and ornament are not synonymous terms by any means, though frequently so misused. Nor does the element of beauty in a structure bear any special relation to cost. But when it does exist, it appears as the result of the exercise of some mental quality which, for the want of a better term, may be designated as skill, or may be what is meant by “Art.”
At the close of the Civil War, as now, the engineer was in the ascendency, and for the ten years following, national architecture as to merit was at its lowest stage since the inception of our government. The next twenty-five years, partly due to the workings of the “Tarsney Act,” saw an enormous improvement in American architecture until it equalled perhaps the product of any of the modern nations. That this work should be attributed to the engineer rather than to the architect, many of whom
attained world-wide eminence during this period, is a claim which borders somewhat on the ridiculous.
After all it seems rather futile to dispute over the relative importance of architecture and engineering. The functions exercised by each are necessary in any construction and neither can obtain results without the co-operation of the manufacturer, the contractor, and not least, of labor, each contributing to the finished product in his own manner of work and degree of skill.
Co-operation must be the key word for building in the future, and whether this may best be obtained through organization as had in the past, or in modified form, perhaps in larger units combining and exercising under one head all of the functions necessary to building, from finance to labor, is one of the new problems of peace yet to be solved.
Analyzing the Development in American Architecture
By David J. Varon
T
HE military achievement of our nation in this great war has been far reaching. It has
revealed our country to the world at large, and where we were thought of as a conglomeration of materialists, we have suddenly shown that we were as truly idealistic as any older nation. Our devotion to the highest ideals was sealed by the death of thousands of our best men on the Altar of Liberty. When our forces at Chateau-Thierry opposed an iron wall to the foe, it was in a new garb. It was the heroes of the War of Independence who reappeared. This revelation of real humanity in the nation once upon a time known as “the nation of business” is fraught with consequences. We might inquire how should we stand a world investigation about our achievements in fields other than military. I leave it to others to speak for agriculture, industry and commerce, contenting myself with an analysis of American endeavor in the architectural field and from the artistic standpoint. That field is vast and ought to be subdivided into at least three big parts: industrial, commercial, and civil architecture.
About twelve years ago, in a conversation with a friend, I expressed the opinion that one of the great problems we had to solve was the industrial plant, feeling that if the Greek genius were still at work, the goddesses Electricity, Steam, etc., would be glorified in the beautiful and powerful temples of labor. Today this dream is beginning to materialize. If you have never ventured out of your
office for the last decade there are great surprises in store for you. The Larkin plant in Buffalo, the Sears-Roebuck plant in Chicago, and many others of similar type would show you what tremendous strides we have made along this line. Things are looking more human, an air of courtesy is pervading the organizations all through. Architects and owners have vied with each other in the attainment of an ideal and have succeeded. We may be proud of their success, because upon it is based that of the whole nation. Our business men have come to understand that it pays to shed beauty over an industrial structure. In the long run it is repaid by the superior quality of the product and the reduction of labor turnover.
In the labor housing, which is an industrial collateral question, the improvements have also been great, especially since the Government took the matter up. We have understood that a good man needs to be well housed. The foundation of a nation has to be well seated, well cared for, if it has to be relied on for the support of the whole structure. Let us hope that what we have achieved along this line is only a start, a beautiful one, full of hope for the future, to the advantage of the laboring class and to the credit of the Government.
It would require several articles to put in its true light our civic architecture. Suffice it to say that we are in the ascendancy.
Commercially we have had to cope with our
typically American problem, and this is the sky
At the close of the Civil War, as now, the engineer was in the ascendency, and for the ten years following, national architecture as to merit was at its lowest stage since the inception of our government. The next twenty-five years, partly due to the workings of the “Tarsney Act,” saw an enormous improvement in American architecture until it equalled perhaps the product of any of the modern nations. That this work should be attributed to the engineer rather than to the architect, many of whom
attained world-wide eminence during this period, is a claim which borders somewhat on the ridiculous.
After all it seems rather futile to dispute over the relative importance of architecture and engineering. The functions exercised by each are necessary in any construction and neither can obtain results without the co-operation of the manufacturer, the contractor, and not least, of labor, each contributing to the finished product in his own manner of work and degree of skill.
Co-operation must be the key word for building in the future, and whether this may best be obtained through organization as had in the past, or in modified form, perhaps in larger units combining and exercising under one head all of the functions necessary to building, from finance to labor, is one of the new problems of peace yet to be solved.
Analyzing the Development in American Architecture
By David J. Varon
T
HE military achievement of our nation in this great war has been far reaching. It has
revealed our country to the world at large, and where we were thought of as a conglomeration of materialists, we have suddenly shown that we were as truly idealistic as any older nation. Our devotion to the highest ideals was sealed by the death of thousands of our best men on the Altar of Liberty. When our forces at Chateau-Thierry opposed an iron wall to the foe, it was in a new garb. It was the heroes of the War of Independence who reappeared. This revelation of real humanity in the nation once upon a time known as “the nation of business” is fraught with consequences. We might inquire how should we stand a world investigation about our achievements in fields other than military. I leave it to others to speak for agriculture, industry and commerce, contenting myself with an analysis of American endeavor in the architectural field and from the artistic standpoint. That field is vast and ought to be subdivided into at least three big parts: industrial, commercial, and civil architecture.
About twelve years ago, in a conversation with a friend, I expressed the opinion that one of the great problems we had to solve was the industrial plant, feeling that if the Greek genius were still at work, the goddesses Electricity, Steam, etc., would be glorified in the beautiful and powerful temples of labor. Today this dream is beginning to materialize. If you have never ventured out of your
office for the last decade there are great surprises in store for you. The Larkin plant in Buffalo, the Sears-Roebuck plant in Chicago, and many others of similar type would show you what tremendous strides we have made along this line. Things are looking more human, an air of courtesy is pervading the organizations all through. Architects and owners have vied with each other in the attainment of an ideal and have succeeded. We may be proud of their success, because upon it is based that of the whole nation. Our business men have come to understand that it pays to shed beauty over an industrial structure. In the long run it is repaid by the superior quality of the product and the reduction of labor turnover.
In the labor housing, which is an industrial collateral question, the improvements have also been great, especially since the Government took the matter up. We have understood that a good man needs to be well housed. The foundation of a nation has to be well seated, well cared for, if it has to be relied on for the support of the whole structure. Let us hope that what we have achieved along this line is only a start, a beautiful one, full of hope for the future, to the advantage of the laboring class and to the credit of the Government.
It would require several articles to put in its true light our civic architecture. Suffice it to say that we are in the ascendancy.
Commercially we have had to cope with our
typically American problem, and this is the sky