The record-union., 1893-05-20
THE HERALD" BuILDING.
Home of the Greatest Newspaper In
Americo

America.
The new Herald building presents a
very rare and, in some respects, a unique
architectural opportunity, of which, upon
the whole, Mr.. Bennett's architect has
taken admirable advantage.
In the 1irst place, the site secured for
the building is, from an architectural
point OF view, one OF the very best III the
city. The triangles formed by the inter
section of Broadway with the avenues
and streets offer almost the only sites
above Fourteenth street upon which a
public building can be placed so as to be
adVantageously seen. The rectangular
street system does not permit a building
10 be isolated, except at a very great cost
by setting 1t in The midst of an open
space, nor to be seen from distance ex-
cept by plecemeal. The intersections Of
broadway with the avenues offer num-
Der OF really commanding sites, and the
new Her0td building rejolces in the pos
session of one of these. The isolation of
IL assures an ample lighting TO the whole
building, while the dimensions, though
ample, are not so great that the building
cannot be lighted entirely from the
streets, except at the north end, the base
OF the triangle, where it has been found
desirable To insert for the upper stories a
small triangular court.
Ihe site, securing that the building
shall be thoroughly well lighted and
thoroughly well seen, is the first of the
architectural advantages. The second is
scarcely less important and even more
unusual, IN that the building is simply
and exclusively the Herald building
mat so very costly piece of ground
devoted to commercial building should
be limited TO three stories, and should be
used simply to accommodate the yariOus
departments OF great newspaper, is a
naf w IN 1nh hn Il
estate ana projectors OF commercial build
1ngs view with horror, so wasteful does it
seem to them to be. But the architect
may very well view it with delight. since
1t gives him chance to convert a com
mercial building into an exhibit, of a
great industry, and even to give it a mon
umental character. Undoubtedly such q
building is a costly advertisement. but
undoubtedly, also, it is far more effect
i've advertisement than if it were devised
10 yield rental from occupation by other
businesses than that which it is meant
primarily to accommodate.
so extensive a building would necessa-
rlly be conspicuous in these davs of SIX v
scrapers, but the architect has taken mains
to make the building look even lower
than it is by emphasizing its lateral ex-
tent. The emphatic lines are the hori-
Zontal courses, and the effect of these is
that traverse two of the fronts and that
support the structure while at the same
time giving a sheltered space for specta-
tors to view the mechanical processes of
putting modern newspaper through the
press. Such an exhibit" as this has never
been arranged anywhere on anything like
the same scale, and the value of it as an
advertisement will be very great, the
greater because the same sight cannot
now be seen at all in the part Of the town
in which the new Herald building has
been established.
The general proportions OF the building.
its vertical division into two stories and
an unbroken and conspicuous roof. and
the composition of each of the fronts
taken by itself, with the relation of voids
to solids-all these points of design are
carefully studied and effective, the ar
cades being especially successful features.
There is no straining after originality
In the design, the detail being Of the
early Italian Renaissance and the archi-
lecture recalling, perhaps too specifically.
some of the monuments of the fifteenth
century, OF the period of the Certosa at
Pavia. The great and almost unprece-
dented profusion of the decorative detail
is point that will arrest attention. Be-
sides the value of this, however, as in
creasing the conspicuousness of the build
ing, 1t has warrant in the nature of the
material. Terra Gotta is so plastic that
plain building executed in it would show
that the designer was ignorant of the ca
pabilities of his material. 1t really de-
mands an ornate treatment. The detail
here is for the most part very good, and
often admirable in design, and Of an un-
falling delicacy and precision in execu-
ton. Upon the whole, Mr.. Bennett and
his architects are to be congratulated
upon a graceful and effective piece of
architecture which constitutes an orna-
ment to the city.-New York Times.