DWINKS The Architecture of Raymond M. Hood

by Orest J. Humennyj.

Men of great stature reshaped the world in the twentieth century. Guided by a clarity of vision and purpose, swept along by breakthroughs in communication and technology, architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe profoundly altered the visual and habitable nature of our society. lhrough bold and determined strides these men of destiny carved their names into architectural history.

Notwithstanding the present re-evaluation of the Modern Movement, though valid and painfully overdue, the accomplishments and ideals of its masters will never be forgotten. Centuries from now Wright, as Borromini, will be remembered - architectural demigods. Their minds dauntlessly challenged established thought and stood at the vanguard of original and progressive ideas. Those less gifted, influenced by the Masters, copied, collated and coalesced. They jumped onto the bandwagon of trendiness; they did not 'see'; they did not evolve. Who then will remember Philip Johnson? Who remembers Raymond Hood?

"Masters of ideas are masters of The Fifth Column Page 27

~ Hood·s first prize entry

Saarinen·s second prize entry>

courage; the free will of adventure harbour two opposing views in his mind, is in them. They stride where an indication of a first-rate intelligence, others creep. The pride of action was strengthened by his determination and is in them. They explore, they resolve to become the "greatest architect test, they seek realities to meet in New York". Only the absence of the them face to face - knowing well 'big break' separated Raymond Hood from that realities and illusions exist his quest. commingled within and without, but also knowing well that Ego is its Opportunity knocked in 1922. John Mead own. Hence they walk erect and Howells, one of ten architects invited to fear less in the open, with that enter the Chicago Tribune's competition certitude which vision brings - to "erect the most beautiful and while slaves are slaves by choice. distinctive office building in the world'? They seek shelter in the shadows offered Raymond Hood the chance to of ideas".1 submit. In an age when architectural Louis H. Sullivan revolution was sweeping Europe and the International Style was becoming Though hardly a slave by choice, manifest, Hood designed a controversial Raymond Hood, to whom Louis Sullivan Gothic tower. Evolved from the bondage was refering, was an originator without of the dying Woolworth ideal, Hood's any original ideas. New York City's entry nonetheless won the $50,000 first 'brilliant bad boy' from the mid-1920's to prize. Incensed by the jury's choice, the mid-1930's, Hood was nonetheless numerous architects of the day felt that incredibly gifted. His success reflected Eliel Saar inen's second place scheme the persuasive power of his personality. possessed such uncompromising qualities Affable and engaging, Hood could argue of beauty, soaring disposition and with such sincerity as to test the expressive understanding of the American convictions of the most hardened skeptics skyscraper that it deserved top honours. - yet without hesitation, with a craftiness Sullivan wrote: " ... in that showing was that a politician would envy, he would brought into clearest light the deadline readily abandon or alter his point of that lies between a Master of Ideas and view. This ability to simultaneously one governed by ideas. There they came, Page 28 Hoodwinks

Chicago Tribune Bldg. Adolph Loos· Entry squarely face to face: the second prize The ongms of the McGraw-Hill Building and the first"~ in New York, with its horizontal emphasis and polychromatic differentiation, can be The publicity generated by the Chicago found in an entry by Knut Lonberg Holm. Tribune Competition in an era of architectural unease was nothing short of Yet despite his reputation as a facile phenomenal. Raymond Hood welcomed stylist and the recurring superficiality of the resulting attention and controversy. his vocabulary, Raymond Hood was a Reminiscent of today's 'media architects' damned good architect. Disregarding the who orient themselves primarily towards inherent publicity value, he produced far publication, he understood and exploited better buildings than even his clients the press. Through it, he eventuaJiy expected. The intense sweeping emotion established his reputation as an architect that characterized Hood's work failed to in conflict, one who could not run with be tempered by a stringently pragmatic the pack. approach. He was consumed by a conscientious desire to design the most The Competition's immediate impact on practical and efficient building possible. Hood, however, was as a resource pool of Practicality was indeed Hood's ideas. With an expedient lack of fundamental architectural philosophy. The integnty he drew from it, both in spirit final scheme selected was always t he one and in detail, during the course of his to net the highest return on the career. The tower massing of the investment. In 1929 he wrote: " ... beauty American Radiator Building in New York is utility, developed in a manner to which is a synthesis of two unmistakeable the eye is accustomed by habit, insofar sources: Hood's own Tribune Tower and as this development does not detract Saarinen's second place entry. A from its quality of usefulness"." companion building, for the National Radiator Company in London, transcends One of Raymond Hood's grea test the mere inspiration of the base part of attr ibutes, and perhaps a hallmark of Adolph Loos' entry - it is a virtual copy. genius, was his ability to see the obvious. The Fifth Column Page 29

-----National Radiator Bldg. In a societ y where progress was equated commercialism as the guiding spirit of with inc r eased complexity, t he the age, exerted its influence on development of clear simple solutions Raymond Hood as well. It gave his work required admirable self-confidance. In a particular character, for he shared aJl New York, building out to the allowable its values and amb1t10ns. He beJieved limit of the zoning envelope often implied that the commercial success of urban life a blind wall; Hood's suggestion for the depended upon concentration. Hood saw American Radiator Building was startling congestion as a good thing, "it s the best - by stepping back the tower he would thing we have in New York. The glory perforate the blind wall with windows, of the skyscraper is that we have increasing the quality of office space and provided for it so well".s thus generated revenue, while reducing the building's overall cost. Faced with Hood's first skyscraper in New York, the the task of designing a crowning pinnacle American Radiator Building of 1924, was for the Daily News Building, in order to an overt response to commercial conceal the jumble of mechanical ascendancy. As a direct and formidable equipment on the roof, Hood instead symbol, he conceived a self-advertising carried up the external walls an building. The integrity of the tower's additional three stories. Also, realizing silhouette was maintained through the use that offices overlooking a park were more of black brick, which prevented undue highly prized than those with a view over contrast between the windows and the the chaos of New York's roofscape, he walls. A glittering gold crown, which planted ornate gardens on the roofs of terminated the black mass, was constantly Rockefeller Center, a sober commercial animated by either sunshine or floodlights. establishment. Such design innovations The resulting synthesis yielded a contributed to the legacy of Hood's remarkable torch-like effect; sufficient success, for they constitute standard recognition for a compaRy which practice, even today. manufactured furnaces and heaters.

The bigness and speed of America, with As the gospel of European Modernism Page 30 Hoodwinks

Oatly News Bldg. McGraw- HiU Bldg. spread to America, Raymond Hood as the period's leading innovator in abandoned the Gothic idiom. Exuberant skyscraper design. profiles surrendered to powerful clean-cut massing. He argued that worrying about Hood's subsequent departure, the detail on a modern office building was McGraw-Hill Building of 1931, coolly akin to "wondering what sort of lace recognized the new European shawl you should hang on an elephant'~ developments in a final 'dose of The clay model, fashioned from the crude hedonism'. In direct contrast to the form of the zoning envelope, emerged as Daily News Building, he contrived the his principal design tool. first skyscraper to emphasize the horizontal line. Spandrels formed The Daily News Building of 1929, Hood's continuous ribbons and columns, second New York skyscraper, "marked endeavouring to avoid any vertical accent, with more distinction than its outside were recessed, resulting in an honest rivals the end of traditional design in this utilitarian expression of superposed field"? Function and light defined the factory floors. Windows, extending from prevaiJing order. Conceived in clay and desk height to ceiling and from column to characterized by a strong clean-cut column, reinforced the horizontal stress envelope, the emergence of the slab is while inundating the interior space with apparent. Its external articulation, the sunlight. Although the New Yorker called finest accomplished example of vertical it "a stunt and not a successful one"~ the emphasis, accounted for the Daily News real controversy sprang from Raymond Building's celebrity. The upward thrust of Hood's fondness of whimsy and taste. He the uninterrupted vertical piers of white relied essentiaJiy on a questionable colour vitreous brick, offset by dark recessed as a medium of external expression, spandrels, was an afterthought, however, covering the McGraw-Hill Building with on the part of Raymond Hood - the blue-gr een glazed terra-cotta tiles. refinement of a massing model. Hood's intent was to effect a tonal Fortunately for Hood, the ensuing fuss progression up the building, from dark to was sufficiently zealous to establish him light, allowing it to blend off into the The Fifth Column Page 31

I io Rockefeller Center sky. Its reflecttve gold coloured window office "to become the greatest architect shades complemented the cool blue-green in New York". facades, intimating the bizarre image of "The greatest architect in New York?", a "fire raging inside an iceberg"~ Hood repeated, focusing on the RCA Building, fiery in a sunset. "By God, I Frank Lloyd Wright was not impressed. am"~ 1 0 He referred to Raymond Hood as an "opportune New York Functioneer References ... climber onto the latest bandwagon, regardless, determined to hold or drive"!<> 1. Louis H. Sullivan, "The Chicago Tribune Competition", The Architectural Hood's conclusive venture, before his Record, February 1923, p.l51 premature death of rheumatoid arthritis 2. quote from the original "Chicago in 1934, was as an associate in the design Tribune Competition Program" collaborative responsible for the most 3. Sullivan, p.152 prestigious and successful architectural 4. Raymond M. Hood, "What is Beauty in development in America's history - Architecture", Liberty Magazine, Dec. 7, Rockefeller Center. Engaged as a 1929 consultant, primarily for his publicity 5. Arthur Tappan North, ed., "Raymond value, he promptly established himself as Hood", 1931, p.32 the committee's most effective member 6. Waiter H. Kilham Jr., "Raymond Hood, and clearly dominated the design process. Architect", 1973, p.88 The specification of the building 7. Henry-Russell Hitchcock, "Architecture: envelopes, epitomized by the distinctive Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries", RCA slab, undoubtedly bears Hood's 1977, p.545 imprint. 8. as quoted by Kilham, p.177 9. Rem Koolhaas, "Delirious :-Jew York", Caleb Hornbostel, an old friend, while 1978, p.l42 reminiscing with Raymond Hood, reminded 10. as quoted by K ilham, p. lll hi m that he once left the provincial 11. as quoted by Koolhaas, p.l97