The New York herald., 1922-09-17
STEELAPOWERFUL
FORCE IN BUSINESS
Made Possible Concentration
of Commerce, Resulting in
Lofty Structures.
THE NEW ARCHITECTURE
Ancients Raised Necessity to
Virtue-Modern Express
sion in Treeatment.
by WILLIAM VAN ALIEN.

by WILLIAM ~ AAGsN.
or Sererance Van Alien, Architects.
cTEEI. has exercised centripetal force
on business. 1t has made possible
a concentration of commerce In
and about important business centers.
The result is realized In towering COM
mercial buildings, not possible before It's
uses in building construction. The archl-
lecture OF the Old World was the deco
rative expression OF masonry construction
which, due to the nature Of the materials
used, called for colossal columns, deep
reveals, limited span to lintels or the use
OF the arch. which again required put-
tressing or heavy angle piers TO take
up the thrust. Familiar examples OF
such old world architecture are to De
found in the Parthenon. the Roman
temples and the palaces OF Italy
The influence of such architecture,
with its beauties, strength and grandeur
is to be found in many cominerclai
buildings in American cities. con-
structed before the advent or steer
as a structural material. 1t has been
with the greatest reluctance that we
have departed from symbols ana iorrns
developed by use of masonry. althousn
that form Of expression has long since
lost its significance. The ancients maoe
a virtue OF necessity. Tne mouerns
must find their expression for tne thins
used in their treatment OF tne tnins
itself. unless they are willing 10 pranu
that thing a lie on its face.
When you clothe steel structure
with the elements of architecture. as
used in structures built OF masonry
Won are not expressing the Steel which
is the real construction. The walls OF
steel structures are enclosures only ana
have no structural function ana py SO
expressing them gives significance 70
the steel by which they are caIrl
consequently their treatment snouio
NOT be heavy in effect but rather de-
mands n flatness OF treatment, whlch
,s more significant. The proper de-
yelopment along those lines snouiu y
produce ultimately new type ol
a architecture, that Is purely American
expressive of It's construction ana
purpose peculiar to our needs ana as
individual as the Gothic calheorais
and the Grecian temples.
Essential Features I'm BuldinE'
-rna essential features to be regarded
,n q business building, If It is to be
,.on,nercial success, are economical use
and distribution of space, with reference
particularly to light, air, convenience OF
ARRANGEMENT and sanitation. All ol
.noae elements can be conserved to the
yoint OF highest efficiency in our modern
steel structures Some OF the elements
az commercial advantage that steel corr
struction has over stone ana Woou als
Greater volume OF building an a given
area.
Cain OF floor space, due TO thinness Oh
walls required in steel construction.
larger spans between columns ana
often their entire elimination in interior
spaces. 49,
elimination of reveals permitting the
class TO be installed flush with the out
side face OF the wall, thus eliminating
the shadows and securing the maximum
OF light from each opening.
Greater percentage OF natural Hsn'
area in exterior walls.
Distribution OF columns with regard
70 logical and economical partitlonins ol
space.
n is a far cry from the Tower Build
sng. the first office structure built OF
steel in this city and which stood at oo
Broadway, to the Woolworth or the
Municipal buildings, OF later design.
Ambition. pride. avarice. experimental
t,on aIl have played their parts in the
development OF tall and still taller
structures. until II seemed as II our
architects, engineers and capitalists
were sitting together in a game where
the slogan was "The sky's the limit :"
The menace of such ruthless destruc-
tion OF property rights and public well
fare was finally recognized and as re-
suit we have now a zoning law. the
effect of which is to safeguard the
future development OF our crowded busi-
ness centers. Contrast here. IL you Will,
the drear canyons of lower Broadway
with the open stretches OF our highly
developed midtown section, built since
the zoning laws have been in force,
which proves that the zoning laws are a
step In the right direction. The pracu-
cal application OF that part of the law
which requires setbacks in building
above certain height is not, In our
opinion, q detriment to values inherent
to real estate, but. on the contrary,
tends to stabilize values by the protec-
tion It guarantees in preserving proper
standards OF light and ventilation BY In
creasing sizes OF interior courts and
yards as the height OF the build
ing Is increased. thereby preserving
open spaces as a protection not not
only to itself but also to adjacent and
surrounding properties.
Proper Balance Maintained.
In TWO Cl our luO 'Auothe >
Building and the Bar Building, we have
complied with all OF the setback restric-
tons and have retained the maximum
amount OF floor space permitted, as
shown in the illustration. In both cases
there was preserved the effect OF the
full number OF stories on the buildings
front. This OF Itself Is OF great CONNER
cial value.
We are just beginning to realize the
real blessings OF our zoning law. It's q
fluence will be far-reaching, as proven
by eager imitation that has been evi.
denced in the action of many larger
American cities.
Although hardly within the province
of this article. which has mainly to deal
with the evolution OF architecture, ono
might almost say the revolution Of arch
itecture. due TO differences In structural
material used. to discuss the value oi
commercial buildings in relation 10 ioca.
ton and surroundings. II IL nevertheless
obvious that the availability OF the plo'
and the adaptability Of the treatment e
be employed in every case present prob
lens which must be considered consct
entiously IL practical effects are TO b'
produced The availability OF site
with reference to the purpose for whicl
n structure Is intended fs OF primary
Importance. An architect with business
sense is the one who Will steer his clien
s-om the pitfalls OF inutility. The archi
tect who regards the adaptability or
certain character Of architecture VIII