The sun., 1916-09-03

nue. and fortirth street. and associate
s,sn s1rs.,d IN r.; man, soos .Ss:s "pe q cis,
and the McXipin Hotel and de:!Gn:d
many. commercial structures. chiefly In
A visitor approaching New York will
notice as he rides along a sign board
advertising a certain article much used
In commercial buildings as being Made
by the mile and sold by the foot"
When he goes about the city II he
looks down some OF the blocks where
recent Improvements have not pene-
trated, nor relics Of the Brownstone Age
been disturbed by modern progress. he
will be reminded OF the legend on the
sign board and decide that these houses
must have been built OF manufactured
in a similar manner.
There is an eminent air OF dignity
and refined respectability abou those
rows of Old homes erected during that
era. but their charm. such as they pos
sess. In of a negative rather than Of a
positive character.
They do not offend particularly In de-
sign. color or workmanship. neither do
they contribute anything to the credit
OF the architects. builders or owners Of
that period, nor at any time to the beauty
Of the city.
At this time something more than
unobtrus.ve mediocrity Is demanded.
Each building should possess a char
acter and an attractiveness that will
make II hold Its own among Its neigh
bors. and the value of each should be
enhanced by the relationship.
The controlling circumstances and con-
ditions which produced those uninter.
esting rows Of ir!.stinguIshable houses
are at work to-day In a new intense
and most aggravated form. The build.
ings now being erected tend toward u
monotony just as complete. but instead
OF being inconspicuous n unobtrus!ve
they are inclined to be ugly and in
sistent.
The size, color. surface and textur,
frequently are each in themselves lack
ing IN decorative quality and the com
blnation Is usually fatal so far as an,
present or future pleasing or sat.sfac
tory effect Is concerned.
Picture n row ~ respectable and re
served old brownstone houses made tw,
or three stories higher. all projection,
Nattened out n with the hish stoop'
removed. Then imagine them turned q
"A cold gray concrete color. Not yer,
inviting. Is Il?
With what might be called the nat
ural tendencies leading toward so IN
pleasant a prospect II is alarming I,
consider the forces. lately developed
which not only lear in the same d!rec
ton, but maxi tome OF the condition.
almost mandatory.
The recent changes In the buildinl
code. the limitations Of projections b.
yond the building line, the new zon
II heights restrictions and the con
stunt,y increasing value OF real estat
produce a cumulative effect that nigh
well be considered as especially d"s!gnel
to eliminate al, architecture from tn
street fronts OF our buildings.
As very few buildings are 10Y occu
pied by their owuc.s the renting valu
Of foor space becomes an importan
factor In determining how much valuabl
area shall be sacrificed to architecture
effect. In the days when a majority o
the pcop.- owned their homes and the!
business h uses there was scme in
b g. nt!ye 10 make the exterior of the build
ing attractive.
Now. when an architectural monumcn
will not produce any more revenue pc
square foot than 'he meres, box wher
the tenancy may change from year I
year. ard where the man VIII build
does so only To sell as quickly as pos
stole and therefore has only a pa's'u
interest in the appearance Of his struc
ture. any motive or beauty Of dc~ig'
or finish is almost entirely rem ovet
why waste time ard money on a thin
which Is only of temporary interest an,
produces nothing more in the way q
tangible returns"
Under the new code. walls may h
only ne zoo, In thickness II carried o.
SsaAI ne na,k, "a ThFg ,nl., g. ~
s.ble 20 gain from four TO many NOR
i"crcs 4 ren,ah'e area across the from
Of n building and tenpts Il he rcduc;io
~ reveals. the fa;:ening Of all orna
mental { Htuies and the consequent elm
nation Of character from tn" Il sign
The restrictions as TO in%cumbrance
beyond the building line below the t.
FOO, above the curb level efectuall
stop tho embellihinr or emphasizing &
he entrance OF any other ground iioo
feature unless space on the inside of tn
building il sacrificed for the purpose.
marquis or hood over the doorway ma
be used. but this can seldom be treate
in a way 10 give il any more lastin
or attractive effect than "A man holdin
IN an opened umbrella.
The height restrictions OF the zor
ordinance practically determine not onl
the total height of the building as
whole bu, also the heights OF the sever;
stories. AS II can be taken for granite
that each owner will insist on getting a
the building that will be allowed on h
plot under the law. This means thu
. each building In any given block will /
=. 80 similar TO the others In the heights
i, the whole and OF the parts that II wi
: uu!re careful and particular treatme,
! to prevent the combinations from a,
Z pear'ng like one structure. or, VIII
9 would be worse. like successive addition
I one building. each having the appea
E ance of being an experiment to dete
lame which would give the best effect