New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-06
IN ROMAN SPLENDOR
New Building Of Guaranty trust
Company a Modern Palace.
GREEK AND ROMAN DESIGN
Latest Inventions for Facilitat-
ing Business and Insuring
Hygicnic Appointments,


Guaranty Trust Company building at
No. 10 Broadway. which will bc opened
fyr business tomorrow. H. exterior de
sign il is simple and Gignihcd-au almost
Uuh.okcn granite wall from sidewalk TO
cc.uice. The facade on Broadway is dec
grated with Ionic colonnadcs. which are
duplicated atoms the Liberty street front.
The bIildinS has entrances from three
streets. the main entrance being OF Broad
way. Another allows direct access TO the
banking room from Cedar street through
a court adjoiuiue the New York Clearing
House At the rear in Liberty street. one
enters the elevator lobby, which serves
The upper floors and through which there
Is an entrance 10 the rear OF the main
banking room.
Since the company requires .1yGc un-
broken floor space for the main banking
DOM the ceiling OF this room and the
two floors over it arc hung from sirdcrs
on the sixth floor. These arc so designed
as not TO interfere with the arrangement
of the rooms ON that floor nor with the
corridors and doors. which pass through
them like the bullhead doors between the
compartments of "A ship the main bank
ing room is %G feet by 13J feet OF more
than a quarter of an acre in area. and is
- feet high II is foored with knoxville
marble and its walls and columns are Of
IIautcvlle. warm. buff colorcd marble
from France. The ceiling, painted IL
blue sold and marble tones by Garnsey,
supplies the only positive touch of color
i'm the decoration Of the room
The counter screen is OF marble and
hronze. simple in design. but beautifully
modelled and of unusually fine execution.
In fact. Sc much Importance was placed
upon The excellence Of the modelling 10y
tho architects that four of the best firms
81 architectural modellcrs i'm New York
were all employed al enc time. usins
scmc forty men on the details Of this one
building This was. at the tine probably
tWc-thirds of the total number on model
lcrs OF the highest class in New York
City In the marble Of the counter screen
are disks representing q selection of more
Than twenty Of the best Greek CONS
struck from ,to 10 GOo =. C.-ooins which
are IN beauty Of design and execution
not only uncqualled bit not approached
Ia al the centuries since. These coin dc
signs are used In the bronze panel OF the
counter screen and IN the bronze work OF
the vestibule ard doors. symboli1ms "a
they do banking commerce and exchange
while offering examples Of the highest
artistic development the world has known.
IN the Knoxville marble of the foo
are inlaid panels o. Roman mosaic. of q
design ana character not heretofore en-
rloycd in this country, and for tine equal
OF which in character and execution or,
must 50 10 those fragments OF antique
payements preserved in Pompeii o. in the
Vatican.
While the character OF the architecture
OF the outside OF the building and of the
general banking room is Roman. that OF
the counter screen and bronze work is
Renaissance. II is interesting to observe
that instead Of using one Uniform column
throughout tho banking screen there aro
four distinct designs. in the same way,
wherever il is customary TO repeat ill.,
definitely a single design. number OF
models differing i'm detail have been en-
ployed in repetition. 10 the great enhance
mont Of the interest % the work
\ number OF banking rooms ON thc
second ard third floors, While very SIM
pie in finish, are ideal practical working
rooms. with their uniform furniture, cork
floors ana pneumatic tube service. and
With every detail placed with reference 10
each mans needs Practically every piece
of furniture throughout the building has
been especially des sned 10 meet the re-
Quirements OF the tIust company work.
Every convenience that modern inven-
ton has made possible has been intro
duced. The building is equipped with a
pneumatic tube service connecting with all
floors, an extensive electrical system fol
general illumination throughout the build
ms a perfect Nentlatiug and heating out
IT, each being independent and meeting
hySicnic requirements The telephone
system IS arranged 50 that all depart
ments may be reached and outside con-
motions made without interruptng the
service.
Down under the building In the base
mcnt and sub-baSemont IS the immenss
vault, probably the strongest in the world
II is two stories high and contains ncall-
throe-quarters of a mile of linear feet 90
shelf space. There is a door at eact
level. each acting as an emergency door
for the other, with a trap door between
the floors inside the vault.
The burglar alarm protection on this
vault. designed and installed by the Mcr'
camille Burglar Alarm Company. is unique
in that the cables are imbeddcd in the
cement construction OF the walls.
The Guaranty Trust Company Of New
York was established in 1861 and was
FIRST known as the New York Guaranty
and Indemnity Company. It's first quar-
tiers were ia Broad street adjoining the
old stock Exchange Building Later the
company moved TO No. 81 Broadway, and
Tor about two decades it has had its main
Office IN the Mutual Life Building, at No.
IS Nassau street. The growth Of this
company Tor the last twenty years has
been steady and continuous. until to-day
). is exceeded in deposits and total re-
sources 10y 40 other trust company in the
world
The company yesterday moved from its
old quarters into its new vault cash and
securities amounting to more than 81
25occoOoO This is probably the largest
amount of actual physical wealth That
has ever been moved at one time.
MONEY