by all law of procedure and business judgment he should know more of such problems than those who have not had the opportunity to specialize in expert planning or methods of obtaining competition in order to reduce the cost of construction.
A practicing architect must, of necessity, be a man of affairs, since his enterprises represent great expenditures of money, over which he must exercise the ablest business ability and judgment. In addition to these requirements, his long period of technical training prepares him for correct designing and planning and safe construction. In Illinois and many other States, he is obliged to pass practically an engineer’s examination before being permitted to practice.
Architects, as a class, are sincere advocates of the beautiful. Their high aims and aspirations are to harmonize all true inspiration into their work so that their artistic creations will represent an expression of the real culture of their day and generation. The public must be brought to a realization of these qualifications and high ideals. I wish to illustrate the power of initiative and efficiency, well worth recalling in order to establish the ability and valuable services of the profession of architecture. We remember with pride the success of the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. Its marvelous orderliness of plan, its architectural beauty and breadth of conception still influence the city-beautiful idea throughout the length and breadth of our country.
Many of us recall that after it was decided by the National Congress to hold in Chicago a great fair commemorating the discovery of America there was a diversity of opinion among Chicago’s foremost citizens as to its location. Many prominent men, and also our great daily papers, strenuously advocated what is now Grant Park, then a small parcel of ground, as the most desirable location.
Any architect of experience would immediately have pointed out the absolute impracticability of such a site because of the necessity of filling in vast areas of lake in order to erect the buildings and form appropriate landscape effects.
During this babel of confusion in laymen’s opinions, and doubly confounded because of the very short time given Chicago to erect such a vast enterprise, some one who understood the ability and experience of the architectural profession suggested that the advice of an architect was necessary, and that the selection of a site should be recommended by him to the directors before action was taken.
The firm of Burnham & Root was then consulted. This firm, true to the great responsibility placed upon them, and faithful to the best traditions of the profession, immediately gave the matter expert consideration. With characteristic rapidity of judg
ment, and comprehension of the world enterprise, it located the fair where it rightly should be—at Jackson Park, bordering Lake Michigan—and thus undoubtedly avoided a serious blunder.
In spite of the fact that this enterprise was practically controlled by architects, from commencement of construction to the completion of both landscape and structures, and that it was eminently a success far beyond the layman’s wildest dreams, yet the architectural profession received little recognition from the country as a whole for this signal achievement. For if there had been any real appreciation of the stupendous work accomplished, many towns and cities throughout our land would have immediately secured the trained services of architects to guide their municipal developments, or, in a more American and democratic manner for the public weal, would have at least considered an architect for some position of trust, as, for instance, that of mayor or chief executive, or some power of distinction in the community commensurate with his trained creative and executive ability. For surely an architect’s comprehensive experience fits him for such a position of responsibility far beyond that of a class of politicians who prey upon the credulity of the public for their own aggrandizement.
It is time, therefore, that the architectural profession recognizes that it must educate the public, using methods of publicity with which the people are familiar, so that the ability and usefulness of architects in public and municipal affairs become generally known, and employed as occasion arises.
In this connection I wish to call attention to the fact that the proper shaping and reconstructing of the Mall, that great landscape effect extending from the Capitol Building to the Potomac River, at Washington, D. C., is due to the work and influence of the American Institute of Architects.
The original plan of the Mall, designed by L’Enfant, under the guidance of Washington, had long been lost and forgotten. The resurrecting of this plan and the proper architectural and artistic embellishing of it, now in progress, is the result of the activity of the architects and their national organization.
It is common knowledge that the patriotic efforts of the commission of architects selected to perform this great public service met with opposition or lukewarmness from those in authority at Washington. Indeed, at this very moment, the A. I. A. is not particularly in favor because of its desire to prevent the desecration of the Mall by the erection, in the immediate neighborhood, of a huge government power plant, that, if built, will mar the beauty of this great conception.
It is not generally known by the public that the
present plan for the orderly development of Chicago,
A practicing architect must, of necessity, be a man of affairs, since his enterprises represent great expenditures of money, over which he must exercise the ablest business ability and judgment. In addition to these requirements, his long period of technical training prepares him for correct designing and planning and safe construction. In Illinois and many other States, he is obliged to pass practically an engineer’s examination before being permitted to practice.
Architects, as a class, are sincere advocates of the beautiful. Their high aims and aspirations are to harmonize all true inspiration into their work so that their artistic creations will represent an expression of the real culture of their day and generation. The public must be brought to a realization of these qualifications and high ideals. I wish to illustrate the power of initiative and efficiency, well worth recalling in order to establish the ability and valuable services of the profession of architecture. We remember with pride the success of the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. Its marvelous orderliness of plan, its architectural beauty and breadth of conception still influence the city-beautiful idea throughout the length and breadth of our country.
Many of us recall that after it was decided by the National Congress to hold in Chicago a great fair commemorating the discovery of America there was a diversity of opinion among Chicago’s foremost citizens as to its location. Many prominent men, and also our great daily papers, strenuously advocated what is now Grant Park, then a small parcel of ground, as the most desirable location.
Any architect of experience would immediately have pointed out the absolute impracticability of such a site because of the necessity of filling in vast areas of lake in order to erect the buildings and form appropriate landscape effects.
During this babel of confusion in laymen’s opinions, and doubly confounded because of the very short time given Chicago to erect such a vast enterprise, some one who understood the ability and experience of the architectural profession suggested that the advice of an architect was necessary, and that the selection of a site should be recommended by him to the directors before action was taken.
The firm of Burnham & Root was then consulted. This firm, true to the great responsibility placed upon them, and faithful to the best traditions of the profession, immediately gave the matter expert consideration. With characteristic rapidity of judg
ment, and comprehension of the world enterprise, it located the fair where it rightly should be—at Jackson Park, bordering Lake Michigan—and thus undoubtedly avoided a serious blunder.
In spite of the fact that this enterprise was practically controlled by architects, from commencement of construction to the completion of both landscape and structures, and that it was eminently a success far beyond the layman’s wildest dreams, yet the architectural profession received little recognition from the country as a whole for this signal achievement. For if there had been any real appreciation of the stupendous work accomplished, many towns and cities throughout our land would have immediately secured the trained services of architects to guide their municipal developments, or, in a more American and democratic manner for the public weal, would have at least considered an architect for some position of trust, as, for instance, that of mayor or chief executive, or some power of distinction in the community commensurate with his trained creative and executive ability. For surely an architect’s comprehensive experience fits him for such a position of responsibility far beyond that of a class of politicians who prey upon the credulity of the public for their own aggrandizement.
It is time, therefore, that the architectural profession recognizes that it must educate the public, using methods of publicity with which the people are familiar, so that the ability and usefulness of architects in public and municipal affairs become generally known, and employed as occasion arises.
In this connection I wish to call attention to the fact that the proper shaping and reconstructing of the Mall, that great landscape effect extending from the Capitol Building to the Potomac River, at Washington, D. C., is due to the work and influence of the American Institute of Architects.
The original plan of the Mall, designed by L’Enfant, under the guidance of Washington, had long been lost and forgotten. The resurrecting of this plan and the proper architectural and artistic embellishing of it, now in progress, is the result of the activity of the architects and their national organization.
It is common knowledge that the patriotic efforts of the commission of architects selected to perform this great public service met with opposition or lukewarmness from those in authority at Washington. Indeed, at this very moment, the A. I. A. is not particularly in favor because of its desire to prevent the desecration of the Mall by the erection, in the immediate neighborhood, of a huge government power plant, that, if built, will mar the beauty of this great conception.
It is not generally known by the public that the
present plan for the orderly development of Chicago,