St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-08-08
Buffalo'S Art Palace.

MIR, j. j. Albright Gives $35O,OOO to
erect Permanent Art building
which Pan-American Visitors may
Enjoy.
The city of Buffalo is soon to have one
of the most beautiful buildings in the
western world, a public art gallery to
cost upwards of $350,000. The building
is the gift Of ]. J.. Albright, citizen of
Buffalo, and liberal patron OF art, who
desires to bestow upon his city a struc-
ture that will forever yield Unreasonable
pleasure to those who visit it, and be-
come, as well, a center of culture and
art. The only conditions imposed by the
public spirited donor were that the city
of Buffalo should furnish site, and that
the Fine Arts Academy of Buffalo, which
is made the custodian of the property
should raise a maintenance fund of $780,
900. The city promptly decided the site
requested, which is just within the limits
of Delaware Park, overlooking the beau
tiful park lake. The Fine Arts Academy
has complied with the terms of the gilt
as they applied to the maintenance fund,
and the building will be hurried to COM
pIetion as rapidly as conditions will per-
nit. The building will be used as the
art palace of the Pan American EXPOSE
ton and thereafter become the perma-
nent home of Buffalo's art collections.
This magnificent edifce will be $50
feet long by $50 feet wide, the principal
facade looking toward the east. The
building will stand upon broad terrace
80 feet above the level of the park lake,
which lies but few rods below and to
the eastward. The principal approach
will be by beautiful monumental flight
OF steps, the contour of the ground Civ
ing opportunity for stately embelllsh-
ment. The terrace walls are to be of
heavy granite blocks. Statuary, foun-
tains, formal floral displays and lawns
will complete the ornamentation of the
| terrace.
The style of architecture chosen is the
classic Greek, both the eastern and west
ern facades showing rows of rich, grace
full columns. The style is Ionic. A semi
circular colonnade forms the central fig
ure of the west or Elmwood Avenue
front. The building has broad wings at
the extreme northern and southern ends,
terminated by porches which will be re-
productions of famous architectural
works of ancient Greece. The highest
peak is only 40 feet above ground. The
Erechtheum of Athens has been prolific
source of inspiration for the architects,
Messrs. Green and Wicks of Buffalo. The
portico of the Erechtheum, famous for
it's caryatides, will be one of the works
to be thus reproduced. The Erechtheum
was an ancient temple and is one of the
most interesting of the ruins of the
Acropolis at Athens. 1t was rebuilt at-
ter the Persian invasion, about 400 B. c.
Entering the building by way of the
main approach one comes first to the
hall of statuarv, in the middle of the
building, which is II 100 feet. Directly
west of this is the Hrmicycle, a large semi
circular room with tiers OF seats and a
rostrum, where lectures may be given be
fore audiences of several hundred people
North of Statuary Hall will be gallery
35 IS feet. On either side of the cor
ridor leading to this gallery are Library
and Board rooms. Beyond, in the ex
IRENE north wing will be seven studio
rooms, connected by long corridor. Ii
the western part of the building are two
ante rooms and four large galleries. II
the large light basement will be numer
Gus other rooms for all sorts of uses II
connection with the proper management
of the building, such as bicycle and CLOAK
rooms, lavatories, janitor's quarters
electric lighting and heating, package
and storage. The building will be strict
ly fire-proof, the materials being white