Evening star., 1900-06-30
THE INTERIOR.
Well Planned and Handsomely Deco.
rated from Top to Bottom.


Entrance to the business office from
Pennsylvania avenue is practically on a
level with the pavement. Two low broad
steps of granite mark the slight difference
betw the level of the floor of the count
ing room and that of the sidewalk. that
coming from the street through either of
the two entrances on Pennsylvania avenue
one may walk directly into the building.
Iron griles of handsome pattern swing
back on each side Of the marble walls of
the two openings. Then passing through
circular revolving doors of glass, entrance
Is had into a lobby with its mosaic floor
And rnarhe-lined walls. A portion of the
ceiling which forms the floor of the meZ-
canine half story is comparatively low
so that emerges into the stately
foom provided for the business office with
its lofty ceiling extending through two
stories. the transition is an effective one. 1T
serves to accentuate il possible the impress
sion of space which the splendid propor-
tiOns of this room really justify. Perhaps
more correctly speaking the device of such
approach seems TO prevent the dissipa-
don of the effect of space which is so easy
when the details of a design are crudely
handled.
As one first looks upon the business Of
fee it is at once apparent that no one part
Or feature is conspicuous, but 1t is seen as
q whole. thus realizing what Is most diff
cult. harmony both in the proportions and
in the color scheme Of a room which has
been finished with much elaborateness of
detail and richness of material For the
entire side walls of the lofty room are
covered with Italian marble enriched with
Its natural colors and with carving while
the ceiling. elaborately decorated. is fin
ished in gold. Mural paintings from the
brush of AIr. Frederick Dielman. Pres-
dent of the National Academy of Design,
viii adOrn the lunettes of the arches, while
the rich shade OF mahogany in the wood
work and the bronze in the metal work con-
tribute 70 the tulness of the color scheme.
The impression of this room SO noble in
Its proportions and rich in its adornment
3s one of satisfaction. for while skill and
money and time have been freely expended.
1t Is recognized as an appropriate place for
the transaction of business.
Walls of Finest Marble
As one pauses and looks around the de-
tails can be studied and they will be found
TO be well worth careful study, for both
from an architectural and an artistic stand
point the room will bear the closest scru-
tiny Perhaps after the proportions of the
room. for the ceiling is twenty-four feet
in height and the width is twenty-eisht feet
and the depth sixty-six feet. the feature
that will attract the largest share of at
terton is the marble which lines the walls
1t IL the celebrated PavanoZza marble from
the Csrrara quarries in Italy. where the
meet White marble in the world is obtained
Material of the shade Of white marble is
0pl ~ bc Colu III elect Wnen OSCQ IN QOan-
titles. but this marble has a yellowish
hinge enriched with veins of different colors.
The prevailing tint IS yellow. and the speci-
mems used are pronounced to be unusually
hne and were only secured after q process
~ careful selection. Some OF the slabs
Chow peculiarly beautiful cloudy effect
g Characteristic which was not known until
the present use was made of it.
The material employed in the finish and
ndornment is so rich that only a simple
treatment was found necessary. The west
= all. opposite the lofty windows which look
out on 11th street. is divided into what are
known as bays. the three arches outlining
these being supported on a cornice, which
III turn rests upon pilasters. Where the
arches come together is marked by ear
touches, while carved rosettes and shields
sre found in the spandrels Of the arches. At
the ceiling line there is richly carved
corEice. The ornamentation in the oornice
and outlining the arches are what is known
a. the egg and dart and dental. In the
syaces ineiosed by ths upper portions Of the
az ehes, which continue around the room.
known as the lunettes. are to be placed the
thsrnes being illustrative of the making of
= modern newspaper. There will be seven
mural paintings, three in the lunettes on
the west wall and two at each end of the
rconl.
The Ceiling and Floor.
In the ceiling the decoration shows a
tendency to the foridness which character
lies much of the interior work of the school
of the French renaissance. The deeply re-
cessed panels are very highly enriched in
hard plaster and the whole decorated in
gold. In the center of the panels glow elcc-
tric lights, when needed, and their soft
radiance floods the room. The brilliant
tones of the ceiling are softened by the more
moderate shades of the marble, so that the
color effect is extremely pleasing and salts
factory. The floor. which is Italian mosaic.
Contributes its quota to the combination OF
cplors which enrich the room. The design
o. the mosaic floor is a special one, the
main body of the floor being finished with
cIeam-colored and light yellow marbles.
With a fretwork border of red. white and
black marbles. The pattern is not an OBJ
tiusive one. so that the eye is not drawn
to the floor soon as one enters the room.
The business purpose Of the room is further
indicated by a counter which practically
occupies the whole of the west side. not
extending all the way to the entrance. how
ever, but beginning some distance back and