This method of doing business has brought about the creation of a type of building that is different from a wholesale house or a commercial building of the ordinary type, because the ordinary methods of storing merchandise and filling orders in the latter case are not best adapted for a mail order house. Mechanical means of assembling goods for shipment, and the arranging and designing of the different parts of the building so as to secure the greatest convenience in operation and the greatest economy in the handling of goods and the supervision and direction of employees, are the outstanding features in planning a mail order building.
The Boston building, when completed, will be typical in its arrangement and equipment of the ten mail order plants throughout the country. The Boston store in design does not follow any historic style of architecture. It represents an effort to express architecturally the plan and construction along the line of ˮmodern” design. The materials are light gray brick and Indiana limestone, with simple ornamentation to emphasize its important features. The tower, which dominates the building, encloses the sprinkler tank and becomes the central feature of the entire design. The building fronts on a park, ˮThe Fenway, ” and is set back from the street in front over 100 ft., and this foreground is to be landscaped with trees, lawns, flowers and shrubs so as to make a pleasing appearance for the neighborhood and an attractive setting for the building. The parking space for cars will be screened off with trees and shrubbery from the street, and all of the move
ment of freight by railroad and trucks will be out of view in the rear of the building.
The Minneapolis and Memphis mail order stores, illustrated herewith, are completed, and are buildings similar in design to the Boston building, done, as is the latter, in light gray brick and stone with a tower in each case containing the water tanks, which furnishes the dominating architectural feature to mark the main entrance of each building.
All of their buildings are required to have sprinkler systems in order to secure low fire insurance rates. Since enclosing the large water tank in a tower involves relatively small expense over that required for an exposed skeleton support, and adds greatly to the good appearance of the building, guards against freezing of the tank and reduces the cost of maintenance, the tower design has been adopted for their buildings generally, and has become a distinguishing feature.
The Detroit, Milwaukee and Los Angeles buildings illustrated are typical examples of retail store buildings built in different parts of the country, which sell to their customers directly by retail. These buildings are two or three stories high, and are each provided with a parking space for the cars of the customers.
The architectural treatment of the exterior design of these buildings represents an effort to design in conformity with the modern movement. No historic style of architecture was followed, but the expression of the plan and arrangement of the parts of the
Photo by Manning
SEARS, ROEBUCK & COMPANY RETAIL STORE, DETROIT, MICH. — NIMMONS, CARR & WRIGHT, ARCHITECTS
The Boston building, when completed, will be typical in its arrangement and equipment of the ten mail order plants throughout the country. The Boston store in design does not follow any historic style of architecture. It represents an effort to express architecturally the plan and construction along the line of ˮmodern” design. The materials are light gray brick and Indiana limestone, with simple ornamentation to emphasize its important features. The tower, which dominates the building, encloses the sprinkler tank and becomes the central feature of the entire design. The building fronts on a park, ˮThe Fenway, ” and is set back from the street in front over 100 ft., and this foreground is to be landscaped with trees, lawns, flowers and shrubs so as to make a pleasing appearance for the neighborhood and an attractive setting for the building. The parking space for cars will be screened off with trees and shrubbery from the street, and all of the move
ment of freight by railroad and trucks will be out of view in the rear of the building.
The Minneapolis and Memphis mail order stores, illustrated herewith, are completed, and are buildings similar in design to the Boston building, done, as is the latter, in light gray brick and stone with a tower in each case containing the water tanks, which furnishes the dominating architectural feature to mark the main entrance of each building.
All of their buildings are required to have sprinkler systems in order to secure low fire insurance rates. Since enclosing the large water tank in a tower involves relatively small expense over that required for an exposed skeleton support, and adds greatly to the good appearance of the building, guards against freezing of the tank and reduces the cost of maintenance, the tower design has been adopted for their buildings generally, and has become a distinguishing feature.
The Detroit, Milwaukee and Los Angeles buildings illustrated are typical examples of retail store buildings built in different parts of the country, which sell to their customers directly by retail. These buildings are two or three stories high, and are each provided with a parking space for the cars of the customers.
The architectural treatment of the exterior design of these buildings represents an effort to design in conformity with the modern movement. No historic style of architecture was followed, but the expression of the plan and arrangement of the parts of the
Photo by Manning
SEARS, ROEBUCK & COMPANY RETAIL STORE, DETROIT, MICH. — NIMMONS, CARR & WRIGHT, ARCHITECTS