The morning call., 1895-02-07
t ne May Yet Obtain a Thing of
Beauty.
DEPENDS on A BATTLE FOR ART.
al Architects Roast" the Design
and The Governments Ways
With It's Buildings.

rs to evolving their ideal of what the
Postoffice building should look like.
t is not at all certain that the design
pared in the shop of the Supervising
,hitect at Washington and shown in
CALL short time ago will ever be-
ne reality. There is a good prospect
t before the time to lay the granite
he new building comes, some master OF
great profession may be given the job
planning it, with the result that San
.ncisco's chief public building may rise
more noble beauty than appears in the
;sic commonplaceness that now threat
us from Washington.
he best local architects vigorously con-
an the design whenever they are asked
ut it. They say that from an architec-
al point of view it is cheap, common
&c and unworthy; that 1t is on level
h the designs for Government buildings
over the country that are ground out
the plan factory at Washington, and
it is a shame that a Government
lcture which will cost millions and
I'd for generations should not be de-
ned by man of rank in his profession.
Us is familiar protest, but a point of
II
ay that the ways of the Government
national architecture may be revolu-
led in time for San Francisco to get a
3ffice building designed by an architect
enius. This possibility carries with it
one that one or more San Francisco
litects may have their designs consid-
Hand that the great building the city
waited for SO long may be monument
deal genius.
! this may result from a strong cam
N that the best architects all over the
ted States are carrying on in favor of
v of Congress and policy in the Treas
Department which shall not only fill
office of supervising architect with
! of high ability but shall give the de-
ling of every important public building
n eminent American architect selected
competitive submission of designs
i've men of rank named by small COM
sion.
)me months ago the American Institute
Architects made an aggressive move in
u of an able supervising architect in
d of a comparatively unknown politi-
4, but President D. II. Burnham, late
# of construction of the Worlds Fair,
vigorously snubbed by Secretary Car
; when the plan was urged. Since then
matter has been much urged and dis
sed and Carlisle has drawn in his horns
tie.
Ow the American Institute of Archi-
is making a strong effort to get John
larrere of New York, a man of high
ty and wide reputation, appointed
Tvising architect. San Francisco is in
his move. A few days ago A. Page
IN sent East contributory petition in
of Carrere, signed by a number of
l architects, all of whom warmly in
&c the move. If Carrere is appointed
e will be a new design for the San
neisco Postoffice and it would probably
one that competent architects would
sneer at.
he chief reform which is being urged is
)raced in the Mckaig bill, now pending
congress. This measure, prepared by
American Institute of Architects,
I'D make the designs of all future Gov
ment buildings the product of the best
litectural genius of the country, and
Worlds Fair buildings, with the one
option of the Government building,
wed what such a policy would result in.
roadly, this bill provides for a commits
/, composed of three eminent architects
two army engineers, who shall select
litects and designs for all public build
;. d
litects of standing who will consent to
nit competitive designs. The commits
| Will select the design, and the success
architect Will be paid in accordance
4 a scale proportional by the cost. He
supervise the construction, as in
ate work, subject to the supervision of
supervising architect. A law like this
Id gladden. every architect heart, and
1T in American Government buildings
ig as stately and beautiful as those of
ope, where the best genius of the nations
nployed.
ne fate of the San Francisco Postoffice
nked with this bill, and its possibilities
e inspired some early local dreams of a
Francisco Postoffice, for if the pending
button is successful San Francisco
I'D undoubtedly be represented among
competing architects.
ne design which has been put forth
q the Supervising Architects office is
prously roasted" amongsthe architects
2. They cannot criticize the detail be-
Sc they have not seen the original
wings, but they have seen the general
e and appearance as presented by The
do not care to discuss the design, and
scially not in detail" said Edward r.
in, "but the first thing an architect
Id say is that it is commonplace. 1t
;ents no particular merit The STYLE is
ly good perhaps. 1t is classic as most
eminent buildings are. Perhaps the
t noticeable fault is the lack of simple
The designer seemed afraid of sim
ity, and the beauty of architecture lies
implicitly. A building is like woman
ONE of its elements of beauty. Dress
woman up in silks ard ribbons and
on ornaments, and then dress another
efully in materials of simple richness
perhaps diamond sunburSt at her
pat, and which will appear most beau
Il?
No, it should have no towers. l don't
eve in piling on towers, bay-windows
other excrescences. One excrescence
e is that secondary baIustrade along
top. Such building can be designed
Z utility as we'll as beauty, and ! don't
what that was put there for The good
nts of the design are ordinarily COM
nplace and some of the faults are bad.
as good as could be expected under the
sent system and hope the bill before
lgress will pass in time to give San
ncisco a building worthy of admira-
L."
It's extremely commonplace, said F.
hdIul1tOuJ anu VI Tie Sd11e SeuSTdl
racter as Government buildings gen.
ly, which are planned about as they do
k in factory. There are scores of
b things all over the United States. OF
rse one cannot intelligently criticize
b design in detail from rough sketch,
it seems to lack simplicity of treat
ut for one thing. There are too many
AXIS and projections. That low attic
i the central pavilion seems to have no
use for being there, and don't see
1T that second balustrade was put in
4 Those arches in the third story of the
Ter naYilions do not harnnniZa with the