The Washington herald., 1911-12-09

grades, their relation to the Treasury
the Monument, the Municipal Building
and their surroundings studied, and the
buildings Intensely es modified at eact
step to conform closely to each other. II
exterior design the three buildings are sim
liar in character, each employing columns
three stories in height set upon a win.
dowed wall. an architectural basement
This wall is one story high in the case
of the end buildings and two stories
high in the central one, thus correcting
the dip of the ground and raising the
three colonnades to the same level. While
ornamental in appearance, the buildings
are of the utmost simplicity and nc
fancied needs of architectural expires.
sion" have been allowed to interfere with
the practical requirements of lighting
and arrangement
From Pennsylvania avenue on the
north, the principal feature OF the front
will be the entrance portico of the De-
partment Of Justice; from the Monu.
ment grounds or the Mall, that of the
State Department. The building of the
Commerce and Labor Department, form
ing the connecting link, is a simple rec
tangle. its lines being unbroken by any
dominating feature. Its main entrance
is on Fifteenth street, but Its entrances
for the employees are from the sidewalk
of Fourteenth street on a level with the
car lines.
Planned All Requirements.
At the same time each architect was
rearranging and reassigning the areas OF
his plans, working out in detail the re-
qUirements of the depar tment to be pro-
vided for and planning to meet not only
the needs of the moment, but the prob
oh fne. -
since it is unjustiiable to erect any Fed
eral building which It can be foreseen is
likely to prove inadequate within a short
er period. Moreover In designing the
buildings, every effort is being made 10
arrange and construct them as immense
shells. every part of which shall be
equally light, serviceable, and available;
to divide them by secondary partitions
as light as possible containing no pipes
or f1ues which make their removal diff
fcult: In short, to so arrange that ev-
cry change or development in the or
ganiZation and the consequent reassign-
ment of space in a department may be
made with the least friction and with
no interference on the part Of the struc-
ture itself
In all these buildings every provision
is being made for the health and COM
fort OF the employees; general locker
rooms. toilets. &c, being provided in
with their entrances. In each
case there is also a provision for general
files and storage spaces. and every eff
fort is made to standardize and unity
their requirements. While the question
Of materials is not decided as yet, II is
likely that white marble will be used
like the House and Senate Office build
Ings.
VIII Make for Economy.
The completion of these new depart
ments will result in great economies to
the government: not only will rent be
saved on all the miscellaneous buildings
now occupied. but the organization will
be for the first time properly arranged
and adequately house. The State De-
partment will no longer have space with
he departments of War and Navy
spreading into a series of outlying build
ngs. Justice will be removed from its
series of private houses, and the De-
Dartment of Commerce and Labor will
collect its forces from the locations in
which they are scattered throughout the
city.
When completed this group will go far
toward realizing that ideal of the city
planners who wish to devote the whole
space south OF Pennsylvania avenue, be-
ween il and the Mall from the Capitol
20 the Treasury, to government build
ngs. Already the Botanic Garden, the
National Museum. the POst-office, and the
Municipal Building occupy this area.
1t Is hoped, too. that these buildings
Will be worthy of the high reputation
which government architecture has been
Enjoying in the last ten years and will
compare favorably with the best that
las been produced in this country.