New-York tribune., 1913-06-18
Committee Opposes Cost OF
More than $4,000, ,000-
Faults in Ventilation.
FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Report Says Circular Form
Subordinates Utility to
Outside Appear
anCe.

Page. Delany and Dugro, issued yester-
day a unanimous report disappearing
of the plans Of Guy Lowell for the new
County Court House. The act under
which the courthouse is TO be erected
requires that the justices must pass
upon the plans before they can he put
into effect. The drawings submitted
were the successful competitive designs
Of Guy Lowell, the architect, which re-
ceived the preliminary approval Of the
courthouse board
The justices are opposed TO the eX-
pendture of more than S10O0OOO0 for
the construction of the courthouse. The
present plans. they say. Will make the
cost twice that amount
The four principal recommendations
Of the justices are:
FYrst-That it shall not involve un-
reasonable expense TO the city.
Second-That it shall have adequate
facilities for light and ventilation.
Third-That it shall be adapted to
the needs of a courthouse, and that its
construction shall be such as to make
Il generally convenient for this pur
pose.
Fourth-That Il shall be so construct
ed as to permit of the extension TO meet
future needs, without necessitating a
present construction beyond the needs
Of the immediate future.
Oppose Circular Courthouse Plan.
The justices say in their report that
the proposed circular courthouse does
not meet any of the requirements sug
gested by them and that the present
plan cannot be so altered TO meet them.
Its radical effects are a corollary of
its circular form" says the report. The
report reads further: while the cir
cular is conducive to an attractive ex-
terror, it subordinates internal utility
to exterior appearance.
In considering the plan proposed, 1t
must be borne in mind that its dis
tinctive characteristic is its circular
form. This is the central idea of the
whole design. Every utilitarian con-
sideration. inconsistent with this chief
characteristic feature, either has been
abandoned or subordinated TO this CEN
tral idea. with the result that a plan has
been produced which meets none of the
requirements above enumerated"
The justices explain at length each
Of the requirements suggested. They
have figured that the circular form ne
cessitates greater expense for the
steel work and probably also for the
stone work than would be necessary
for a rectangular building Of similar
size. They figured the cost Of con-
struction at not less than IS cents a
cubic foot, and possibly 81. The pro-
posed building contains between 49,
100000 and 20.OO0,0OO cubic feet. which
would make the cost about $2O,OOO,-
600.
Find Fault in Ventilation.
On the question of adequate facilities
for light and ventilation. the justices
say: The design proposed is fatally
defective in this respect. Your COM
rnittee recognize that while in modern
building it is customary and doubtless
advisable 10 resort TO mechanical
modes of ventilation. it is nevertheless
true that the plan which is capable Of
making available the maximum Of nat
ural fresh air ventilation is the most
reliable and generally the most desira-
ble."
The committee explains as follows its
recommendation that the city not build
q courthouse beyond it's immediate
needs:
That the proposed courthouse shall
be so constructed as to permit Of ex-
tension TO meet future needs, If they
arise, without necessitating present
construction beyond the needs Of the
immediate future, is a requirement
dictated by considerations Of prudence
and economy.
1T is impossible TO look into the fut-
ure and determine what the require
ments Of a courthouse will be in the
next generation. The growth Of bus-
ness and population may require facili-
ties greater than those which we can
now foresee. or a simplifcation Of legal
procedure and the adoption Of remedial
measures may eliminate large class
of litigation which now comes into the
courts"
Means New Plan, Says Board.
Members of the courthouse board
said last night that the action of the
committee OF the Supreme Court
judges did not invalidate Mr.. Lowell
as architect. 1t merely necessitates an
other plan from Mr. Lowell. they said.
The circular courthouse plan had %
run the gantlet after 1t was selected
by the board Of judges. The Supreme
Court Justices, the Art Commission and
the Board of Estimate were all en-
titled TO attack il as it passed through
their hands and condemnation at the
hands Of any one of the critics meant
death 10 the plan.
At Mr.. Lowell's studio. No. 30 East
47th street, It was said that the archi-
tect was in Boston and was expected
10 return TO New York to-day or to-
morrow.
N.f1ItrnhN TEItC G Dbl ICE CT0PX