PARK UTILITIES 



be placed on the outskirts of parks, and in that location will rarely be 

 found to appear conspicuous or obtrusive. 



In design, they should be made to assume a character which will 

 compose with the general framing of the park, and, as pointed out in 

 the chapter on Architecture in Parks, their architectural style and 

 material should be influenced both by the character of the park and by 

 the architecture of the encircling streets. It is always desirable that 

 such a building be kept low, subdued in colour and restrained in design. 

 It is not necessary nor desirable that it be heavily screened with plant- 

 ing. Often the most certain way to attract attention is to attempt 

 concealment. Rather let the building frankly express its purpose, 

 with no attempt at subterfuge. The approaches may be designed in 

 such way as to lead very close to the buildings without announcing it 

 as their sole destination, with minor walks leading to the building by 

 which it w^ill be possible to enter without any cause for embarrassment. 

 Such a building should compose with the planting of the park, rather 

 than attempt to hide behind or within it. 



INCONSPICUOUS BUT NOT CONCEALED 



In connection with the planting recommendation that certain parks 

 should be more or less enclosed and protected by mass plantations 

 along the edges of the park, it will be found that the comfort station 

 may be made a part of the framing mass of such park and serve to 

 augment it. In Rome there are two exami^les of comfort stations 

 thus placed which do not attract attention from one direction or the 

 other. They are designed as part of the street boundary, set back 

 slightly by means of a forecourt, heavily shaded on the park side, 

 though not screened, and appear in no way conspicuous. Such build- 

 ings, however, may face toward the park equally well, as in the case of 

 several comfort stations recently erected in Washington, and will not 

 attract attention, l)ut rather direct attention within the park. If the 



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