OCULUS N!!W YORK CHAPTER AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS N.Y. CIVIC ARCHITECTURE: ALL RIGHT, BOYS, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? In the past few weeks, New York Breines also pointed to the it is; but let it not be "loaded", and has witnessed one of the hottest steady, if less spectacular, progress make it instructive of city plan­ architectural battles in recent being made by Chapter advisory ning and future projects as well. years. The forces of Good and committees and city agencies such Let the issue also become an op­ Evil have raged joyously across as the Board of Education and the portunity to urge the newspapers the columns of the Times and Trib, Housing Authority toward getting again, as the Bard report suggests, and the AIA itself is engaged in talented architects for city jobs. to follow sensation with more, an old-fashioned family brawl. The last sally, at this writing, The fracas started, of course, was a rebuttal signed by 42 Chap­ regular news and informed criti­ with the City Club's new Bard ter members which called the cism of urban design, that people · Non-Award contest, which review­ Executive Committee position a may know how to judge. ed 24 public buildings and decided "defensive whitewash" unrepresen­ And-looking around at the sor­ none were worth recognition. tative of the views of the Chapter ry bulk of municipal building as Facing the ensuing uproar, the at large, and charged "the political true of other cities as New York Chapter's Executive Committee re­ system" with "architecture by de­ -let the best features of the Bard plied through its member, Simon fault." findings be made the subject of Breines. The "fruitless search for So architecture is finally front­ discussion and action in the AIA excellence," said Breines, was in page news. It is also the subject itself: that panels of eminent archi­ fact a slipshod and misleading re­ of heated feelings in the Chapter, tects take an increasing role of view of less than 10 per cent of the the result, perhaps of a lack of com­ advice and review in public work; 300-odd buildings actually eligible, munication between its parts. It is that real design competitions be submitted only by those architects equally obvious, with the public held to bring fresh thinking into aware of it and willing to prepare leaping to its own conclusions, that major civic jobs; that bureaucratic a presentation and pay an entrance the time has come to turn acrimony processes be streamlined and fees fee. "The impression given-and into profitable debate, with action reexamined to attract the best accepted," he said, "was that a rather than headlines as a goal. work; that civic awards be revised selective process had been used to If the Chapter so desires, then, and continued; and that city otfi­ narrow down the field to 24 . let an exhibit of public architecture cials themselves lead in the huge actually this haphazard sampling be held as suggested, so people can task of making New York finer resulted in a hoax ..." judge just how good and how bad than it is.-0.T. NEW YORK LANDMARKS-No. 4: FAVORITE FOUNTAINS One of the joys of the city, especial­ Bear and Fawn Fountain in Morn­ ly in summer, is its treasury of ingside Park at 114th Street. This sparkling fountains, which were fountain, given to the children of celebrated last month in a slim New York City, depicts a fawn hid­ pamphlet-guide issued by The Park ing under a rock above which a Association of New York City. bear is crouching. Compiled by E. Powis Jones and Firemen's Memorial in Riverside illustrated with delightful pen-and­ Park at lOOth Street. This fountain ink sketches by Chapter Member of granite and marble depicts the Walker 0. Cain, an officer of the sacrifices of the City's fire fighters association, the guide briefly de­ and their widows. scribes 27 of the most artistic and Straus Memorial Fountain at Broad­ unusual fountains in the five bor­ way and 106th Street. The bronze oughs. female figure of Memory gazes into In Manhattan, the guide lists a pool fed from a lion's mouth. these fountains as outstanding: CONTINUED ON P. Z 2 1has a 32-foot lower basin and 13- fountains as the pool at the Corn­ ocu·Lus 1"' foot upper one from which water ing Glass Building, Prometheus at VOL. 35, NO. 9 flows each summer. Designed by Rockefeller Center, and the spray AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS Charles A. Platt. pools at the Seagram and Time­ NEW YORK CHAPTER Spray Fountain in Madison Square. Life buildings ; as well as fountains which it lis.ts in the other boroughs. MARGOT A. HENKEL, Executive Secretary This simple and refreshing foun­ 115 East 40th Street tain is 25 feet in diameter, and pro­ Concludes the guide : "Today's New York 16, N. Y. .vides pleasure for thousands of renewal of interest in parks and MUrray Hill 9-7969 workers in the area who visit Mad­ outdoor art, combined with radical GEOFFRY NOEL LAWFORD . .. .. ... .. President ison Square during lunch hour. advances in fountain engineering LATHROP DOUGLASS .... ...... .. .. ... ... Vice President and lighting, has brought about a C. GATES BECKWITH .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Secretary new popularity for park fountains. ALBERT H. SWANKE .... .. .. ......... .. .. ....... Treasurer It is hoped that this development will lead to a restoration of the PUBLICATION COMMITTEE city's many beautiful fountains to PHILIP M. CHU .................................... Chairman operating condition for the increas­ OGDEN TANNER ...... .. Vice Chairman and Editor JAN WHITE ......... ...... .......... .. Associate Editor ed enjoyment of all who use and JOHN DIXON ......... ............. .. .... Associate Editor visit our parks." CONTINUED FROM P. 1 AMA HEARS ABOUT DESIGN Boat Basin Fountain at 79th Street "Better Design for Better Busi­ and West Side Highway. A modern ness" was the theme of the Amer­ large jet fountain in the circular ican Management Association's drive to the Boat Basin in the First National Design Conference, Hudson River. held May 15-17 at the Roosevelt Hamilton Fountain in Riverside Hotel. The purpose of the confer­ Park at 76th Street. A graceful, ence was to explore how good de­ shell-shaped granite basin fed from sign can be developed and used as a dolphin's head, surmounted by j~E.) a major means of consumer moti­ a huge stone eagle with outspread vation. Speakers included manu­ wings. James Fountain in Union Square at :facturers, industrial designers, Conservatory Garden Fountain in 15th Street and Broadway. This economists, merchants, educators, Central Park at 104th Street. A fine group of figures includes orna­ architects, and interior designers. ments of bugs and lizards. modern fountain set in a hand­ Although the emphasis was on some section of Central Park. Washington Square Fountain be­ better product design, the meeting Bethesda Fountain in Central low Washington Arch at the foot also considered the need for better Park, at the Esplanade. This of Fifth A venue. This huge circu­ architectural design under the top­ winged figure by Emma Stebbins lar basin with its granite coping ic, "Ugliness is Costly." Richard was an important part of the orig­ has become a Sunday gathering W. Snibbe, A.I.A. was moderator ,place for folk singers. inal design for Central Park, and ~nd Morris Ketchum Jr., and Wal­ is now the symbol of the Park As­ General Slocum Disaster Memorial ker Cain were panelists. Reasons sociation. Fountain in Tompkins Square, Av­ for America's shortcomings in ar­ "' _-;. :...:._ enue Band 10th Street. A shaft of chitectural design were discussed, ~~ .f"r r pink marble above an ornamental along with the replacement of the r r,..r basin with a bas-relief showing two r r old with the new. It was pointed out r r r children watching a distant steam­ t o the executives that there is a r r 1 boat records the grief of the com­ tremendous market opportunity for munity after the fateful outing of companies that recognize the im­ June 15, 1904. pact of architectural excellence on ,, ~~~~~!!~!~~-!. Jacob H. Schiff Fountain in Seward customers, employees, and the total '. 3 ' Park. This lovely ornamental foun- community. tain of bronze and grey granite no Max 0. Urhahn, A.I.A., spoke tlif plua. longer functions, but ironically still on "Better Architecture for Better carries the inscription: "And there Business." Among his points, he Pulitzer Memorial Fountain at shall come water out of it, that warned against the "first costs Fifth Avenue and 59th Street (the the people may drink-Exodus." fallacy" of emphasizing minimum Plaza). This lovely limestone foun­ Wireless Operators' Fountain in initial construction expense, which tain has six separate basins rising Battery Park. This low granite usually ignores long-range factors up toward the Karl Bitter bronze basin was erected in memory of and often leads to ugliness and figure at its peak. wireless operators who were lost at poor design, as well as increased Lowell Memorial Fountain in Bry­ sea while performing their duties. .expenditure for maintenance and ant Park. This graceful granite Also worth noting, the Park As­ for future improvement. fountain behind the Public Library sociation points out, are such newer Marietta Meyers 8 CHAPTER DUES INGREASSD CHAPTER P ~ RESEN 1 TS GRANTS tute of Greater New York. The TO SIX N.Y.C. S·TUDENTS award, administered by the Chap­ To meet increased activities and ter's Education and Scholarship costs of operation, the Executive Seven scholarships for the study Committee, is presented annually Committee earlier this year recom­ of architecture were presented this to a worthy high school student. mended that Chapter dues be rais­ month by the New York Chapter The son of Rev.