New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-10
ART EXHIBITIONS
THE ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE AT rrv
FINE ARTS BUILDING.


of the contributors to the Architectural Ieax,.,
exhibition this year makes regret more r.
the diverse uses TO which this society ave-
the space at it's disposal in the Fine Arts Buils.
ing II Is desired to attract the public "a
give instruction in many ways to the unprofession
al observer. and this legitimate end Is no doubt
well served by the filing OF four Of the galIertA,
with decorative works sculpture and Illustration.
OF applied art; but, the other hand. this poicv
leaves for the display Of architectural designs only
one large ROOM a little space In the entrance han
and inconvenient annex upstairs The arrange
ment has been agreeable enough on occasions when
the architects have had very little 70 say. This
they provide most OF the interest. and wish
they had more room. Somewhere near the aIcovs
In the Vanderbilt Gallery containing VI. Benard-s
successful designs for the University Of California
space should have been found for the drawings sub
mitted by six other competitors. but these were
yesterday being hung upstairs. The various com
petitive designs for the New-York Custom House
might also have been better hung than Is actually
the case and other purely architectural exhibits
would have gained by a more judicious hanging
than the present cramped and complicated scheme
makes possible.
systematic examination OF the work is difficult
but Is repaid for the trouble and when all thu
University Of California designs for example are
ready 10 be seen 1t will be pleasure 70 compare
them. NJ Benard's drawings show what an I'M
mensely stimulating opportunity offered %
him and 20 his rivals The scheme ts grandiose
embracing buildings enough 70 make a small town.
triumph were increased BY the varying levels OF
the site This IS good deal longer than It "a
broad and it stretches out into the country cu-
inmates IN hly ground NJ Bernard, whose work
We are obliged to consider alone at this time natu-
rally fixes his approach at the lower end. The
buildings which the outside public may be presumed
to upon occasion arranged here. well
as the dwellings of the faculty A broad avenue
starts at this point. passing an academy OF music
the library. museum. scholastic buildings and dor
mitories. Midway IN this first great section Of
the scheme there Is big gymnasium with an open
air tribune and vast court. in which athletic
ercises would take place At the upper end OF the
avenue the backbone OF the plan swerves 70 climb
the billy ground to which have alluded An
Economical observatory appropriately crowns this
eminence From the bare glimpse that was afford
ed of the rival designs upstairs yesterday II was
apparent that some, at least. OF the competing
architects had preferred to lay the whole con-
geries Of buildings grand centre. and this,
CINE. would certainly have impressive ef-
feet. 1t may be surmised. however. that by his
deviation from a straight line NJ Bernard Justly
calculated gaining in picturesqueness and in
riety Of skyline what he may have lost IN state
illness and repose There is promise of a superb en-
semble in this procession of buildings rising from
terrace to terrace. Whether a matter Of archi-
tectural style work will be all that II ought 20
be is open to question NJ Bernard does not appear
to be designer Of great distinction: he has not
managed the roofs OF the buildings in the lower
plane with any felicity. and from beginning end
we md the mass or MS Schene more edlIying than
any Of its details At the same time the present
drawings cannot give the full value Of his ideas
Worked out larger scale these might develop
finely. As II is. they command the warmest respect
In the Custom House competition. Mr. Cass Gil
bert, the author Of the accepted plans. earns re-
spect, but the admiration which We would be
glad feel His facades have the virtue Of funda-
mental massiveness. but the chief one that on
Bowling Green is disappointing in details Having
settled its broad lines with wisdom and good taste.
M has MIA ii i7dov vurh Lass
We remember, of course, how impericusy the prob
lem OF lighting controls the architect OF a great
building like this. yet the situation Of the new
Custom House ought TO haze relieved Mr.. Gilbert
OF some of his burden. Now the rows OF Windows
tucked in between heavy pillars that ranged
across the facade leave impression OF over
croWding The entrance. too, wants dignity, SEEM
ing almost meanly insignificant in the centre OF
such a magnifcently COlumnar front. A simpler
treatment such as is Illustrated in one of the other
facades would have provided a better solution OF
the problem. though We are conscious in all the
drawings of a radical deficiency deficiency OF
fresh ideas authOritatively >, anaged- Mr.. Gilbert
appears to have grasped his work with drmness
up TO a certain point. and then 10 have weakened,
so that good the building is-and It Is unques-
tionably a refined, artistic DroductiOn-One cannot
help regretting that il made I'm
posing and more interesting. The truth IS. that
building like this demands positive genius in iIs
designer. We may be recOnCiled to the fact that
Mr.. Gilbert does not possess this quality when
consider that he is least n serious and inteili-
gent architect accomplished. though brilliant
His Custom House may be shining addition
to the architecture OF the city. all events
II Will be inartistc 1t has serious
rivals among the designs BY other competitors
which exhibited. some of which. indeed. show
a deplOrable triviality and weakness Carrere &
Hastings. by the way. do not send the drawings
which they entered in this competition
There many ether designs here for public
buildings of them extremely interesting. Ths
Hospital al Warren. Penn by Green & Wicks.
is well treated in both the drawings sent in. show
ing deft adaptation TO the character OF the build
ing, of motives of style suitable the apparently
suburban nature Of its environment There is good
work too in the Free Museum OF Science and
Art designed for the University OF Pennsylvania
by F NJ Day & Bro, Wilson Eyre IT.. and Cope
& Stewardson. The unusual number Of architects
involved IN this enterprise may account for little
Iooseness in blending OF noudescript ideas with
others borrowed boldly from the Renaissance
the entrance feature taken from an Italian church
looms somewhat quantity in the midst of the plan
but the thing is. on the whole pi0uant and even
charming 1t shows that these architects using
in America something OF the audacity which two
English exhibitors disclose-Mr. A. Beresford Pits
in his "Soane Medallion Design for West End
Club" an impossible scheme for modern London
but nevertheless very clever. and Mr.. c. Harrison
Townsend in his Design for a Picture Gallery IN
Whitechapel.' this latter really delightful piece
OF architectural invention and courage We rejoics
over these original essays. both English and
American but we mist confess that there is equal
pleasure IL not more be derived from the grace
fully severe Worcester County Court House. oy
Andrews. Jacques Rantoul, the Hospital
Building for United States GOvernment-Elis Isl
land" by Boring & Tilton. both more conventional
in spirit The hospital is one of the best designs
shown at of the leagues exhibitions in wears
II Is almost hawless The necessity for the stons
panels between the windows in the attic may 90