New-York tribune., 1922-01-01
By Royal Coytissoz


N HERE has been need OF biog-
raphy of Burnham. His work
has place apart in the his
tory of American architecture,
rounding out. a the same time. as in an
organic sequence, the broad DEVELOPMENT
associated with the great names of
AUNT, Richardson and McKim. He, like
those three, had q decisive influence
upon the evolution of our monumental
buildings. The particular phase of the
subject to which he made the most sig
nliicant contribution is represented bv
that intensely racy expression of Amer
ican life, the skyscrapcr. Mr. Moore
might have more Of it than he does. civ
ing more illustrations Of Burnham's tall
buildings and more descriptive ANALYSIS
OF them. It would not have lessened the
value of that high praise which is rightly
bestowed upon him As a "planner Of
cities.'
The skyscraper belongs IN the fore
front of any record OF this architects
career for two reasons. lie designed it
with something like inspiration. And in
DONG so he was playing into the hands
OF our national growth, responding to
one OF our most pressing and most char
acterstic needs His bographcr, as we
have said, is less emphatic on the point
than might be wished, but he docs not,
Of course, ignore it, and he puts it well
in this tcrse fragment: Mr. Burnham
had positive genius for contriving a
great commercial structure, whether re-
tail store, Office building or railway sta
ton, in such manner as to yield revenue,
be economical IN operation, and have
enduring qualities. This was his own
personal, distinct contribution which he
shared with no one in his firm Beyond
this he had a feeling for all those ee-
ments which tend to lift a structure out
of the category of mere profit yielders,
and make it an ornament to a city"
The last observation may be expanded.
Burnham had sense of beauty. The
value Of his skyscrapcrs lies not alone
in their utilitaran merits. 1t resides
also in the fact that they have simple
dignity which at the beginning of his
labors in this field was rare enough. He
did more than benefit his clients. He
set good example to designers all
over the country.
The skyscraper Will be his chief title
to fame. But not the only one. 1t is
enough to pause upon Mr. Moores illus
ings Bank Building to see with what
skill and taste Burnham could tackle
problem invoking breadth rather than
heighth. The secret of his success is to
be sought peculiarly in his instinct for
scale. Superadded to that he had the
gift of an architect born to work on
grandiose themes. 1t is, after all, diff
cult to blame Mr.. Moore for being COM
brief on the Office buildings
There is so NUN that is interesting in
the movement OF Burnhams mind as 1t
roved over immense fields.
He was controlling spirit in some
of the most colossal undertakings of
our colossal age The extraordinary
beauty of the Chicago fair, nearly !
thirty years ago. would have been i'm
possible without his organizing genius
and the lofty standard that went with
It, He had, it is true, for his colabo
rators men like Saint Gaudens and
Mckim, host of the leading designers
and artists in the United States. But
his was the co-ordinating and enkind /
ling touch which kept the fabric united
and moved it on toward splendid
completon He thought. as &c showed !