The Washington herald., 1907-12-08
trio light. and all the conyeriences which
the modern Office building requires
Advancement of Ground Floor.

trio light. and all the conyeniences which
the modern offlce building requires
Arrangement OF Ground Floor.
The ground floor is taken up by the
Union Trust Company and the Thomas ].
Fisher Company, with the exception OF a
passageway. twenty-five feet wide. which
forms the means OF access to the eleva-
tors and stairways leading UP to the
Office building above.
Standing in this lobby. enc can get a
long vista TO the northward, terminating
at the II street entrance 20 the banking
room. southwark looking through glass
doors into the Offices Of the Thomas j.
Fisher Company. This entrance lobby IS
entirely IN white Norwegian marble, with
the exception of panels which occur be-
tween the pilasters and above the high
wainscoting. The marble pilasters sup
port a Doric entablature rickly relieved in
gilt and ornament, as suits the Deric
order.
The panels mentioned are richly celored
in gray green and Pompeian purple. All
the metal work In this lobby, the elevator
grilles, directory board, &c. are finished
in MacMOnnies bronze. The handsome
lantern and wall brackets are executed
with the same finish. Two marble stair
ways start az either side Of the entrance
vestibule and meet at the landing direStly
over this vestlbule and thence to the
second floor
The stairway Is merely an emergency
feature. as every one viii naturally use
the elevators. The level of this lobby is
the same as the Offices Of the Thomas ].
Fisher Company, but the floor Of the
banking room is on a higher level. Going
up FIVE steps and through the massive
bronze gates. one enters the lofty bank
ing room of the Union Trust Company.
This room is 20 by 100 feet and 20 feet
high. taking the spac& of three stories
Here the architects, Wood Dom & Dem
ing, have created a masterpiece. The
architecture is so classic and simple, the
color scheme so refined and quiet that
feeling of restfulness Immediately is
apparent to the onleoker
Suggests Roman BasIIIca.
On viewing this room ene vaguely re-
calls the Roman BasIlica, with it's elere-
story lighting and its massive columns
supporting the attic story. These col
umns of eastern green Vermont marble
give a color note OF the treatment OF this
room. The ceiling is richly decorated
with cofferings and bronze drops at the
intersection Of the beams suggest the
means Of supporting 1t from above. The
plan OF this room was suggested to Wood,
Dom & Deming by the Basilica Santa
Maria Maggi0re in Rome. while tht gen.
eral architectural treatment with the at
tic clerestory is modelled somewhat after
the large room in the palace of Pletro
Massml in Rome.
The remarkable feature of this room is
that ii is SO light Very few examples OF
lofty banking rooms, on top OF which are
placed tiers of utilitarian Offices Of the
modern sky-scrapeT. are 20 be found
which are not dark and have to be light
ed articfcially. This is the unique fea-
ture Of the plan OF this building.
With the exception Of the Norwegian
white marble used In the banking coun-
ter screen, the marbles throughout the
building are, Of native varieties. The floor