Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-05

am glad to sec that my Jud gment
In this respect has been corroborated
81 hope the building will soon be a
reality. 1t will be the browning feature
of Richmond civic centre. 1 believe
every member on tho committee Ia en-
thuslastic about the winning design
know l am. II the Finance Commit
tee and tho Council will take the Same
view OF tho matter, 1t will not be
long before 1t will stand on the Ford
Hotel lot completed"
Upon the recommendation OF Mr.. Bos-
som. the committee Instructed the clerk
TO write a special letter OF common
dalton to Architect c. X. Howell, whose
design, In Mr.. Bossoms opinion. was
the fourth best. Mechanically. said Mr.
Bosom. Mr.. Howelrs plans were the
most perfect submitted. The build
ing. however. he thought, was too am
bilious and massive In design, and con-
tanned other defects which placed 1t
below the three others. 9 Mr. Howell
was assisted in the preparation OF his
designs by Charles G. Petit Jr.
LETTERS OFF THANKS SENT
COMPETING ARCHITECTS
Letters OF thanks were directed by
the committee to be sent to eight
other architects who entered the COM
petition. All OF these, Mr. Bosom re-
ported. submitted designs of unusual
excellence. The eight were Carl
Rhuermund. A. F. Hunt, Asbury &
Whitehurst. Remington g. Rudolph,
Charles N. Robinson, Inc, assisted by
4. Teneyck Brown, of Atlanta; Marcel
LUIS +. Wright. Nolan G. Baskerville
and ID. Wiley Anderson, assisted BY
Roscoe Cook Tindall. The order in
which the architects are named Is with
out regard to the relative excellence
were made by the committee beyond
, the three prize winners and the one
given special mention.
In his general comment on the good
points Of the building provided by the
winning design, Mr.. Bosom said:
In general appearance, the build
ing Is primarily a municipal building
and would never be mistaken for hav-
Ing any other USE Generally the treat
ment Is broad and carefully considered
All superfiuous ornamentation has been
studiously avoided. and the effect OF
the building would be obtained by it's
mass form and the material employed.
COULD CHANGE TO BRICK
IF COST IS EXCESSIVE
The large central portion. contain
Ing the courts. would form a most fit
ting treatment to the upper portion
or Capitol Square, and provide an OPP
portunity for browning symbolic
treatment which would be Visible for
miles around the city. For the CEN
ticularly lends itself for the use of
either granite. with or. without arti-
ficial stone for ornamentation. or In
diana limestone with granite base and
terra Gotta trimmings. II desired,
brick could be very successfully intro
duced should the city feel that the
expense OF stone or granite for the en-
tire mass should not be undertaken.
The interior of the building Is d.
vided into three separate units. with
the auditorium occupying the Eleventh
Street end, the main central Nobby with
Its battery Of elevators and it's monu-
mental staircases and lecture-rooms oc-
cupying the central section, and the
Twelfth Street end being occupied by
the library, all the courts being In the
raised central section over the lobby.
EACH UNIT CAN DE
ENTERED SEPARATELY
The unqualified advantage OF this
treatment is at once evident Each OF
the units can be entered directly from
the street without the necessity fpf ira
versing any other. All unnecessary
steps are avoided except the few that
are required to give dignity to the main
central lobby, which passes through
from Broad to Capitol Streets,
Tho main lobby extending through
the building from Broad Street to Capt.
toll Street Is twenty-five feet In width
without any interruption, with por-
ttco and vestibule at either entrance.
On the one eide Of this are the four
elevators, which provide service for
the courts. and on the side opposite
are the two monumental sta,rcases
which lead up to the courts and also
to tho lecture-rooms, which occupy the
space over this lobby.
Locating the elevators in this posi- !.
tion in the lobby, they automatically
form buffer for my sound that other
wise might pass from the stage OF the
auditorium into the building. The full
width OF the lobby also intervenes be-
tween tho elevators and the library.
By this arrangement 1t is evident that
readers would In no way be inconve-
hienced. no matter what volume Of
sound be created on the stage.
TAKES ADVANTAGE or
NATURAL CONDITIONS
"The author OF the design has taken
advantage OF the inclination OF tho
cit In the treatment OF his auditorium