Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/341

 Aprin 19, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 321 THE LEADERS OF ARCHITECTURE ON A NEW STYLE. Roe a number of years we have been studying this great question of a New Style. We have read carefully all the professional journals, and culled out from time to time many articles on the subject. We have observed also that these articles are becoming more and more numerous, betokening what might be termed a revival in the profession, a warning that the days of Pointed Gothic are num- bered, and that a change is inevitable. And why is it inevitable ? Because Gothic imitation has reached its height. It may be said its time is not yet up, for we took a far greater number of years to be perfect in the Classic styles. But we must remember that the materials for studying Gothic are within the reach of every one, whereas the student of Classic had to travel abroad. We have many architects now who can design in Gothic as well as the Me- dixvalists; what wonder is it, therefore, that some of our restless aspiring spirits should be tired of what they are perfect in, and desire something else ? It is inevitable also, because every thinking ar- chitect who wishes to make for himself a name sees that the greatest he can be is a plagiarist or an ar- chitectural cobbler. And no matter however honourable such a duty as restoring a magnificent cathedral going to decay is, yet the patcher can never hope to have his name mentioned in the same breath with the original designer. While, therefore, there are numerous minor spirits speaking out their minds, let us proceed at once with what Messrs. Ruskin, Fergusson, Scott, Burges, Barry, Roger Smith, and others, have to say on the subject. In his “Seven Lamps of Architecture,” Ruskin says:—‘‘A day never passes without hearing our architects called upon to be original, and to invent a new style, about as sensible and necessary an ex- hortation as to ask of a man who has never had rags enough on his back to keep out cold to in- vent a new mode of cutting a coat. We want no new style of architecture; but we want some style.” Ruskin’s object was a very good one. He found ar- chitects designing buildings of every known style in the world, a state of things which, he foresaw, would never result in any advancement. What he wanted, therefore, was some style to be universally adopted, and when this was accomplished, it would, of course, naturally follow that such improvements and alterations would be made to it as would ulti- mately result in a new style altogether. In order to do this, he recommends Gothie, as being the most pliable, and advocates a choice between four styles of it: —‘‘(1) Pizan Romanesque; (2) Early Gothic of the Western Italian Republics; (8) Vene- tian Gothic; and (4) Early English Decorated. The most natural—perhaps the safest—choice would be of the last, well fenced from chance of *stiffening into the Perpendicular.” Unfortunately, Ruskin is here guilty of indecision; for while he favours Early English, we all know that his influence was almost wholly exerted in favour of Venetian. Consequently, as far as his teaching is concerned, we are as badly off now as we were before, for architects have been designing in every phase of Gothic, besides the Classic, rendering improvement almost impossible. While, therefore, Ruskin has accomplished much by causing architects to study Gothic more thoroughly than they had ever done before, and by raising archi- tecture into more favour with the people through his writings—for which he deserves great praise—yet we believe that it is reserved for an architect, and not a mere writer only, to be the true leader of our architecture. Mr. Fergusson, in his ‘‘ History of Architecture,” devotes a chapter to the consideration of a new style, but while no one is better qualified by the ex- tent of their knowledge of architecture to give a decided opinion on the subject, we there find that even he is afraid to speak decidedly and deliberately in favour of one style, or one way of forming a style. The most we can gather is, that while he dislikes the Gothic revival, and does not think much better of the Classic, he would seem, if anything, to be in favour of Romanesque, or some style with semi- circular-headed openings, Professor Scott, in his ‘Secular and Domestic Gothic Architecture,” says :—‘‘ We need a master mind which can grasp the great principles which pervade all good art, and which, out of the immense fund of material left us by the Greek, the Roman, the Byzantine, the Medieval and Oriental decora- tors, can sift out all that is good, and out of it generate a perfect style worthy of the highest efforts of which art is capable.” Again: ‘ Our architecture must embrace within its pale, the semi-circular, the semi-ellipse, the segmental and the pointed arches, but would reserve a strong preference for the pointed.” In looking over Mr. Scott’s works, we notice that his reservation has been so strong that he seldom or never uses anything else. Seeing that he admitted our architecture would be improved by the introduction of other arches, we cannot but re- gret that he did not work in some of them, for there is no saying what his influence might have accom- plished. It was evidently fated, however, that Mr. Scott’s fame should principally rest on being one of the leaders of the Gothic revival, and that the posi- tion he holds in consequence of it is an honourable one cannot be gainsaid. Some time ago we had great hopes of Mr. Burges becoming a leader, because his designs were all cha- racterised by a boldness and originality that promised great things—that seemed destined to take well with the profession, and have numerous followers. But lately he has almost forsaken architecture, and be- come—in heart at least, if not in practice—a painter. As a starting point, he says, in his ‘‘ Art Applied to Industry,” he cannot give an opinion, but thinks that the main thing is to give our buildings expres- sion, and till a new style turns up all that is left for us to dois “to direct our pupils’ attevtion to the human figure, drapery,and the great principles of composition.” Evidently, this will never help us to a new style, for the system of putting the cart before the horse has never been found to work well yet. How can we put expression into a building till we know the style it is to be built in? As well ask a painter to put expression in a face without telling him whether it is to be that of a Negro, an Indian, or a Turk, Some time ago Mr. E. M. Barry delivered some lectures on architecture at the Royal Academy, and in his last one he asked the question, ‘ What, then, is to be the architecture of the future?” Instead of answering his question decisively, as was expected he would do, he expressed himself unable to say what it should be, except that it must be “true, original, and scientific.” About as satisfactory an answer as if some one had asked him what style he would have a coat made, and he had answered, “ Of good cut, true colour, and machine-made.” Mr. T. Roger Smith, in his report on the archi- tectural drawings in last year's London Interna- tional Exhibition, says, ‘‘The present exhibition displays one or two designs of importance, in which the detail of Gothic is associated with that regular disposition of masses, and those bold semi-circular-headed openings which seem to have a strong hold upon modern European taste. In this, if in any direction, there seems a hope of a living future architecture.” This, now, is something definite, and we could give extracts from the writings of less known men just as definite, but we need never expect our best architects to give any de- finite opinion at all, till a more healthy system of criticism is introduced, and art critics will have more respect for art and the profession than their neighbours’ feelings. As we have said before, we think architects and their works should be no more exempt from criticism than authors. Having now given the opinions of some of the principal writers and architects who have spoken on the subject, we will now endeavour to summarise them and see if something definite cannot be adduced ;— Firstly.—The general idea seems to be that the style cannot be entirely original, but must have a nucleus of some other style round which to form and grow, and that this style must be Gothic. Secondly.—As nearly all the writers we have quoted from favoured Romanesque, or some style with semi-circular-headed openings, and as Mr. Roger Smith rightly declares the bent of modern European taste is inclined in this direction, let our architecture, then, be Gothic with semi-circular-headed openings, and with the circle and the semi-circle a leading feature in everything—such as circular spires, transepts, chancels, roofs, &c. Thirdly.—Let the detail be the best Gothic detail now in use, no matter where borrowed from. Fourthly.—While we would absolutely forbid the use of the pointed arch for openings, we would not. forbid its use altogether, as itis too good a feature to be lost ; but it must occupy a subordinate position, such as forming the label to a round arched opening, and other similar ways. Fifthly.—No grotesques should be allowed. Modern ones are mere plagiarisms without meaning. Inall our carvings let the representations be of every- day life, with the costume of the people shown just. as it is. Sixthly.—No buttresses should be allowed, because, in nine cases out of ten, in modern buildings they: are useless. Seventhly.—Tracery may be allowed. An article in the Burtprne News, some time ago suggested. that tracery be left out of the new style, as it was through it that Gothic deteriorated and at last fell. Butit would be a pity to lose such a beautiful feature, and haying seen how others fell we can avoid their errors; and, the forms being so entirely new in consequence of the round arch openings, the tracery may remain fresh as long as the style lasts. Eighthly.—No aisles to be allowed in churches, or any pillars obstructing the view of the congrega- tion. Galleries may be constructed all round the churches for those who wish them, but we would. have them built differently from the present system. Suppose our present aisle walls and roofs were simply reversed, with the roof thrown inside forming: the gallery, and the nave pillars thrown outside forming an open corridor to the street. The people who sat in the aisles would then go to the gallery and have a clear view of the whole service unob- structed by anything. Our churches would ther be what every one de- sires—places where all can see and hear perfectly. It would furnish a new form to our churches, that would distinguish them from those of any preceding age, and do as much as anything else to give a new character to our architecture. In conclusion, we have only to say that we have: endeavoured to do our duty to the profession in tryingy to forward an object which every one desires. Anprew Dewar, Halifax, Nova Scotia. ——__>——_—__ A NOVEL FIRE EXTINGUISHER. E clip the following from an American paper > —The use of water surcharged under pres- sure with carbonic acid gas has proved of such utility: in putting out fires, when applied by the well-known portable fire extinguishers, that plans are rife to enlarge the field of its application. Most feasible among these is that of employing the same principle in powerful fire-engines, for there is no reason why a large tank should not produce a proportionally greater effect than a small one. Less likely to com- mend itself to popular approval is that of providing the carbonated water in pipes extending from some suitably located reservoir, and running throagh the walls and to the apartments of the buildings in the neighbourhood, so that any room could be at once filled with the extinguishing agent by simply turning a stop-cock. One would think that in this last the limit of plausible invention in this line was reached, as far as widening the scope of its operation is con- cerned; but we find going the rounds of the press 4 sketch of a still more radical project in similar con- nection, and which shows the manner in which an idea good in itself may sometimes be “run, into the ground.” The projector of the new plan proposes to provide reservoirs containing the extinguishing agent, either strongly carbonated water, carbonic acid gas, ammonia, or sulphurous acid under compression, with pipes ramifying, as in the previous case, to the several rooms of a building, the pipe to each room being formed with an outlet closed ordinarily with a fusible plug. A thermometer is so combined witlr the wires of a galvanic batiery that when the tem- perature, from the occurrence or proximity of fire, rises to a given point, the electric cireuit is com- pleted, a spark is passed to a combustible substance arranged around the fusible plug, the latter melts, and the issuing gas puts out the fire. But the in- ventor does not mention what the effect of the irre- spirable gases set free without warning upon the sleeping inmates of a dwelling might reasonably be expected to be.