl" Now York
cathedral. the design, Of the Architect, selected in the
Hnal competition being i:un- the see House.
one important thing To dccd upon i, the fitness AMI
ploprrty 0f u ground plan" for this proposed
modern cathedral Ecforo The Reformation all 'athe-
dra, were planned with narrownc,, Of navcS and cN-
Cc--iycy long StructuIc>, TO accommodate certain
form, If service 1t should now bc arranged, III th'
enlightened age. with width and Splciou5ne-5 through
out avoiding those excessive lengths ard contracted
Vista, and possessing vast an area at the crossing
where the choir ttan,cpt, and nave roofs meet a.
pos ihir, that the -rcratiou MAJ -ce and hear
an that take place within the walls # thc structure
70 accomplish this the size Of the binding mus
necessarily Dee greater than any which heretofore have
been arranged. far uninterrupted >pac" is
concerned. TN, crossing should be- di-niicc and
crowned on the outside with symmetrical SUPER
structure in perfect harmony and proportion with
tie ret of the building. 1t can readily be seen th'
th, Of necessity Will bring ont originality among the
architect, and tend toward bold undertakings In con
,truc'iona beauty.
What shall tai, be- OaIy a few resource. remain
In architectural achievements. Tho dome. the spirc.
the low lantern and the tower only hivo been al.
tempted. There foreign prccad'nts for 80 graf
~pan rs That lch should exist the Intersection
~ IN, nave and trlu>cpt, Of ti' coming Nc"-lork
Cathedral. IT. Iaul, Cathedral ha- a spacious dome.
and TN, J., the best Il the few examples If The Kind
modern requirement, have great use for It. ~ viii he
seen iu the tirgir, aui services iu use. >iucc
il ccu- 10 be- an essential that th, cathedral should
10, " greater width I'm ground plan ana than any
precedent i'm the world to suit the metropolitan idea
of grandeur space utility. then ,tould the public
De- pr,iar.d to bold undertaking, which necessarily
become the browning feature of the cathedral in ia,
cpmpciiiDu There I- no cathedral in the world
taken a, a whole that would exactly III the site which
ia, been selected for this proposed structure. neither
would ANYBODY care 10 see al imported copy Of some
existing creation
Thsn naturally come, the inycntIvcnc,s ol rdoa-
Of our American architect, to solve ard adapt some
form of architecture - tn, modern need. Aud. lest
We fail into error OF narIOWuc-, of nave. and an IN
dl-nlcI crossing. let pause to think seriously on
these two important point, before We allow the
exterior 10 play upou our imaEnltion- with it,
ornamrutation. which 100 reality ;, = secondary con
diiion A. compared with the rest. and let u> not
enter into hr matter of spires. lurIcle. etc. uutI
established W.. the Ground plan Immediately
following thi,. the interior vautns, and lroportHn
>hoad be factor suggested undoubtedly rom me
ground plan. shall the interior Ice low ana uudgni,
fled or merriam, narrow and long shall Il d. based
upon some logical rule 10 admit plenty Oi light at the
proper places. especially N ti, crossing Il Il uoW-
from the lantern overhead II Wold hhaN ilSht me
floor sufficiently. Neither would the tIrn-cpt- admit
enough. ,hould TN, area be extensive. bat >on.'
direct light in IN" immediate vicinity of thr vast
crossing cal, Int serve the purpose. ~ suggest N
ut u, not judge hastily by the exterior. which i ~
accordance with the common rule. but LOOK carefully
into the merits of the ground plans first. We ,lla
then behold splendid achievement in this individual
Of hvgOuc ages. an ideal poem In stone. &. II. y.
Newark March q, 1891.