The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-05
TO R A LIBRARY PLANS.
TWE ITE ARCHITECTS INVITED TO
ENTER TIE SECOND COMPETITION.

Rreliusinnry Conpettlon-Generat Plnn OF
Director BirinEs-Saain Rooms 20 Seat 500
Readers-The building to Cost 81. 700, 900.
Tho result Of tho preliminary competition Of
drawings for the building Of the New York Pub
lie Library, Astor, LenoN, and Tilden Founda-
tions, was announced yesterday by the judges,
Prof. William r. Ware of Columbia University,
Bernard r. Green. the constructor Of the new
Congressional Library. and DIR. J. s. Billings,
the director of tho New York Public Library.
Eighty eight architects sent in designs for the
competition. Through Secretary q. J.. Rives the
following twelve architects have been invited to
take part In the second and final competitions:
Carrcrc & Hastings, Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz, j. II.
Freedlander. Charles c. Haight, Haydel & Shep-
ard, II. Hornbostel, G.. +. Wood & g. C.. Pal
mer. Howard s. Cauldwell. McKim, Mead &
White, Peabody & Stearns, George b. Post,
w. Wheeler Smith, associated with Walker
& Morris, and whitney Warren. Each
OF these will receive q prize of 500
for drawings in the preliminary competition
and $500 to cover the cost Of preparing draw
ings for the second competition. All have &C
ceptod the committees invitation to participate
In the inal competition. The plans are to DO
submitted not later than Nov. 1, 1897.
In q pamphlet issued by the commission yes
terday the terms Of tho competition are set forth
In detail. 1t is stated that the duties and powers
Of the trustees in the premises are limited by
law to obtaining designs and selecting one Of
them for execution. The Department Of Public
Parks is to construct the building in con-
formity with tho plans prepared under tho
direction Of the trustees and approved
by tho Board Of Estimate and Apportion-
ment. The final acceptance of a plan
and the employment Of an architect are thus
made subject to the approval OF the city au-
thoritics. But the trustees assume that the
acceptance OF a plan necessarily carries with II
tho employment of its author, with the GUS
tomary fees as declared by the American Insti-
tute Of Architects, inasmuch as he is tho only
person who can complete the drawings and
carry the accepted design into execution.
The committee, according to tho plans Of COM
petition. selected the authors of the six most
meritorious drawings in the open competition
| and invited six other architects to take part in
the second competition. The drawings in the
second competition will be judged by n jury Of
seven persons. consisting OF three practising
architects to DO selected by the competitors
themselves, three membcrs Of the Board Of
Trustees to be named hereafter by the
board. and tho Director OF the New York
Public Library. The jury. by a majority vote.
is to select the designs, Mt least three in num-
Der. which they find to DO on tho whole the
most meritorious. and is to send them to the
~ uhlihk thVui ~ Wv. o'Nt ~ =
merit. and adding such and criticisms
upon them as the jury. or any of its members
one of the designs thus submitted and will send
It to the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment
for its approval. recommending the author as
the architect for the building.
II the choice OF the trustees should fall upon
one of the architects who took part in the pre-
may, as provided in the terms OF the COMPETE
ton. associate with him in the conduct and exc
cution of the work some other architect to be
agreed upon between him and them, and may
divide the fees between the two. according, to
jury will finally decide all differences Of opin-
The building is to DO built for 81. ZOO. 900. ex.
apparatus. furniture, book stacks. and shelving,
and also of the expenditure for architects fees
and for removing the reservoir: but tho ma
terials OF the reservoir can be utilized rs far as
practicable and desirable. The building will
ures 4s@x4S5 feet, it mH be, Constructed
possible in the rooms used BY the public or for
clerical purposes. The windows win run nearly
not come within Ave feet OF the floor. The book
stacks will also be constructed SO as to receive
p psd msfa that Say] artisc Ia @R Iisht viii D Ss 1t en Il ny. dis IL.
pensed with. The building will be heated by
The floors in the main halls. corridors. and
mosaic; in the trustees and director 5 rooms OF
wood or parquetry; and in the book stacks OF
white marble slabs. In the reading rooms and
administration rooms the floors may be OF brick
or concrete. as they will be covered with n
thick cork carpet or other noiscless material.
The building must be thoroughly ~fireproof. For
the purposes OF the second competition 1t is
to be assumed that the building viii be con.
structed OF masonry. except the book stacks;
that the socalled skeleton construction of iron
walls viii be faced With Indiana limestone. al.
though that material may not be finally ADOPTED.
their work by the plans OF Director J. S. Billings
for the interior OF the building. drawn after
of all the principal library buildings in the
world. These plans were approved by the
philadelphia on June %. According to them.
the pamphlet goes on TO state:
The lending department must be distinct
from the reading rooms, and must be provided
with easy and direct access from the street.
The children's room and the periodical and
newspaper rooms, must be provided with similar
easy access. and should probably be on the
first floor. The accession department must have
direct communication with that portion OF
the main stack which is oil the same level, and
also with the catalogue room. either directly or
situated as to overlook each OF the large public
reading rooms. The machinery for bringing
books from the stacks must be as direct and
ut is believed that the plans proposed by the
certain other advantages specified below.
These plans exhibit a building measuring
about sevcnty.hve feet from Fifth avenue and
about hfty.eight feet from Forticth street and
rOrty-second street. Inc BOOK STACKS are NJ the
back toward the open portion of the park. They
occupy two stories and, the basement, and
have the reading rooms in a third story above
them. This arrangement gives the reading rooms
the maximum amount OF light, brings
the stacks into easy and direct communication
with them, and allows OF the extension OF the
building toward the west at some future day. by
enlarging both the stacks and The reading rooms
simultaneously and proportionately. with a
comparatively small enlargement of the portions
Of the building devoted to administrative and
other uses.
The administration is concentrated on tho
south side of, the building. A private entrance
for the use Of EMPLOYEES is provided, and also "A
driveway from The street 10 admit OF the passage
Of carts containing books or stores. The boil
ers, engines, dynamos and coal vaults are
placed outside OF the building and below tho
level OF the FOrticth street sidewalk. In the
basement near tho driveway are the
storerooms, book %bindery. printing room.
and rooms for packing and exchang.
ing books and for issuing them to branch
libraries. Above are receiving rooms for books.
accessions department. cataloguing room. and
order and checking department.. Between the
administrative part OF the building and the
part open to the public come the rooms for the
director and the trustees.
In the basement, near the FOrty-second street