Evening star., 1933-09-02

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wv mental character, and col
unns are monumental forms.
New York Is distinguished
for skyScraperS. Boston for brOWnstone
residences, Philadelphia for red brick
houses, Baltimore for white stone steps,
! Chicago for railroad yards and pack
ing establishments, Minneapolis for
grain elevators, Los Angeles for bun
galows, Florida for Moorish hotels and
New Orleans for hand-wrought iron
work, but for columns in all their ele-
its Capital City.
The word column is derived from
the Latin columna. Us meaning is
given as "a vertical support. round or
polygonal in plan. in contra distinction
to a pier. usually rectangular in plan"
The Federal City architecturally, is
of Greek and Latin origin, and the
influence Of the great designs Of an
tiquity is manifest everywhere. Wash
ington's columns therefore, are Of
classic type. BY general consent they
are the most graceful feature of the
finest structures in the Capital.
The Greeks drew their inspiration
for column design from an Aegean
prototype and from some unknown
Asiatic source In the former instance
they reversed the direction of the taper,
so that the smaller end was up: in the
latter, they developed high. decorated
base and an enriched capital Thus a
principal characteristic Of the so-called
Doric order Of architecture was evolved
and essentials of the Ionic and Corinth-
ian orders were established.
AL types of columns may be found
IN Washington. The Doric order gen.
orally is considered the simplest of the
three principal forms. It is distin-
guisned for its unpretending nobility
Of line: 1t has no base except the
steps or ledge upon which it stands,
and all its horizontal lines are slight
ly convex and its vertical lines slightly
inclined inward to correct optical illu-
sion. Usually, if not invariably. it has
20 shallow. sharp-edged channels or
flutes from bottom to top. The curve
Of the plain echinus or lower cushion Of
its capital is the most subtle to be
found in architecture The columns of
the Lincoln Memorial are Doric
In the ideal Doric column the pro-
portions are comparable with these of
a normal man. AS a mans body is
six times the length of the foot. so
the Doric column is six diameters in
height. The entire scale of the build
ing should be figured to conform with
the principle Of this relation The
ancient Greeks made a science of the
mathematics Of their structures but
Just what their methods were is mys-
terry which modern scholars have been
unable to solve. It is said, however,
that the proportions Of the Parthenon
at Athens were determined by multi
pies of skies.
be developed. Its characteristics in
clude base or dentil band, a shaft
about nine diameters high usually
fluted, and capital with four spiral
projections called volutes. The most
pleasing examples have richly but not
ornately decorated capitals, for each
separate portion OF which architects
have a name. The sD!rals Of the vo-
iutes have been Gkanod IN form to a
rams horns. The lay reader Will fnd
in The columns of the north ard south
porticos CT til, White House excellent
examples Of the Ionic type.
The Corinthian was the last Of the
three great classic orders. and the most
ornate. The model column of this type
has the Ionic shaft and entablature,
but the capital is exuberantly deco
rated with conVentionalized acanthus
leaves. The columns and pilasters of
the Capitol are Corinthian.
The Treasury Building is. architec-
turally of pure Ionic design the COL
unns and pilasters rising through the
three stories Of the superstructure. The
older portion, facing Fifteenth street,
has 80 Ionic columns of Aqua Greek
sandstone, faced IN 19071908 with
granite from Milford. N H The north,
south and west wings, built 1855-1869,
have huge monolithic columns and pi-
lasters OF granite from Dix Island. Ne.
The State, War and Navy Building
Is suppc sed to be on the Roman Dorlc
order 1t has central pavilion with
stairway and portico, consisting of a
two or three story colonnade arranged
N pairs. The entire structure is sprin-
kled over with inartistic columnettes
to the number of 900, and present
plans for remcdeling include the re-
rnoval of these blenlishes.
The American Red Cross Building
Is a classic white marble structure, the
main facade being broken by Cor1n-
THAN pilasters rising through two
stories. At each end. and on the main
eastern front. are colonnades Of stately
Corinthian columns.
The Daughters cf the American
Revolution Memorial Continental Hall
has a central portico, Supported by 16
massive drum columns of the Ionic