ARCHITECTURE IN PARKS 



scape and dispelling the illusion of " natural scenery." Parks, how- 

 ever, are not merely compositions of scenery, but, as has been pointed 

 out, are for utility as well as for beauty. Buildings in that sense fre- 

 quently are very vital to parks. If, therefore, there is need of a 

 building in a park for some reason of service or for some requirement 

 of the park, there should not be the slightest hesitation in introducing 

 it there. The converse, however, is equally true : if a building is not 

 needed for some reason of service or to satisfy some need of the park, 

 it should never be granted admittance. For example, an edifice for 

 dining " distinguished guests " is not requisite to a park, for the service 

 can be performed equally w^ell elsewhere and therefore such a building 

 should not be allowed there. The proper relation between buildings 

 and parks must be that of reciprocity and mutual need, each the com- 

 plement and supplement of the other. 



The mere fact that a building is public does not justify its admission 

 to and absorption of park areas. Six years ago there was erected in 

 one of Washington's parks the Court of Appeals building, the inter- 

 relation of which with park development, the purpose for which the 

 park was set apart, still remains a mystery. Two other buildings, how- 

 ever, had already been erected within that park, and precedent made 

 the way easy. The new building, to cap the climax, was located in 

 such a way as to obviously require the addition of a fourth building 

 for the completion of the architectural composition, showing how the 

 inch becomes the ell. City halls and court houses seem to be the 

 greatest sinners in this respect, and they lead the way for an army of 

 other pubHc buildings for which appropriations are made with no 

 provision for site. 



PARKS ARE NOT FORECOURTS 



An infringement of architecture on park domains which cannot be 

 too strongly guarded against is that similar to the case of the Century 

 Theatre in New York City, in the building of which plans were pre- 



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