Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/359

 18GS.] Descriptions. 297 That such a progress of improvement is actually now in existence, can be seen in the great changes, which architecture has undergone, since the revival of the Palladian Style, the reproduction of which has cut loose the bonds of Greek and Roman control, and left the imagi- nation to range, unfettered and free, over the expansive field of art ; to cull the varied flowers, that spring to the hand, as heaven-born offerings, for the genius of man to blend with the lines of beauty, which rise in the richness of pure design ; and gratify the craving spirit of Taste, that urges every mind to see, to think, to learn. We do not mean to be invidious, in introducing Mr. Pfeiffer's work, in the present number. On the contrary, it is our desire to present the claims of all our professional brethren, who may think proper, to favor us, as he has so kindly done, with illustration and de- scription of their productions. There shall be no favor shown to any ; and we shall be influenced by none. The Metropolitan Savings Bank Building is on the N. E. corner of Third avenue and Seventh street, oppo- site to the Cooper Institute. There could not be a more favorable site than it occupies. The Bowery, at this point, is very broad, as the Third and Fourth avenues begin here ; and the front of the Cooper Institute occupies the mid- dle ground. The Front and the Side, as shown in the illustration, have an uninterrupted display, and certainly the architect has done credit to the position he con- trolled. The Front is forty-four (44) feet in width, and the depth of the edifice is seventy-five (75) feet. The whole is seventy-five (75) feet in height, from the street level, divided into four lofty sto- ries. And besides these there is a very fine Basement — giving an actual height of ninety feet from the Basement floor to the top of the roof. The wails are massive ; and well built. The Front and exposed side being of selected White Marble. The Style is Franco- Italian ; and is in unexceptional keeping, throughout. Each story is divided from the other, either by a dentiled or corbeled belt- course ; and the walls are surmounted hy a chaste modillioned cornice, resting on a dentiled bed. From this cornice, rises, in a graceful cui-ve, the lofty Mansard Roof, with its simple cornice, crowned by a florid iron fence, with highly enriched spear-head supporters. The Mansard is covered with ornamental cut-slate ; and is much set off by the effective dormer-windows, which give such an air of completeness to the whole composition. Standing on its broad Doric base, with its sur-base forming a continuation of the plinth of the Corinthian columns, and broken into compartments of alto- relievo balusters, the principal story has a very fine effect. The windows are coupled elliptic-arched, resting on square antce of very chaste design. The Co- rinthian cornice, which surmounts this stoiy, is good ; and the fluted columns, with their well-defined capitals, promote the pleasing feelings excited by the whole. But, an inspection of the illustration will leave no necessity for detailing the points of excellence in this design. And here, without anj^ intention to detract from Mr. Pfeiffer's design, we would raise the question, as to whether, in the Frontispiece, the centre section would not have been better recessed, from the first-story cornice up, thus giving prominence of appearance to the two flanking sections, as they are so much larger than the centre one ? This is purely a matter of taste — isolated it may be — but worthy of a thought. As the centre section of the side on Seventh street is recessed, might not unity of effect have thus been pro- moted ? We should like to hear from some of our readers on this point.