The San Francisco call., 1909-03-21
sDOORNZGY 10
2AITK CE @ALIFORHIk
By Tyndale Bishop
- - easuel obser7Ier might sr


y one should tell him that a large
part OF the charm OF San Fran
cisco lay in her architecture. He
would laugh and reply that the
charm Of the city was in her mediter-
rsnean bay and ip her wonderful hills;
that tns san Frsnciscans. instead of
aiding nature. had done all in their
power 20 mar and make of no avail
thelr citys unsurpassed setting. He
would point to street after street Of
what the British call Gerry built
houses. as dehantly ugly as the ugly
alignment OF the streets themselves,
Rnd he would ask, Where is the charm
OF such architectCre2S And then. to
rub salt into the wound, he would tell
yon that the rebuilding was, II any
thing. q shade worse than what the
nEe had swept away.
But. granting these defects-and, IN
passing theSe are no more glaring
thar those OF other American cities
the fact remains that one Of San Fran
Slsco'H chief charms Is her building.
4 oompetent Judge recently said that
the Hotel Fairnont is one OF the
worlds most beautiful structures. We
have al thought so for many months,
but so little has been opr courage that
we have been afraid 70 say 1t out loud
until the skilled designer and acknowl-
edged authority had spoken the words
CO high praise OF another artists work.
g So much for the great hotel The lay
man needs no authority, no pointing
out. TO know and TO proclaim the new
Bank OF California as 6ne an adapta-
t!on OF the classic as has been the good
fortune OF a modern draughtsman TO
eODceiFe. These are both new struc-
fures, but one OF them went through
onhagrationary and brand new
which reflect no little credit on the
ability OF our architects and the art
spirit OF our people.
The FIRE bereft US OF what we took
pride in. The tower OF Grace church,
the spires OF St Dominic's, the turrets
of Emanuel synagogue are now only
memories. But the allurement of archi-
lecture is not alone IN the monumental
noE even necessarily IN entire buildings.
n fact IN the case Of San Francisco 1t
Is more often found IN the merest de-
tails; sometimes even IN some detail at
tsched to e building which, as whole,
may not be altogether satisfactory.
amid the ruins so Nst disappearing we
have all time and again come across a
carved corbel, a detached column, or
some other bit which has set our mag
nations going, cOnjuring up memories
pleasure, q pleasure as inexplicable to
she trained architect IS TO ourselves
and remaining inexplicable no matter
how deeply he may be versed IN the
laws OF esthetics, no matter how dill
gently he may have perused Vitruvius,
ALBERT and Vassari, and no matter how
minute may have been his measure
snents OF the columns and entablatures
OF ancient Greece. From his studies he
may deduce that there are certain laws
he must not break, but the success OF
Eis composition will be entirely inde-
pendent OF these laws and must rest
entirely on the quality Of his imagina-
zion.
About no feature OF his composition
does the architect so like TO let his
Imagination play around the door
way. That this Is natural is apparent
from it's very. Office. far IN the order
os things the doorway has always been
and must continue TO be the most Inn
Y,ortsnt' exterior feature OF the house.
not only lending itself most readily to
ornannentation. but being the part most
fitted 70 be adorned In her doorways
San Francisco is most peculiarly rich,
and famed as she is for her hospitality,
~ would be strange If this were other
wise.
TIE very mention OF them brings to
mind the beautiful porch OF the Towne
.esi6encA n California street. In its
ruined condition its beauty perhaps
makes z stronger appeal than even in
the DAYS when II formed the fitting en-
trance to the stately residence OF which
4. IS now the only remaining part Its
slender. columns. graceful Ionic capitals
80 beautifully modelled entablature,
purely classic IN every detail, have a
-fnR OF truth not possible 10 secure in q
mere slavish imitation. One can not
helm feeling that here there is more
than mere mastery Of design and that
into the composition has gone the very
snirit Hellenic. To have seen through
this hin set portal the sun rising over
lower Mission bay, silvering the water
end Illuminating the city's new growth.
IS to have seen a picture not readily to
ne forgotten and never TO be ciSasso-
ciated from its frame.
Another striking doorway is that OF
she Koshland residence. In this build
.ng there has been no attempt at orig
tnaIity. The architect has made legiti-
mate his efforts by frankly copying the
charming. II somewhat sumptuous pal
are T.e petit Trianon. The only mate
~fal change has been in the entrance
when Louis XIV built the famous re-
treat Tor the beautiful and capricious
Du Barry a formal entrance was no es-
sentfsl part OF the plan. Numerous
French windows ONerlooklhS VAST lawns
gave ample means Of egress and in
r-~ees TO the king going or returning
f-oro the hunt and to his ministers
coming TO take their orders from the
mistress premier. But translated to g
COSMOPOLITAN city and turned from 6
pavilion Of pleasure into the home OF a
sedate merchant. the door motif at once
Recornes an indispensable feature. This
y problem. as a glance at the reproduction
viii show, has been very happily solved
by some very minor changes. The easl
and west verandas have been suppressed
an6 the double staircases swung with a
.Ic...-... ...-rr.. IN 70 fhA hrnad and am