The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-27
BETTER Than new
Walls of Proposed Auditorium
Will Be Stronger
Than in New Building, Says
Architect Holland.
ACOUSTICS BEST In KANSAS
Speaking Possibilities Will Be
Second in Country.
Walls Are All Double and Built
With Buttresses.


Auditorium, under the plan drafted
by J. c. Holland architect, at the re-
quest of the committee of citizens, will
be even stronger than in an absolutely
new structure from the ground up,
according to Mr.. Holland, notwith-
standing some persons have expressed
themselves as opposed to using the
present walls.
These walls will be stronger, much
stronger, than entirely new ones, and
it would almost take dynamite to tear
tear them down; they will be just as
strong as the walls of the state CAPT.
toI," declared Mr.. Holland yesterday.
st stake my reputation as an archi-
tect upon it.
Here is the reason this is so: When
first built the Auditorium l had in
view the idea of locating the stairway
to the balcony on the outside of the
building. That is, the ingress and
egrees would be from the outside and
without any connection with those on
the first floor of the main building.
In doing this it was necessary to build
double walls, as they now stand-12
feet between the walls to admit of the
Stairways. These walls were reinforced
with cross walls and special provisions
were made at the points where the
trusses bear on the main walls. These
are over six feet in thickness at these
points.
Anyone knowing anything about
construction knows what this means
to a reinforced wall in the way of
buttressing.
SCI say these walls are stronger than
new ones would be because builders
would not put the materials in a new
building today that are in those old
walls.
The loggia in front was construct
ed in the same manner, with double
walls, reinforced with cross section
ing; also, the rear wall was broken
out into an angle of seven feet to re-
inforce that wall.
All Walls Butressed.
$50 that there is not a piece of ex-
terror wall in the present building so
feet in length that is not heavily but
tressed in such a way and manner as
to preclude any possibility of settle
ment or spreading. These walls are
all heavy masonry walls, IT and 20
inches in thickness. All walls at the
roof line are II inches and not 10
inches, as some have seen fit to claim.
'1 hold, as a practical man, know
ing something of the practical meth
DDS of construction, that there are no
stronger or better walls surrounding
these walls are today They would
carry the burden imposed upon them
II you were to go so feet higher than
is proposed, for the reason, as I have
are heavily reinforced by double walls
and buttressing.
| Almost Entirely New.
1.-The interior construction of the
old as well as the new Auditorium
have but little, if any, relation to these
outside walls, as it is to be carried on
steel columns, trusses and reinforced
concreting, All wooden partitions in
the buildings are to be torn out
and fireproof partitions constructed
throughout. as well as metal stair
ways. platforms. etc"
This win give a practically new
building, will it not, Mr.: Holland % he
was asked.
Every fair minded person will
readily understand that it will be a
new building throughout. and not a
remodeled building, as some would
have it appear said the architect
| cit is the Intention he continued,
Hto raise the present roof some six feet
greater in height, for the purpose of
| Introducing gallery, which will be
constructed along the same lines as
previously described in the balcony"
The acoustics of the new building
Mr. Holland guarantees will be the
very best.
Condense the Building.
THE one reason why this build
ing should be constructed along the
| lines I suggested is that to secure
proper acoustics, you must condense
the building along scientific lines
Public speakers contend that a build
| ing so constructed, with a seating Ca
pacity of 5000, is as large as can be
| practically considered; that when you
| go beyond these calculations, and con-
| struct along the colosseum lines, your
| acoustics become a failure, as is dem
| onstrated in all buildings in this and
other states with seating capacities
of 5000, 10000 and 1900, which are
a failure from an acoustic point of
view. The acoustics of the present
building were excellent until the pipe
organ was put in, which destroyed the