The Washington times., 1923-01-04
S|I|kl'S|IgRAPER IS
1t [!Nn /
now
Architect Of WoolwOrth Build
Ing Says No Taller Buildings
In Year 2o23.

tFG0 TteOEt CO1GtteTNS aWH NL hy1tN VI
Grclsttecture aDiH dopsSsGte by the
year 2O2S?e One of the cotc1stry's
foremost architects herewith looks
ahead and gfves his DiesU, ].
By CASS GILBERT,
Architect 81 the lEooIworth Building.
tcoR'Fisht. ''ss sI y ss;nopoi''an News
NEW York, IAN. LIN consld-
ering what the state Of architecture
VIII be IN tho Uniled States IN
2023. Il Is necessary to decide
whether we are going forward to
new trilimphs Of civilization Or
backward into disorga nisation and
ultimately into . new period similar
to the Dark Ages.
Should the Bolsheviiri saccsed
in Putting their system into effect
In this country. 1t Is not isnrfObabIe
that architectnre may have ceased
to exist Ion years from now and
Il that there win be no houses Ia
which to live. Certaihly. no new
ones.
II our political system remains
unchahged. and our people adhere
to the proposition that thrift and
hOneat labor are the foundation of
prosperity, there ID no IiknsE to the
euccess AInerdca may achieve. II
the eQuntIyf gicceeds. architecture
| win Develop with. Il. Or architec-l
ture has always been tho sure re-
corder Of ciKilLza tion, and It's lack Ii
the glirest et4 deucei o4 baxhariatn.
4 Limit - aeigllt. i.
Broadly apeal king. = believe that
buiIdlngs In the f1ture, except ID
the more oougeSted parts Of large
cities. may be OF le4g heikAt than
these Of tgl6ay. We may. as the
IPesult ek cegkAln laws, have cities
of5 towers or OF terraces and roof
gardens.
An excellent gaugs. cr one, It
least. which ID &c GUOd as any
othsrs oas what the dgyslppulent Of
IafchitectuFs may be 100 years from
ling itA present stage with that Of
I10O years ago. Any0Iie, and he
lneed not be an architect can see
that Tor himself by comparing
blsaldings Cf the earlier date with
Those Of today.
IN the Colonial period there were
In1aay beautiful houses and churches
land that are was characterized By
IgoOd taste and simplicity of archi-
tectt1ral style. The buildings Of to.
day greatly sIIrpass them In size;
Structural character and naechan-
kical equipment, but they are not
lmore beautiful.
II ecOnornic and sOcioloeicaI CON.
ditione aIre favorable ii may be as
stunned that with the. increase OF
l3pOpulations land win be more, val
Iuable.
III the large centers OF popuIa-
Eticn ground values probably win
have advanced very much. there
fore owners will be inclined to
build higher for the purpose OF OBJ
italnfng more tenants on the land,
lbut with the growth Of this con-
Editlon win come regulatory laws in
the {, general interest Of the COM
immunity and the more scientific plan
ming OF our cities viii provide for
Less Intensive and crowded usage,
increase the facility for traffic and
provide Gbetter and more convenient
living conditions. IN short, city
planning win be generally adopted,
land by Its logical result Will make
the economic demand Tor high
buildings less imperative.
Planning Essential.
When Burnham was making the
great city plan for Chicago. which
ID now being gradually carried out:
he was asked whether he really
thought It q practicable scheme; or
whether Il was only q visionary
project. He replied: ''If you viii
think what this country was 100
years ago and what II IL today
you may have some conception Of
what It may be 100 years from
now"
We have today, in many cities
throughout the. country, local regl-
lationg restricting the height OF
buildings. Similar and more strin-
gent laws concerning building de-
velopment may have been put into
effect by the year 1923, 30 that to
attempt to say In the present day
with any definitenesg what build
ipgs may or may not be, in form
and general construction, by that
time, would be quite useless.
In New York and other cities,
however, there are laws limiting
the height OF buildings In various
zones in proportion to the width of
the streets on which they front.
For instance, in some cases to one
and one-half times the width OF the
street, in others the width, in
Others two and one-half times.
They are, however, permitted to
rise still higher II they are set
back from the street lines. This
additional rise IL in proportion Of
four feet of height to one foot of
setback. or such other ratio as may
be fixed in the several zones.
New York Buildings Curious.
New buildings in New York city,
in consequence Of this law, have
assumed very curious shapes, and
the result Of the law is TO cause
property to be accumulated in
larger plotages, so as to permit
stu greater height.
Consideration Of similar laws Is
now being given by other cities,
and in most of our larger cities
there Is a height limit already fixed
by law.
This idea may be developed much
farther within 100 years. In any
event, 1t seems safe to prophecy
that by the end of that time archi-
tectural advance will have kept
pace with the age, whatever it
may be.
II S. PEARLS