The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-17
THOSE HIGH BUILDINGS
A NEW YORK ARCHITECT HOPES
FOR LIMITATION OF HEIGHT.
Built tn Secure Air and Light, Not
Space. They Deefnt Their Pur-
pose When Crowded Together.

buildings Of New York are slightly or de-
sirabIe. and though 1 have my share OF
professional responsibility in the natter
having designed the Park Row building and
that OF the American Tract Company in
Nassau street, shall not be sorry to see
the law step in and limit their further erec-
ton.
The best that can be said for their ap-
pearance is that, viewed FROM distance
especially from the lower bay-they give TO
the city's skyline certain picturesqueness
which is not unpleasing. There are some
striking groups of giants. A closer inspec-
ton. however, reveals defects which re-
suit from the exigencies of the case. and
do not see any way to a remedy, except
through a cessation of such building.
If am given plot of land two hundred
feet square. with instructions to design a
building, of which all four sides shall be
treated INTELLECTUALLY, 1 can hope that my
product will be harmonious and pleasing;
an ornament to the part Of the city in
which in stands. But if on the other hand
] have only a narrow slice OF land; must
build so as to give the utmost possible space
to tenants; with rows of windows every
few feet; must go to great height and treat
only two sides-or perhaps only the front
arcnitecturally. so to save money for
my client, the result cannot possibly be
satisfactory TO the artistic sense. Critics
who have treated this subject seem to for
get or to be ignorant of the fact that the
first necessity of these buildings is that
they shall pay" and that on the altar of
such utility it is impossible, under all the
circumstances, not to sacrifice more or
less beauty. They are really engineering
feats-these buildings-and therefore have
little or no architectural value. They have
taught architects nothing, except as to
engineering
I hope that the limit has been reached
in the Park Row building-which rises 1872
feet from sidewalk to base of Flagstaff on
the dome, and goes So feet below the side
walk-and that We will now see something
having the nature and tendency OF a re-
BEGAN IN CHICAGO.
This kind of building began in Chicago
It differs from any that the world ever
had known before. and the difference is not
one on which we can congratulate our
selves. 1t has made our wide streets mar
row and our narrow streets like alleys;
1t has increased cold and dampness on the
streets and given us winds that are fero-
sious-that, for instance. which lies in wait
for people at the Tract Company buildings
corner of Nassau street.
The high buildings of European cities
bear no comparison with ours. Those of
The Italian cities only went up about six
stories, and those of Edinburgh were little
higher. And they were only residences
Europe will never copy this fashion from
US. In London you could not fill ten
story building. The people who have
Offices seek seclusion, getting away into
some old-fashioned court, where they have
elbow room and can keep their neighbors
at a distance Three thousand people in
a building would never suit them at all.
In Paris, such buildings as these high ones
of ours would not be allowed They are
very particular there, and control intended
buildings as to height, material, form and
design most rigidly-
/ think that 1t would be wise to limit the
height of buildings here to $50 feet on wide
and 100 feet on narrow streets.
1t was not the exigencies of business
the compression of enormous volume
of activities in a small area-that gave us
these giants IL was the desire for unim-
peded sunlight and air. That was achieved
for one building when it shot high above
Its neighbors. But when its neighbors fol-
lowed il into the sky the purpose Of the
high building was defeated The light and
air problems were in worse condition
than ever.
ninth floor of which 1 have my Office. is an
example. When / first came L could
all over. Now newly built monsters rise on
every hand shutting out the view and
choking me.
SPACE NOT NEEDED.
The fact that these high buildings were
not necessitated by the small area of land
Dn Manhattan island is proven by the land
side unoccupied, by the half empty con-
1ition of many Of these buildings and by
he mad strife for tenants in which they
are engaged. Tenants fit from building to
building, being coaxed to the newer by an
landlord hopes to be able to raise in the
future. Then comes the newest building.
with the latest improvements and still
over rent, and the tenants fit again The
high buildings are engaged in cutthroat
game. Those who put them up are in many
cases at their wits end TO pay the interest
On borrowed money, and the tenants who
30 not need a settled place of business
are the only ones who profit.
High building has been thus overdone,
especially in the uptown section OF the
city, but even downtown a great many
of them are not paying.
So / think IL is reasonably certain that
we will not see the forty-story building
in this generation The craze is dying out
1t has reached it's limit in Chicago, and
probably here also. Even with the present
high buildings the elevator problem has
become a most difficult one.
As far as the substantially of the high
buildings go there is little to be desired
They will endure. The skeleton is Of steel
and the materials put into tnem are all
OF the best. They are becoming more and
more freproof, and as the old rookeries
are banished from the city and their places
are taken by substantial buildings condi-
lions are still further improved in this re-
spect Every year there is more fire-proof-
ing and less fuel
i don't believe that we shall ever see
people jumping from thirty-story build
ing because of fire. Under the most unfavor-
able circumstances that i can conceive
they would be able to get in and out half
dozen times before enough heat was gen.
Grated to do damage
The Home Life building fire demonstra-
ted that fact, 1 think, well IL could
be done. OF course, when We say fire
proof" that means relatively fireproof.
Everything will yield to flames that are
sufficiently fierce-even kiln brick will burn.
But the Home Life building with all its
windows open served a f1ue to the nest
of Tookeries that clustered about ii, and
yet the damage TO its structure was very
slight There were some twisted beams.
That was about all. 1t was put to rights
structurally at little cost.
ARE SAFE ENOUGH.
That is the only danger in which these
buildings stand-that they Will be used
as fiues by their older and smaller neigh
bors, and as these vanish and are replaced
~,ora oo1fd sfr,,cfr,res that daupa~ Ia