New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-16
Bv ROYAL CORTISSOZ.

CM FRANCISCO May THE architectural
scheme embodied in this fair IS so homo
- eeneous that when you ask who invented
- VOL EXPECT 90 hear the name of only ope man,
and YOU imagine him as having conceived it as
whole. in a fash Of inspiration. But the history
o. the buildings and courts is one Of q slow
process Of evolution developed by architects
drawn from various parts OF the United States
In the early stages Of constructive planning II
ass inevitable tt.. Willis Polk should have CON
,r.buted much 90 the solution Of the problem lie
j, on. Of the leaders OF his profession in San
Francisco. man Of large ideas, quick TO see the
Possibilities Of the site on the Bay and ardent to
make the most o. them Equally inevitable was
Il, collaboration % Nr. r. f. Bennett Of the old
firm Of Burnham d Root, in Chicago. He had the
fair Of 1892 behind him 10 give peculiar weight
70 his suggestions Architects from other cities
yer. also called in. and. in fact, they have done
1 great deal Of the most important part Of the
work To emphasize this point, though, is to pay
special tribute 20 the San Franciscans. There
q. some brilliant designers here, whose indivd-
gl achievements in the fair excite high admira-
ton, but thev gave the best evidence of their ar
titie devotion when they sank all local ambition
ID an unselhsh resolve to put personalities aside
great design.
Thus M George W. Keham, Of this city, chief
sf the architectural commission, content to
design two q the smaller courts, the Court oil
Palms and the Court Of Flowers, giving his ener-
yes otherwise 10 the furtherance Of the broad In
.rests Of the whole plan. To New York men were
assigned the FIRST places Of honor. The Court OF
he Universe al the centre, fell to McKim, Mead
4 ~. NJ Syr mo
Richardson, was chosen 10 design the Column OF
Frgress which dominates its seward opening
ID, Tower Of Jewels reared at the entrance to
n' court and forming the most conspicuous land
mark a. the fair was done by Carrere Hast
inrs Another New York architect, Mr. Henry
Bacon, designed the next largest court, that Of
the -Four Seasons, and its counterpart to the
East, in respect 20 scale, was done by q ST. Louis
nan Mr.. Louis Mullgsrdt. Foreigners " may
20 designate them, had the lions share in the
main fabric q the fair. But the generosity OF
The Ssn Trsnciscans had its reward 1t was lett
TO them to design the actual buildings sheltering
uhisi's, and IN the process to pull the entire
scheme together
The FAYILLE WALLS TO WHICH THE CRITIC
DOFFs HIS HAT.
M ". B Fayille looked after the exterior walls
q the eigh, principal palaces" which are linked
By the courts Mr.. Clarence r. Ward designed
Machinery Palace, which confronts the man
group Of buildings az the east, and MI H. H. May
beck built the Palace Of Fine Arts, which ter
inmates the plan at the west. Decidedly they
'''i nothing in the distribution Of responsibility
saieh nominolly brought their colleagues OF Ne"
iok and elsewhere into the foreground, Inc
tofors are equal note the fact 70 recall again
~s superb unity which marks the fair, q unity on
which cannot dwell too often too sppreoia-
uFely; but even as | do so | must confess 10
personal desire TO dof my hat 10 one man in par
ueslsr, Mr.. Fayille
am looking az the fair to-day as student o.
architecture and ! am fascinated by his taste ana
'nll Consider for a moment what he had TO 40
imagine the three principal courts as completed
structures, standing in q row and separated by
wee empty spaces. How were they TO be so a.
"so that you approached the fair your eye
would be filed with perfect harmony OF mass
'he line! Everything depended upon those eH-
's'asl walls in Mr.. Favilles hands. Would ne
0'tak them up capricously with doors and WIN
COWS Would he top them with merely pctur-
''sat towers or other accents? lie did none OF
as'e things Instead he built the simplest Of
asl walls around the fair, bearing an almost neg
"tbls eorniee. The result is ideal
"ast the fair needed-snd am speaking now
:" The main group Of buildings-was BASE ana