Rafael Guastavino and the OF TECHNAOLOGY Boston Public Library 7AASS ACHUSETTS INSTUTEI SEP 17 2010 by L IBRARIES Lisa J. Mroszczyk Submitted to the Department of Architecture in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology June 2004 © 2004 Lisa J. Mroszczyk All rights reserved The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part. of Author .. Signature - "'...... ........................* -UC) ,~ partment of Architecture May 7, 2004 Certified by... ............................. John A. Ochsendorf Assistant Professor of Building Technology Thesis Supervisor Accepted by.......... ......................................... Stanford Anderson Department Head I Rafael Guastavino and the Boston Public Library by Lisa J. Mroszczyk Submitted to the Department of Architecture On May 7, 2004 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Art and Design ABSTRACT This thesis looks at the role of Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino in the design and construction of the Boston Public Library through an examination of correspondence, construction documents and meeting minutes from the Archives of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library, the Guastavino/Collins Archive at Columbia and articles in Boston newspapers. This examination explains how and why Guastavino received the contract for tile vaulting at the library, the method of construction, his relationship with architect Charles F. McKim and the effect the library had on Guastavino's reputation and career as a builder. Thesis Supervisor: John A. Ochsendorf Title: Assistant Professor of Building Technology 2 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the pioneering work of George Collins, who is responsible for much of our current knowledge of Guastavino's career. Without his efforts, it is unlikely that Guastavino construction would be known today and this thesis would not have been possible. I would also like to acknowledge the following people for helping to make this thesis possible: Professor John Ochsendorf, thesis advisor at MIT, John Dorsey of the Boston Public Library's Research Services Office, Eric Frazier, librarian in the Boston Public Library's Rare Books Room, Janet Parks, Curator of Drawings and Archives at Columbia University's Avery Library and William Barry, architect with Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson, and Abbott. Research for this thesis and the Guastavino Project in the Department of Architecture at MIT was made possible by the MIT Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Fund. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1.1 Objectives........................................................................................ 7 1.2 Literature Review............................................................................. 7 1.3 Organization and sources.................................................................. 9 1.4 Rafael Guastavino: Background......................................................... 10 1.5 Rafael Guastavino: Early Work............................................................ 12 2. Planning of the Boston Public Library, 1871-1887 2.1 Art, culture, education...................................................................... 15 2.2 The Trustees competition and the entry of Charles. F. McKim............... 15 2.3 Fireproof design............................................................................... 16 2.4 Guastavino's initial involvement......................................................... 17 3. Construction of the Boston Public Library, 1888-1895 3.1 Guastavino secures a place for his work.............................................. 19 3.2 Testing of the first arches.................................................................. 20 3.3 A proposal for tile work ................................................................... 22 3.4 The Trustees finalize Guastavino's contract......................................... 23 3.5 Method of construction...................................................................... 24 3.6 A potential strike amidst progress....................................................... 27 3.7 A lack of tile and its consequences..................................................... 28 3.8 Sources and cost of tile.................................................................... 29 3.9 Varieties and patterns of tile ............................................................. 31 4. The Significance of the Boston Public Library 4.1 Benefits and risks of a new system..................................................... 33 4.2 Testing and lecturing at MIT.............................................................. 34 4.3 Vaulting showcase............................................................................. 36 4.4 Design decisions............................................................................... 42 4.5 Publications and advertisements....................................................... 45 4.6 Collaborations.................................................................................. 47 5. Conclusions and Future W ork......................................................................... 48 A p pe n d ice s....................................................................................................... 50 Bibliography..................................................................................................... 67 4 List of Figures 1.1 Timbrel Arches 3.1 Tile arches, April 5, 1889 3.2 Tile Arches, April 8, 1889 3.3 Tile arches loaded, April 20, 1889 3.4 Partition of tile arches in Section J, July 13, 1889 3.5 Tile Arches Entrance Hall, March 26 1890 3.6 Tile Arch in Reserve Space No. 1, February 3, 1890 3.7 Tile Arches in L, July 10, 1889 3.8 Tile Arches in M, January 3, 1890 4.1 Entrance Hall 4.2 Tile Arches Entrance Hall, March 26, 1890 4.3 Detail of shallow dome vault and tile arches in Map Room (Periodical Room) 4.4 Catalogue Room, undated photo 4.5 Reserve Space No.1 (cafe) 4.6 Reserve Space No. 1 (caf6) detail 4.7 Boylston Street Driveway Entrance, April 14, 1890 4.8 Restaurant Ceiling (Driveway Entrance) 4.9 Tile domes with iron beams and ties 5 Appendices A. Letter from Edward R. Benton to Charles F. McKim, March 28, 1889 B. Proposal for Tile Work by the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company in the New Public Library Building C. Letter from Edward F. Stevens to Charles F. McKim, August 6, 1889 D. Letter from Rafael Guastavino to Charles F. McKim, December 20, 1890 E. Tile Patterns and Prices F. Table of Theoretical Stresses for Arches 10% Rise with Uniform Load (W) Per Sq. Ft. G. Test results, Department of Tests and Experiments with V.A. Abbott H. Proposed Ceiling of Driveway . Advertisement from American Architect and Building News, May 2, 1891 I A Partial List of Collaborations between McKim and Guastavino after the Boston Public Library 6 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Objectives This thesis is a first attempt to understand the role of Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino in the design and construction of the Boston Public Library. It investigates how and why Guastavino received the contract for tile vaulting at the library, the method of construction, his relationship with architect Charles F. McKim and the effect the library had on Guastavino's reputation and career as a builder. This investigation is important because it will look at the specific details of the building that launched Guastavino's career in the United States, instead of providing a broad survey of his work. It will start to explain how Guastavino became such an accomplished builder in America and will also present the details of a construction process that has not yet been fully explored. The relationship between architect and builder during the construction of the Boston Public Library will also be examined and may lead to an understanding of Guastavino's role in the construction of other buildings. 1.2 Literature Review There are many resources on the work of Rafael Guastavino. The late art history Professor George R. Collins at Columbia University pioneered the study of Guastavino in his article titled, "The Transfer of Thin Masonry Vaulting from Spain to America," published in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians in 1968 and in various 7 other publications.' He has also contributed significantly to the cataloguing of documents pertaining to Guastavino construction in the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company/George R. Collins Archive at Columbia University's Avery Library. In addition to these resources, several catalogues of Guastavino's work have been published recently. Namely, Las bovedas de Guastavino en America, edited by Santiago Huerta Fernandez, which also contains a comprehensive bibliography, The Old World builds the New: the Guastavino Company and the technology of the Catalan vault, 1885-1962 by Janet Parks and Alan G. Neumann and Guastavino Co. (1885-1962), Catalogue of Works in Catalonia and America, edited by Salvador Tarrag6. In 1999, an entire issue of the APT Bulletin was dedicated to the Guastavino Company with articles that examine the beginnings and history of the company, the preservation and restoration of Guastavino vaults, sources and suggestions for research as well as reproducing all the patents held by Guastavino. There have also been several theses completed that examine some aspect of Guastavino's construction: