New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-10

being sufficient 10 excuse the Use of the phrase
These gigantic piers extend TO the cornice around
most OF the building, and above ii at the portals,
| the rich ornamentation in the capitals being con-
! tinued with notifications in frieze. The build
| ing is to be occupied by industries which deal
with especially weighty and bulky materials, and
there is sound sense in giving its exterior ap-
, pearance Of almost ponderous stability. And
this appearance has been given it without depart
I ing from the primary canons Of balance and pro.
portion which have been spoken Of, when the build
ing is examined at close quarters and with refer
ence to those adjacent facades which not on
the court, it fills its place adequately and artis-
tically.
Eliminating the Mines Building from the main
court for the sake Of argument-athough it has
| frontage on unimportant portion Of the latter
the structures to be touched upon at this end OF
the grounds possess so many characteristics in
| common that the conference of the unit which
they combine to make is to be dwelt upon before
| their individual qualities The height Of the
| Administration Building has been alluded TO. 1t
Is the lol'cst building in the court, the porico
| of the Exposition should be. The buildings
| grouped with it arc longer, wider and naturally
lower he Administration Building is 262 feet
square. The Electricity Building measures 345
by 800 feet, the Liberal Arts Building Is 1877 by
,6s7 feet, the Machinery Building is 404 by s42
feet, and the Agricultural Building is 500 by 500
| feet. Both the Machinery and Agricultural Build
ings have anneXcs Of considerable size. Above the
cornice each building has points which differ rad-
cally from those in any other structure, and the re-
suit is sky line that with reservation 10 be noted
below is Of delightful variety Beneath the cornices
there differences of design, but when the
is viewed as whole they are less marked The
effect then is as of a vast quadrangle surrounded
by arcaded structures on the three sides
looked by the front of the Administration Build
ing, the arcades being kept in scale by adher-
ence in all the buildings to the same measure
ment from pier TO pier, and being saved from
monotony by the independent treatment Of de-
tails Thus it will be seen from the sketch of
| fragment of the Agricultural Building that the
| side shown therein-the west side the pavilion on
the angle Is open and the spaces between the col
| umns Which support the arches tho right
closed. The conditions are reversed on the north
side OF the building, and while the corner pavilion
| Is closed, the succession OF sngl story columns
extending from II 10 the entrance pavilion in the
centre, d succession only interrupted twice by
II wide solid pier with double story pilasters, is
left open and the wall which 1t screens is recessed
so to leave broad walk Across the basin
where the south end of the Liberal Arts Building
! faces the Agricultural Building the entire spaces
between the central and corner pavilions are filled
arches just beneath the cornice and with the
separation between the first and second stores
marked by fiat arch thrown from the middle OF
one column to another The second story open
ings are glazed The first are left open and from
corner TO corner the promenade is unbroken, the
central pavlions being connected with the arcades
| by a continuous passage.
TO return TO the rroad relations OF these build
| ings. The Administration building could be
made massive because in length and breadth ~ is
the same. and could be carried TO any height Inc
Machinery, Agricultural. Electricity and Liberal
Arts buildings are all greater in length, than IN
| width and far greater in both length and breadth
| IN %
aid Of iron trusscs and such eNpcdicnts the arclli-
| tccts of these buildings were yet Obliged TO keep
about sixty feet With long. low facldes 10 produce,
therefore il was out OF the qu,.tion 10 conceive
| them in 4 massive style. as Mr. Hunt was at
liberty 10 conceive the pavilons Of the Admnistra-
ton Building. 1t l,nI erntive to give them
| as much lightncss and elegance as would he COM
patible with their psendo-solidity. The frequent
use Of the Corinthidn order. sometimes pure ana
sometimes modified. and a general reference 10
classic architccturc-which at it's grandest still
may be said to have eesance-furnshcd the solution
statelier quadrangle than these buildings form.
| the rows upon rows Of columns In the Machinery
and Agricultural buildings framing the right hand
side. those Of the Liberal Arts Building and the
pilasters Of the Electricity Building 'lling IN the
scene on the left, and the peris'yle or arcade NJ
the foot Of the court, joining a trnmpha arch III
the centre TO the simple Italian music hail ana
| casino on either side, thrown out boldly and dis
tnctly against the stccly clouds that hang over
the lake The ornament IS now"r" cate N j.,
sclf and applied with .a,ic The effect is at
once rich and refined. The sculpture particularly
and the painted decoration, which necl to u" CON
sdered in greater dciail than is possible upon the
| present occasion. lend incalculable animation ana
charm TO the DESIGNS which they adorn - .,o
One thing that has contributed much 10 thc
| harmonious effect Of the buildings in the court
Is the policy followed by the. architects In re. re-
gard to the projections requisite TO relieve are
| sent tbosc have been confined 10 the portcos IN
| tho centre OF each side of the different build
| ncs and 10 the pavilions at the corners The
former are, Of course more prctcntions than the
| latter. hut all are characterized by the modcrt.
ton which is the keynote 10 the architecture Oh
the court. and all are monnmentai-ali: thar r Is,
| exception invites n short discussion OF specinc
points in the court. All thinIs considered. the
tions that a blcmish here and there Is com
raratvcly of no CONSEQUENCE Put IL ca,hO ,rea ~
discussed that II the !uadrangr has one Gesi %e"S
by Messrs. Van Brunt q Howe Inc co,
operation of its pilastcrs with the columns =, Of
the Liberal Arts Building to form an ensemble
on the north side of the court has been referred
10 favoraby and is really crcditable, but the
success Of this cooperation has been due more
10 "a respect for the rules "a to measurements
and the relations Of arch spans, corices ana r So
forth. than 10 accomplishment IN design; Inc
design Of this building lacks grace, lacks beauty
of outline lacks most of all largcncss OF style
and dignity Its conspicuous features are num-
her of towers rising from the cornicc 10 various
heights and surmountcd by lanterns ana domcS.
These are commonplace and ungraccfn enough
i'm themselves. Combined with certain other
features their effect is hardly to be lauied For
example. the main entrance. which faces on the
| court is marked by an immense arch that springs
from a point as high as the cornice of the build,
Ing itself Above the arch is a pcdmcnt OF
generous dimensions, and above. this Is heavy
attic with a horizontal top. As has been oh,
served the entrance il not truly monumental, and
the reason is that below the cornice it il Kept
fat. not sufficiently emphasized and No.
Of an acove or niche, which increases the feeling
of fatness. But the pcdimcnt and attic give !,
great heaviness and to balance the mass-for u
Is a mass-the architects have provided at each
corner u belfry as aforesaid The sky lines OF
the building are restless without being picturesque
The surfaces Of the facadcs are broken up by
i,;.,. Int ,,itb M snecioI ingenuity or artistic