The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-18

many firms " i'll be- relieved of a trouble
I some situation
7 Tho Newark fire has greatly Increased
7 IN" demand for lofts IN the new buildings.
which ar" mostly OF iireproof construction.
in the midtown section. where building
boom as been under way in anticipai ion
Of the opening Of III" Pennsylvan sta
ton More steel skeleton buildings have
tccn built in this section IN the last TWO
years than in any other.
In 1919 and tho lattDr part Of 1893 fifty
seven buildings were project there
In 1910 scvcnty-tivc city lots were
sold for improvcm, nj. IL il snfc 90 e-tI-
mat that including this ynar the number
OF modern loft buildings croct"d in the
midtown district since 1895 il not much
undc- 100. Moet Of tho buildings are
txclvc stories high. There sr. some Il
fourteen and sixteen stories. but not
many. Lest week II was anne unCed that "A
twenty-five story loft building would bc
erected on Thrty--iNth street The ton
dcnCy II 10 erect buildings on large Sits
or the if1y-scvcn building ~ pl.nned in
1915 only four were twenty-five foot
buildings Twelve ranged in width from
loo to ia feet and the rest from 90 to 81
feet
The old fashioIcd ioft building was
rarely NOR" than a. f""t In nc nlcr
cantll" section south OF Fourteenth 'i-ept
IS per cent. Of RI. I'd buildings ~. no,
moro than - feet vide with six stories
a. their usuSl height They are Of inferior
construction compared with the structures
found IN the new t-ade centres. simply a
shell containing u stairway and "A hatch
way lh" floors arc rough EoSed pin"
pianks and n" walls ar" merely white
washed Their. - iit,l" plumbing
The new buildings down town are mostly
on Broadway and Chamber, street..
MANY IL the buildings ON Dry. NrScy and
BARCLAY streets date back sixty years
Not until abou. 1890 did architects nf som.
standing take to d.signing loft buildings
The result was loft buildings containing
elevators. heating plants. gas and electric
lights. pil-tered C.iiings and walls and
sanitary plumbing. They ranged in height
from six to'sIght stories and were built
chiefly on Broadway from Eighth street 10
Tv-nty-thirt srree'. A. the time " was
thought these buildings could not h.
improved on.
However Their. IL littl. similarity he.
tween the structures 80 to-day and those
IT twenty years ago except that they ars
built - steel and stone The height
mas been Increased and the floor area
has been enlarged from So square. feet
to 10000 "r 2oGD. The elevator ar
rangement has been changed and the heat
ing and lighting systems improved upun
The floor are well laid and IN. doors and
trimmings ar" just ~ artistic. though
much moro substantial. than can I've found
in any private residence
Indeed some ~ thes. high class Io,,
buildings ar" so well furnished that IL
would require very Ittl. To convert them
into apartment houses. Their" Is loft
building on Madison ayenu,. IN the. Thr-
ties IN which th" Owner has CONVEX. ed
without much trpubi" par: Of the top
foOr al IN" building into furnished
apart Tent for :! W nter RESIDENCE
The COW cnI"aC,'. g. H.. fOIni in ;n,.
modern loft building Iucl'Id. high Srcad
freight and passenger eI'N a'pl.. s.Itn-
matte electric iInIr-. filtered water
rpomy wa,h-ooDg clr'h". lpcKe-s n. Eh
ceilings. .Ir.i E50T" all pl"niy Of "a. !raI
lgh' end air Of cOIr,. IN. .cnEnt i,s..~
tor fh"S' things. hut the. ".urloy"r II
women op"Tngly,st liads II mach more
economical 10 D." located in :. modern
lott building than in au old fashioned
IN" Pr ,id'.' in ~. n-E buildings
firm clI corC"ntrst its b'!-ins.-s on one
fnnr and ~" .uGli fire risk reduce, ia.
raj" "f iGsri".uc tn" moc'rrn lpff
building - nearly hr"prJof - aci"noc
can ~ IL
BT~In"s" bindings on Fifth -vnr,-r
ar' UhliH" .thDH" on Br~ldw.s i'yurfr
Av"nI- or any other section ~ tho civ.