Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-04
euFFALo'S ART PALACE.
Permanent Building to Be Erected
For Pan-Americnn Visitors.

Permanent Building to Be Erected
For Pan-American Visitors.
The city of Buffalo Is soon to have
one of the most beautiful buildings in
the western world, public art gallery
to cost upward of 100000. The build
ing is the gift of ]. ]. Albright, liber-
al patron of art, who desires to bestow
upon his fellow citizens gift that will
weld immeasurabie pleasure and be-
come a center of culture and refining
influence. The only conditions impos-
ed by the public spirited donor were
that the city of Buffalo should furnish
q site and that the Fine Arts academy
of Buffalo, which is made the custo-
dian of the property, should raise
maintenance fund of 100000. The
city has already decided the site, which
is just within the limits of Delaware
park, overlooking the beautiful park
lake. The Fine Arts academy has also
practically complied with the terms,
and the work of building will be hur-
ried as rapidly as the conditions will
permit. The building will first be used
as the art palace of the Pan-American
exposition and then become the home
of Buffalo's principal art collection.
This magnificent edifice will be go
feet long by $50 feet wide, and the
principal facade will look toward the
east. The building will be upon a
broad terrace 80 feet above the level of
the lake which lies n few rods to the
eastward. The principal approach will
be along q gentle slope and up short
flights of steps, the contour of the
ground giving opportunity for stately
embellishments The terrace walls are
to be of heavy granite blocks. Statua-
ry, fountains, formal floral displays
and lawns will complete the ornamen-
tatiOn of the terrace.
The style of architecture chosen is
the classic Greek, both the eastern and
western facades showing rows of rich,
graceful columns. The style is Ionic.
A semicircular colonnade forms the
central feature of the west or Elm
wood avenue front. The building has
broad wings at the extreme northern
and southern ends, terminated by
porches which will be reproductions of
famous architectural works of ancient
Greece. The highest peak is only 45
feet above ground The Erechtheum
of Athens has been n prolific source of
inspiration for the architects, Messrs.
Green and Wicks of Buffalo. The por-
tico of the Erechtheum, famous for its
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
after the Persian invasion, about 400
B. c.
Entering the building by way Of the
main approach one comes first to the
hall of statuary in the middle of the
building. which is Il by 100 feet. Di-
rectly west of this is the hemicycle, n
large semicircular room with tiers of
seats and n -rostrum. where lectures
may be given before audiences of sew
eral hundred people. North of statu-
airy hall will be a gallery SO by 5S feet.
On either side of the corridor leading
to this gallery are library and board
rooms. Beyond. in the extreme north
wing, will be seven studio rooms con-
nected by long corridor. In the west
ern part of the building are two other
anteroomS and four large galleries. In
the large, light basement will be nu-
merous other rooms for all sorts of
uses in connection with the proper
management of the building. such as
bicycle and cloak rooms, lavatories,
janitors' quarters, electric lighting and
heating, packing and storage. The
building will be strictly fireproof, the
materials being white marble, steel
beams, brick, cement and stone. The
structure will require $4,000 cubic feet
of marble. All materials will be of
the best, so that an enduring edifice
may remain when present generations
shall have vanished.