BUILDINGS TO-DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 19 February 1915, Page 7

BUILDINGS TO-DAY.

I LAND OF SKY-SCRAPERS. 1 ) ; FREE HAND FOR ARCHITECTS. | MONEY NO OBJECT. ' Mr. W. Chrichton (of Chrichton and M'Kay, architects) has just returned to Wellington from a prolonged visit to Great Britain and the United States. In the course of an interview with the l'ost on buildings and architecture in the New World and the Old, Mr Chrichton narrated some most interesting facts and views which had behind them the weight of long professional experience. Mr Chrichton was amazed by what he saw in tlie United States. lie knew what to look for before he went; further he had tlie entry to many avenues of building and architectural undertakings that a professional man well introduced would have if he went the right way about it. San Francisco interested him more than any other city of the United States. He found not a trace of fire or earthquake anywhere in the city which only so recently as 1900 was a burning \viute. The buildings there to-day artlarger, stronger, and, far more ®rnate than they were before the great earthquake, and people had built as if there was never going to be, another. "The buildings in San Francisso are monumental in character. Expense appears to be the very last consideration," lie added. Architects have practically a free hand.

VALUE OF ADVERTISEMENT. As he referred to business buildings in the main, Mr Chrichton was asked what was the motive for sinking so much capital in architectural enrichment —marbles, bronzes, mosaics, stained glass, mural paintings, tiles, nickel fittings, and similar embellishments, which, after all, were, not so essential as light and air, economy of space, and facilities for the quick despatch of business. The only explanation ho could suggest was that of advertisement. To that Americans attached the utmost importance. To have something distinctive in a building—its size, its ornamentation — at any cost, to attract attention and keep it, and make people talk about it. Then someone goes one better, i Mr Chrichton illustrated his point by a graphic description of the 'Woolvrorth Building in New York—tlie highest building" in the world. He could not say off-hand, but he believed it was sixtyseven stories high. It cost thirty-eight million Jollars to build, and before it had risen above the footpath it had cost ten million dollars. In the lowest of the three floors below ground were the electric light plant, lift, and other machinery and motive equipment of this vast building. The second floor (still below ground) was fully occupied. Then there cam e a most gorgeously furnished and decorated restaurant (still beneath the road level). The prices were also enormous, as was the case everywhere in New York. Lifts by the score carried people to and from the floors of the buildings. Some were express lifts that imf.de long non-stop journeys; others stopped at every station, or rather floor, as required. The owner of this building made his money first out of five cent and ten cent stores —every article sold being the one price. This was the foundation of his wealth. On top of that came highly successful stock exchange speculations. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. GOLDEN' TELEPHONES. "I met Wool worth at dinner," Mr Chrichton went on. "I afterwards s<vw his private suite of rooms and offices in the building. He outdid kings in liis magnificence. From Italy and Spain and other Continental countries, bought at great price, were beautiful marble mantel pieces and carvings, some of them of great antiquity. Gold was everywhere. Cold inkstands, gold pens, gold telephone receivers even—a perfect riot of precious materials, and really exquisite taste displayed in their utilisation.

A BREEZY CLIENT. "Woolwortli is a brusque man, and not at all particular about bis adjective's. Cass Gilbert was big architect. Over tile lifts I noticed architraves—'trims' they call them in the States. They were made of cast iron, and were beautifully fashioned. Most delectable were their designs—anything finer in cast iron I have never seen, 'nor expect to "Cass Gilbert and Woolwortli were coming down, and the lift stopped. Tho architect looked ati these 'trims,' and remarked: 'There is only one thing I roL^'nt.' "'What is that?' asked Woolwortli. "That those trims were not made of bronze.' . " 'Then why the did you not have them in bronze? Did I stint you for money? Was it your own money you were saving? Do you blame me for it? It was your business, not mine, to have them in bronzed "That shows the man and describes his type," continued Mr. Chrichton. "It describes many immensely Americans, and explains why enormous sums are 'spent in lavish fashion upon the ornamentation of American commercial buildings. I don't suppose Woolwortli is getting one per cent, for bis money out of this building, but he has the joy of knowing "tliat he owns the biggest building in the world, and so he is quite happy in this ministration to his vanity.