New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-30
PRIZE SOLUTIONS
OF STREET PROBLEM
Simplicity a Feature of
Powell's Plan for Thor
oughfare Intersection.
DRAWINGS WERE
RECENTLY SHOWN
Winner Of First fOnOrs Sug-
gested Tower al Centre Of
Crossroads.

The problem Of providing Tor the
constantly increasing street traffic az
congestcd crossings u the older parts
of the city has received the attention
Of real estate owners, architects, the
police and finance departments OF the
city. The real estate owner b. inter-
ested I'm two ways.
Access TO his property must be con-
veniont and safe, and hc naturally does
not like 20 be taxed zoo high for tho
creation Of open spaces 10 parts Of tho
city where land is expensive Most
solutions for the problem proceed on
the theory Of AN intensive use Of the
space we already have. Traffic regula-
tons are familiar, and nov the matter
Of double-decking certain important,
crossings Is again brought forward IN
many Of the designs submitted in q
competition gotten up by the Municipal
Art Society for AN Architectural Solu-
ton of the intersection Of an Avenue
and a Street" The exhibition of two
hundred sets Of drawings submitted 70
that society has just closed In the gal
leries Of the Nat.ona, Arts Club, Gram
Grey Park.
John Floyd Jewell, OF Peekskill, won
the first prize Of $500; John Ambrose
Thompson and Ernest r. Lewis, OF l0l
Park av.. won the second prize Of 5000.
and Calvin kiesslng and Herbert +.
Davis, Of - Fifth ay. won the third
prize Of 500. The prizes were award
ed by a jury consisting Of r.. ?. Good.
rich, consulting engineer Of The city;
lawson Purdy, presiden. Of the De-
partment OF Taxes and Asses sments;
Lawrence 3. Durham. Third Deputy Po-
lice Comm ssionor: Daniel l.. Turner.
deputy engineer Of subway c0nstruc-
ton; Alfred Ludwig. superintendent Of
Buildings; Nelson =. Lewis, chief en-
gineer Of the Board OF Estimate;
George W. Breck, for the Art Commits
sion: George Is. Ford. consUltant Of
the committee on the city plan; Rich
ard f. Hunt, president OF the American
Institute % Architects; Charles W.
Stoughton. president OF the Municipal
Art Society; Charles x. Lamb. william
y. Taylor and Harry Allan Jacobs.
The first prize was awarded 20 Mr.
Jewell because OF its simplicity and
because it involved the least con
domination Of property. This design -
n tower IN the centre Of the Intersec-
ton of the avenue and the street, the
corners Of the building. cut of az each
corner. allowing a rotary circulation.
The car tracks or the street wee
depressed IN such q manner as -
pass under the avenue AZ the IN
terscctlOn. There was an extreme
ly clever arrangement in this plan
by which the car lines sought the
lower level az one point and the
yehicular traffic a. another point, vet
both car line and web cular traffc srriy-
'ng AZ the same lower level. there beinx
only one lower level. 4 great ntyanfare
also m this plan Was tina, the shons on
tne streets could be approached hy
yehicular traffic and were in no way
shut OF.
Nessrs. Thompsou's and Lewis's 49,
luton was regarded az the best fro.
the architectural point Of view This
plan was less desirable because the
shops IN the side streets became less
through impairment % access
20 them from the avenue.
The design Of Messrs. Davis and
klcssling required no condemnation be-
You'd the arcading OF the sidewalks, the
additional space thus obtained being
utilized for the roadway. This design
also depressed the car tracks and WAS
regarded as the best OF the plans en-
bodying the arcade idea.
Other interesting and eredltaole so
lutions were offered by \. !. McGlough-
lin. Edgar A. Jossclyu, Albert L. Ross,
/. owls Mayors. Alfred Geifcrt. lr.. John
K. Harris and others. Nr. Josselyns
treatment OF the crossing WAS espe-
cially designed 10 ~ the existing prob
lem At Fifth av. and PA So. and gsyo
beauty TO the site Of the Pub
lie Library.