The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20

OF the past, were u NOT essentially uu'
intelligent to attack uns0lvnble problems.
The two great handicaps that modern
American architects labor under when
they strive to compete with ancient
masters are known by oil Of US and have
been mentioned In these columns to the
point Of boredom. No real effort to
break the shackles and free architects IL
being made, however. The prospects Of
Auch a campaign are 70 far reaching. and
there Is 20 much cOmplexity In the way
Of politics and finance that the leader.
ship OF a Napoleon Is necessary. .
Napoleon who shall he hacked by a Ford
or Carnegie endowment fund.
Merely to he clear the two restrictions
hintetl Mt are these: lack Of municipal
control over city architecture and the
mechanical methods Of constructing
modern buildings. A building that looks
a. we'll On paper MS an ancient masters
work IL rendered stupid by the mechani.
cal fashion In which 1t Is erected. II
by n miracle II looks we'll. even then the
day after something erected next to It
utterly ruins its effect.
New York ut present IL probably the
richest city In the world. certainly It Is
the place where the worlds money 10
being handled. yet In all OF its miles Of
streets II has no places" 1t has no
picturesque street crossings. no back.
grounds for monuments and no frame
work for parks. In short II lacks oil the
architectural attributes Of u beautiful
city. Until there Is control and restric.
ton New York never will he anything
hut a puzzle 10 lovers Of the beautiful.
To hrng about the height Of the Wool.
worth Tower Is beside the point. A
ob<,et tinn ~. 40 hrnVVQ1l nhonf the
Singer Building just as Justify. To
build sucl, expensive structures for n
reclame that lasts hut two or three years
(until the still higher tower comes
along) II like II Childfs game. Joe Pen.
nell IL already shouting that the Wool.
worth Tower has hepn spoiled for him
By the towers ~ the ley Equitable
Building. but we needn't hOther about
Joe here. I'll" fact is It Is time for the
architects to lm'k our much vnuntpu
''lihrrty' in the face AMI determine how
much rs artists we want Of II. At pres.
ent our idea seems I" l1 that II gives
each ~ us "A chance tO shout aloud. We
do so, there Is II great upr"ur AMI all
ideas are en~gulfrl-Dnly the uprOnr "
heard.
The lille public will flock to the gal.
leriPs to ssc the Italian Garden and the
gimcrNck decorations (nt least l hOpo
they will. for there Is NJ reason why
they should not abstract such entertain.
ment nv they may from these fentures,,
but the attention Of architects will
doubtless focus upon Mr.. GOOdhue's
model for the proposed new church for
1t. Ba~rthOlOmew's. They should also
take an earnest lN'k at the interesting
exhibition Of the American Academy In
Rome and sigh for the days when they
too were students abroad and planning
idealistlc monuments.
A criticism Of the proposed new
church IL not possible without Inc plans.
In fuct criticism Of architecture Is
never called for by the Architecture
League. for the simple reason that the
works Of nrt themselves nre not on
view. Talk II possible. and the more
talk before the building goes up the
better.
Whether architecture hns advanced OF
not the fact II undeninble that the
art OF presenting architectural ileas ia
clients hnS progressed UNNECESSARILY
Every year, II seems to me, the archi.
tectural mMlels and the sketches OF
fncndes md Interiors get more md more
nlluring and less anl less criticlzuble
The model fir IT. B~nrthOlOmew's IL N
impressive that .nny mere committee
must be bOwled over by 1t instantly
The feeling Of any vestrymNn must IN
"Yes, YES, put It up Tomorrow" And NJ
the rate our mechanics nre perfecting
themselves the time IL not far distnn,
when such buildings really will I've bull
In n dizzy. Dur the hopes and fears TIM
hive for the new st. bartholomew,
are all connected with the manner II
which II will be built, Its site AMI tn
possibilities Of what IL to be built mex
door.
Without. having seen the site, 1t 4
evident that the Inst contingency II on.
that H. to lie reCkOnel with, ~ 1t VII
In the building Of st. ThOmas's. Certuil
places appear In the model to have beel
sliced oil with n great knife. These mr.
the places where the building connect
ma doubt with something already stnnd
Ing. The masscs Of the new huilhin