Evening star., 1914-02-21
WASHINGTON BUILDING
ideal CITY, SELECTION
Structure Designed by Arthur B.
Heaton Chosen by Architectural
League Committee.
Formerly Occupied by Connecticut
Avenue Branch of International
Banking Corporation.

The building on the west side OF Con-
necticut avenue between l. and NJ streets
northwest, formerly occupied by the In
teruational Banking Corporation, has been
selected by a committee of representative
American architects as model banking
building for an ideal American city. The
structure was designed by Arthur E.
Heaton. a Washington architect Since
its occupancy by the banking corpora
tion the building has been remodeled for
use as an automobile salesroom and its
original appearance has been entirely
changed.
\ photograph of the building in its for
Iner state is now on display In New York
city in connection with the annual exhi
bition of the Architectural League OF
New York. Photographs of other build
ings selected by the committee as being
best adapted for an ideal American city
also are on exhibition. Accompanying
the exhibit is a bird s-eye view of such
a city. with the Buildings properly placed
This drawing; Is the work OF Birch Bur-
dette Long
Many leading architects have held the
opinion for !, long time that considerable
good work along architectural lines was
being wasted because too little attention
was being paid in the planning OF modern
buildings 10 neighborins structures, and
decided 10 work out this exhibit to show
that good architecture can be applied to
small city or town development.
Committee Members Prominent.
The committee that handled the
t.ibit consists of B q. Goodhue. II. T.
Lindbcrs, Ayu1ar Erlbury, I'd, Cass Gill
bert IL. ]. Hardenbersh, Arnold Brun-
ner. Calvin Kiesslins. J. Monroe Hew-
lett J. a Tompkins Henry Bacon and
dTl ha
the tvp. of architecture emiuentIy
adapted 10 tie small American city was
one derived from the colonial, but not a
copy Of it-a type which has come to he
regarded A. distinctive american mod
era architecture Having decided ttlis
point tine committee made a collection OF
the best works TO he found in various
parts Of the country. finally gathering
between sas and 80 photographs OF
buildings which have actually been
erected and including all the various
types Of buildings which are necessary in
the development OF = first class city or
town.
At the outset the various members of
the committee decided TO eliminate their
o1n works from the contest for places
quite n number of these men have done
works which have received the highest
praise. which are looked upon in the
architectural world as the best examples
of their types to be found Their task
was sufficiently great. however. ever
after they counted themselves ont Of
the contest. for they had to select finally
twenty buildings To represent the types
necessary in a modern town
Holds No Monopoly.
=, viii be noticed from the names OF
the various architects that New York
CITY cannot claim a monopoly OF archi-
tectural ability for many OF the design
ers are from distant cities. Also it will
hf s1zt lfle her of hIIyId
Hnys are b. architects of national rcputa-
ton some OF tile buildings are by indi.
,Iua!s and firms that are hardly known
| blanchard x Barnes, for example VIII,
| designed the Mason Library, at Grea
Darlington. did in that building theil
first large worK. Incidentally the library
was generally condemned locally wheI
il was first erected because the natives
declared IL looked too much like a fac
tory building. Architects seem to thinl
That Great harrington had SO little o
artistic value that IL was unable ut frs
TO appreciate d really good work. Now
however, the library is beginning To re
Ecive proper appreciation, for il has beer
selected many times an ideal work
This exhibit is TO be sent all about tn
country by the Fine Arts Federation il
the hope OF increasing interest in bet
ter types of buildings than are. as II riie
being erected, and in the belief rha
through studying the exhibit and hear
Ing an explanation of il people may b
stirred to bettering their own comlnuni
lies and making them more attractive.
All of the photographs included In III,
exhibit are of uniform size and ar.
framed alike. They are also of uni
q form sepiA tint.
List of Exhibits.
The structures included in the eAilibi
and the architects who designed them ar,
follows;