The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28

, tngs should dominate the rest This
should usually he the City Hall or Court
House The other buildings should be In
character and style related 70 the domi-
nan; building, but not 81 such size or
outline as to detract from its lmpor-
lance, as IL should be. in an artistic
sense. protective Of the others.
Another important principle Of the
civic centre Is balance. the buildings be-
Ing 50 proport ioned and placed with ref
erence to each other that their masses
and outlines produce a pleasing effect.
The design II civic centre is indeed an
artistic problem Of the first magnitude.
in which the principles of art are mani
tested on great scale. II Is "A paint
ing. with the sky and the city as a back
ground-a sculpture in masses-and II
should have unity. strength. feeling,
completeness balance and splendor. The
art If the city planner Is thus one in
which the greatest talents may ind OPP
portunities for expression not obtain
able in any other art.
Good Judgment. not a matter II opin-
lon. but a matter Of training and expert
ence. is necessary TO the selection of a
proper location for a civic centre in
nation Of future generations 10 which
we lay ourselves open IL We do not eXer-
else proper judgment at the crucial
mOmept.
In order to avoid the possible errors
In choosing the location for a building
Il this nature Il Is necessary to point
out the errors made during the pas;
decade In the location Of other public
nj -,
ough Of Manhattan. which shall dis
cuss from a city planners point Of view.
Some 81 the errors made In our prln-
clpal public buildings which refer to
are the locations Of the Public Library
at Forty-seCond street and Fifth ave-
nue.. the Pennsylvania Station at Thirty
second street and Seventh avenue. and
the Post Office Building. hidden behind
the Pennsylvania Station. while prob
ably a still greater mistake was made
in the location. arrangement and con-
structlve features 81 our not yet com
pleted Municipal Building adjoining the
City Hall Park.
The Public Library cannot 10 seen TIL
one reaches the street crossings ~ For
tieth and FOrty-secOnd streets. Having
crossed those streets one Is directly In
front OF the building, and being so very
close to it II is impossible 10 take in the
entire structure. A much better effect
would have been secured had the Public
Library been set back some seventy-fi We
feet or more toward the middle OF Bry-
ant Park. II would have enjoyed a
large forecpurt. thus giving a better
aesthetic effect.
Probably holder location for the
Public Library would have been dI-
rectly across Fifth avenue in front Of
the present location. This location OF
course would have meant the purchas-
ing OF property on the east side OF Fifth
avenue. The principal advantage OF
such a location would have been that
the structure could be seen for some
distance. II would have made an ideal
focal point. one Of the principal features
IN modern city planning. and il would
have broken up the monotOny Of "A long
continued street, such as Fifth ave-
nue. is.
In placing the Public Library across
Fifth avenue the street proper could
have been spanned by single or
double arch with centre columns divid-
ing traffic from north and south. \
large fOreCOurt on the south side and
parking on the east and west sides Of
the structure with wide and easy stair
cases. either above or beneath the