Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-12
Rules Governing the Competition Of
Architects Issued.
MARBLE PROPOSED FOR WALLS
The Suggested Division Of the
Floor Spaces.
THOSE WHO WILL COMPETE

The Washington public library commits
| sion consisting of the three District Conn
| missoners. Colonel Theo. A. Bingham,
United States army, and Mr. Theo. w.
Moves, president of the board of trustees
of the library, has adopted the rules gov
erning the competition of plans for the new
library building. This building, is well
known to the people of the District, Will
be erected on Mount Vernon Square, Mr..
Andrew Carnegie having donated the sum
of $500 900 for the construction of the new
library. The commission has, pursuant to
the provisions of the act of March 3, 1889,
also invited ten architects or firms of con-
spicuous ability and experience to submit
competitive designs for the building, all of
whom have accepted the invitation. They
are as follows: Alden & Harlow, Pittsburg,
Pa; Appleton P. Clark, jr., Washington,
d. c.; Henry Ives Cobb, Chicago, Ill; Hart
WELL Richardson & Driver, Boston, Mass
Hornblower & Marshall, Washington, d. c.;
Marsh & Peter, Washington, d. G; Fred
d. Owen, Hartford, Conn; w. NJ. Poindex-
ter, Washington, d. C.; q. X thompson,
New York, and Wyatt Noting, Baiti-
more, Md
The Competition.
The designs for the building must, I'M
framed and mounted on cardboard, be sent
fiat in portfolio, and delivered by i m.
July l., 1889, to the president of the
library commission, District Commissioner
John w Ross. The rules governing the
competition provide that
The ten architects invited by the commits
sion to compete will select two persons to
act with the commission as judges of the
competition. The unsuccessful among the
invited architects will each receive the sum
of $50 in compensation of the labor of
preparing plans. The competition will not
be limited. however, to the ten invited ar
chitects. The Judges of the competition will
consider also the designs submitted by any
architect outside of those invited to COM
pete, but these competitors, if unsuccessful,
will receive no compensation. All of the
drawings will be returned to their authors
after the final decision has been made.
The architect or firm of architects, whose
design shall be adjudged most acceptable
shall be employed as architect of the build
ing. The successful competitor is to hold
himself in readiness to restudy and modify
his plan, in details, in conformity with the
wishes of the commission.
Cost and Material.
Mr.. Bernard r. Green, superintendent Of
the building Of the Library of Congress,
has been appointed to take charge of the
construction of the building.
The total cost of the building including
book stacks, heating and lighting apparatus
in short everything but furniture-is linn
tied to s250,000 for the purpose of the COM
petition. The building must be thoroughly
fire proof.
The commission prefers that the external
walls be faced with marble if. within the
limitations of the cost of the structure, a
building of this material can be constructed
which shall furnish ample areas for all
the practical uses of a modern lending and
reference library of the best type. Archi-
tects Will, for the purposes of the competi-
ton, base their designs upon the use of
marble for the exterior walls but the COM
mission is not committed to the use of this
material, and competitors are therefore
requested to state fully their views as to
the choice of materials and their relative
cost.
Wherever practicable the partitions should
be OF glass, permitting free observation of
rooms by the attendants
In addition to the public entrance on tho
nam front. basement entrance for bicv-
cies, etc, should be provided near il
The First Floor.
The rooms suggested for the first floor
with their approximate areas, include the
book room, 6,OC0 square feet or less. There
should be present provision for at least
223,ooo volumes and a much larger ultimate
capacity. AS far as the symmetry of the
building and the limitation upon its cost
Will permit the commission desires a hook
room covering considerable ground area
and shelving many books as possible in
stack tiers. included within the first story
of the building. Designs are, however ad-
mtssible which place the stack tiers in
numerous stories. one above another to the
fun height of the building with a CORE
spending reduction of the ground area oc-
cupied. Lending department, 200 square