The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-05
BOSOM ADVISES
. SMALL AUDITORIUM
Says Musical People Are Mis-
taken in Demand for I'm
mensc Hall.
COMBINATION Is FEASIBLE
Courts, Library and Assembly
Room Can Be Put on
Ford Lot.
COMBINATION is FEASIBLE

1T is without question entirely fcas-
| IDLE and practicable to construct /;
building on the Ford Hotel lot which
! Will make ample provision for all the
| courtrooms and clerks Offices and con-
| tair also Il public library and an audi
toriurn." said Architect Alfred g. Bos-
som. Of New York. speaking before the
| special Council coDmutee OH the pro-
posed municipal building last night
1T is only II question Of scientific de-
signing: The problem offers no pccu-
liar difficulties"
Mr.. Bosom. who is the consulting
architect appointed by the committee
TO ala II in the selection of Il design
for the proposed building. came TO the
city yesterday to consult with tho
preltrninarics of the work. His unuual-
! lied statement to tho committee that "A
! building cmbodying "A union OF the
courtroom, library and auditorium fca =
lures was entirely feasible and could
be made INTELLECTUALLY attractive. set
at rest the doubts of several members
| on this score
The committee devoted q three hour
session to conference with MIR. Bos
som upon the preliminary program
| which is to be prepared for distribution
! to The architects who will be invited
TO submit competitive designs. 1t ud-
tourned at IL o'clock after authorizing
| MIR. Bosom to prepare tho final draft
or building proSrnm To be ratified by
the committee at a meeting which will
be held rs soon as the program Is ready
| presumably within week or ten
| days.
| CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH
PLANS WILL HE INVITED
Among the important provisions OF
the program will DO these:
Richmond architects alone will be
| invited TO enter the competition for
| DESIGNS They will no
ever, 10 associate with themselves ar
ch:tectS from out of the city. Only one
set o; plans will he considered from
| each competitor.
The design adjudscd TO be the best
| viii receive Il prize of $1,000, the sec
ond best $500 and the third best $3.50
The orchitect submitting the best de
| sign is TO be awarded the contract
and the 81 600 prize is to be considered
| part of the fee that lie Will receive as
his regular commission the con
tract price OF the building
| The winning architect shall receive
in full compensation for his services
3 per cent OF the contract price of tho
! building. This amount shall cover all
! Incidental or extraordinary expenses
incurred by him in supervising the CON
| struction
under the rules for competitions Of
the American Institute of Architects
The right is reserved. in tho event that
none of the designs is found to ba
what Is wanted. to reject all designs and
order Il new competition on such terms
as the committee with Its advisory ar
chtect shall deem best.
, Provision shall be made in the build
| ing for = library with all necessary
stack, reading and private rooms. an
auditorium to seat not less than 5000
persons, and five courtrooms. with the
necessary rooms for clerks and rec
ords. The building Is to contain am
i ton of other offices that may at som.
! future time be placed In II.
COMPETITION LIMITED
/ TO LOCAL ARCHITECTS
| The question OF limiting the cornpc-
ton to local architects or throwing IT
open to the world gave the committee
much trouble. MIR. Bosom advised
strongly against an unlimited coinpc-
| tition. Such IA procedure he said,
would dcluge the committee with hun
| dreds of designs, only one of which
| could he successful. II would be an
economic waste to invite so much use
| less labor, he said, and would result
| in no benefit.
| Chairman Seaton. of the committee.
| held the belief that it would be unfair
| 10 bar all outside talent and build n
wall around the city limiting the COM
petition to local architects only. Coun-
! Gilman Mills held with Mr.. Bosom
was practicable. and since II WAS to
be restricted, he wanted it limited 10
| Richmond architects
After almost an hour of debate. the
committee voted for a motion offered
by Councilman Peters: limiting the
competition to local architects who are
| to be permitted, however. to associate
with themselves such out Of thc-city
architects as they choose. MIR. Bosom
was directed TO invite every architect
| in the city to submit plans.
SIZE OF AUDITORIUM
SUBJECT OF DEBATE
| The advisory architect differed sharp
| " with several members of the com
mittee as to the size of the auditorium
! that tho building should include. An
| auditorium seating between $500 and
5000, he thought, should be ample.
But the musical people and others
who have been demanding an audi
forum want one large enough to scat
5000 or 5000 people," objected Chair
! man Seaton.
That's what they think they wan,
| replied Mr.. Bosom.
Councilman Jones thought with Mr.
seaton that the auditorium should hold
agreed with Mr. Bosom that a small
or uditorium was desirable IT was
gram which had to 10 be prepared at once once
enough to hold 5000 people.
Mr. Bosom pointed out that the only
anything like that number was Niadiss
son Square Garden. which could hold
something over 5000. The Metro
politan Opera House, he said. seated
only 5000, and Carnegie Hall only a
few more. He was decidedly opposed
to the large auditorium idea-am OPP
position In which Councilman Peters
shared.
Mr. Bosom made 1t clear TO tho COM
mittce that n building OF the kind pro
posed. constructed OF the proper ma
terials, will cost more than $500 900
lie was unwilling, however. 10 csti-
mate its cost until after he had figured
more closely upon the cube space that
Will be required. At the next meet