New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-10
American Building
How 1t Has Resumed Its Stride
After the War

The first Impression received from
this exhibition is one of unexpected
vitality, unexpected because, as every
body knows, the building operations of
the country suffered a severe setback
during the war. Plans nece ssarily
abandoned when we entered the conflict
had to reckon, after the armistice, with
and materials. In the annals of this
period the cheerfulness of our archi-
tects ought not to be forgotten. They
carried on" with magnificent courage
while their profession faced profound
discouragements. There is another
point that should be kept in mind. A
good many bonds were loosened by the
war. Any number of painters turned
to the so-called IN ode rnist" hypothe-
sis American architecture has stood
firm. A careful survey Of the examples
here exhibited develops practically no
signs of deviation from the old stand
ards. The sole exception to the pre-
vailing stability Of the school is pro-
vided, curiously, by Mr.. B. G. Goodhue.
He has not turned his back on the
Gothic inspiration out of which he has
so often done such noble things. In
the romantic structure he has pro-
jected as a convocation and Office
building for Protestant centralized re
| ligious activities he has bodied forth
really beautiful conception, a gi-
gantic shaft or tower which envelops
! the idea of the skyscraper in a Gothic
garment His imagination functions
! His scheme for the State Capitol of
Nebraska tells an altogether different
story. Here, too, he rears great
shaft UP into the blue, above a spread
ing fiat, fortress-like base. On paper it
might be feetingly plausible, as q piece
of theatrical scene painting. AS archi-
lecture it is nondescript in style, with
strong infusion Of German ugliness.
| We can imagine a Berlin professor of
new" tendencies cooking up this re-
Mr. Goodhue's known dedication to
beauty it is merely puzzling.
Monumental architecture in this
country always has been and probably
always will be largely a matter of
scholarship. A designer with the strong
idiosyncratic gifts of an H. Fl. Richard
son is rare anywhere. But If learning,
knowledge Of the historical styles, is
important in this branch of the art,
good taste is an equally significant
element. 1t counts all over the field,
in the bungalow as we'll as in the bank
building, but it never seams more pre-
cious than when it is governing the
erection of some towering edifice in
stone or brick The problem all along
has been to adapt the steel cage princl-
pie to aesthetic ends, to fuse business
convenience and an equitable distribu-
ton of light with an mosphere of
art. There is an odd retrospective
wing in this exhibition, odd because it
is quite arbitrary in its selection of
types. McCombs designs for our old
City Hall, some of Richard Upjohn's
churches, works by the late Richard
M. Hunt and divers other things are
shown. There is good and bad stuff in
the mass. But the department is not
we'll enough organized to clarity periods
in American architecture. 1t includes,
for example, John Russell Pope's SUI
perb Temple of the Scottish Rite, at
Washington. That is recent build
ing. Why show it in q Retrospective
sectiono We note this section in pass
ing. with an eye to the point in our
chronology which the exhibition really
emphasizes. The past might more use
fully have been drawn upon for
Chamber of Horrors" That would have
heightened appreciation of the present
status of the monumental building. 1t
is scholarly, as we have said. and it is,
we may also repeat, in good taste.
There is no better lesson enforced by
the Leagues exhibition.
Nobody could pretend that all the
skyscrapers are perfect, or, for that
matter, interesting. Some of them are
TO be congratulated on nothing more
than their escape from vulgarity. But
this is perhaps boon not to be
despised, and there is no lack of work
which commands much warmer praise.
We NAV cite. in illustration, Mr.. B. w.