New-York tribune., 1891-12-24
THE WORLDS FAIR BUILDINGS.
EXHIBITION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL
LEAGUE

The seventh annual exhibition Of the Architectural
League should win wider and more cordial apprpvai
from the public than any OF its predecessors ever dd
f'r the reason TINT 1t cJmprehends feature winch ap
peals to the country mt large the designs prepared Tor
the Worlds Fair buildings at Chicago and, further
more, this feature calls for almost unqualified praise
Whatever else the Exposition OF 1893 lack. 1t Is
certainly assured an architectural setting worthy OF
its magnitude and Of its generally artistic aim The
source Of this happy consummaon Is to be founo In
the wisdom OF the commissioners and architects, who
foresaw at the beginning that IL was onB by "orNhg
in concert that they could approximate unity
OF effect in the great congeries Of buildings to be
erected. Absolute unity IN the disposition Of the
buildings and. consequence, in the pictorial mass
ing OF their combined outlines was perhaps rendered
impossible by the peculiar conditions offered by the
site the lake front but snch unity as Is to be OBJ
tained by comparatively general adherence 10 one
styleand that simple one, permitting few ebulntiohs
Of individual diosyncrasy has been obtained In this
instance The style chosen is based on the simple
lines Of the classic period with Renaissance
motives clothing 1t and giving It hghtness and
variety. n, better could have been selected The
temptation must have presented itself, considering the
Venetian character which the presence OF canals Will
impart TO the Fair to buih a glittering fabric OF
Moorish and Gothic design on the shores OF Lake
Michigan, but this successfully resisted. The
Fisheries Building, designed by Mr. Henry Ives Cobb
Adler sullivan, the only ones in which Moorlsh
details are noticed and In neither they at all
obtrusive. The design by Mr.. Atwood for the Fine
Arts Building, that by Messrs. Mckm. Mead White
for the Agricultural Hail. that by Mr. Post Tor the
Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building and that by
Messrs. Peabody scarns for the Palace OF Machines
are all worked ont with much taste on the simple
style mentioned eoove. The thing that Is missed.
and that would be the proper climax to the harmony.
lie buildne tD strike keynote ana
dominate the entire collection Of buildings fortli-
nately we are to he spared the hideous vulgary OF
another Einel tower, but nothing In the adinlribic
birdseye view Of the Fair which Is exhibited appears
to stand out with the alembracng significance that
is the one precious idea embalmed In the unsghty
Partisan structure. Mr. Richard NJ. Hunts design Tor
the Administration Building, shown in large water
color of striking brlahcy, would appear, at first sight,
to furnish the lacking feature. 1t Is an imposing
building surmounted by q huge dome. bread square
or its right Is adorned with campanile and with
pillars similar TO those which themselves upon
the pazottap Of San Marco The foreground IS en-
lvened with gondolas busily landing and receiving
passengers. Thero IS air Of srlcndor In the
picture despite the Efel tower in the background,
which must have been drawn before tho decision OF the
Commissioners was reached and 1t suggests that here
the Fair centres But the suggestion comes from inc
drawing alone Reference 70 the blrdseye view proves
that this building does not, any more thal any otfer
stand Us the head and front Of the Exposition The ge'-
er effect Of the Exposition remains, however very dig
niied and impressive. The buildings all have The ap
pearanoe of pernanence, though in view Of the ma
eral which is to be used in their construction, com
position initiative OF stone, this fact may provoke crt
cism.
New-York Is not to be bllndy congratulated upon
the addition to her architectural monuments OF the
Cathedral Of st. John the Divine. designed by Messrs
Helms and La Fargo. The final plans, exhibited az
the League reveal an edl1ce Of undoubed bigness OF
scale but OF doubtful grandeur. For all lis sze the
cathedral seems huddled. The spire Is Without the
soaring aerial feeling that should distinguish this mem
her and the front with It's shallow entrance ianked
ny towers Is narrow and crowded Tie magnifcence
which is the first attribute OF q cathedral Is con
spicuousy absent from this example OF ecclesiastical
architecture 1t IS thoroughly coherent design there
IS no composition in II like that which Is noted IN
the design for the cathedral by Messrs Potter Robert
SON. but IL is quite unremarkable In fact, this ex-
hbition does not bring forward more than half dozen
ecclesiastical buildings which rise above the common
place. aad those are nearly oil small rural structures
such as No "a Church. Chapel ana school Iof
Collegiate Church" by Mr.. II. F. Kilburn, NO. ~.
"Hillside Presbyterian Church." by Messrs Rosslter
e. Wright and the stone churches by Messrs Mchlh'
Mead & White. and Little, Brown Moore. Mr.
Ua,chs CITY Church, is carefully designed but Is not
particularly striking The most satisfactory OF the
larger churches the Cathedral Of st. Peter and St Paul.
at indianapolis, by Messrs. Renwick Aspinwail'
Russell d. Coulter is merely an adaptation from OF
Christopher Wren. 1t is apparently in the country
and when working on small scale that the American
architect is most original and most frequently gded
nv good taste There are OF cottages here, TOO
many IN be individually specified which highly
credtabIe to their designers, being simple yet pct-
resoue Some are in the colonial STYLE some follow the
quaint old half-tmbered work OF England, ana some
are copies Of Normandy farmhouses. but others are
TO be attributed OF these sources, thcy arc
native 10 the soil and on the whole they should be
0attering 10 national pride. When an attempt Is made
to design a country house larger than the average
cottage however the same success Is not to be wit
messed. Mr. Taft's design for house at Tuxedo and
Mr. Robertson's for an enormous stone castested ana
turrcted manor labored and clumsy. Yet the
extensive country house would not appear to present
insuperable difficulties to the architect, The most
serious problem to be solved by the modern
architect. and the one in the solution Of which
he is most heavily handicapped, Is that
OF the lofty warehouse Office building Here he may
seldom give way 10 his fancy, but must erect box
with as many square openings In 1t as possible Tor
purposes OF light. OF wall space he has next 10 none
Messrs Carrere Hastings In their Pierce Building
show how good proportions. few wellpaced columns
and sobriety In detail can accomplish wonders The
mistake committed in ninetenths oi the large hotels
and Office buildings Is that Of striving to relieve the
monoony of their facades by Irregularities Of design.
Thus Messrs Buchanan * Deisler. In their competitive
drawing for the Coffee Exchange, Introduce win
dows In the most unexpected places and Mr. Post In
his Prud initial Insurance Building puts an entrance
door in the basement of his corner tower where 1t
weakens the constructive effect There is very little
TO be said for buildings like the Waldorf Hotel By Mr.
H. j. Hardenbergh; the Germania Insurance Building.
by Messrs Lamb Rich, the Metropolitan Insurance
Building by Messrs. N lie Brun Sons Their
facades are immense. the faculty of composition has
been staggered by the multitude OF windows and the
result is great paucty OF expression OF character
In connection with these large stone aud brick build
inos il may be- pointed ont that Mr.. Richardson's in
fuence is passing away. There fewer than usual
OF the heavy Romanesque buildings which architects
who were fascinated with his ideas wont TO design
a short time ago and their limited number Is probably
10 be ascrbed 10 tile fact that with Increasing knowl
edge OF his work has come the conviction that IL t.
allan 10 American traditions and only accllmated