ARCHITECTURE AND ORNAMENTATION. 



asked for competitive designs of water-towers and power-stations, 

 and referring to builders of water- works, editorially announced: 

 "The projectors of such enterprises should not erect structures 

 placed on hill-tops to be an offence to the eyes of this and future 

 generations. 



"The additional expense of beautifying these structures 

 need not be great if the design and execution be entrusted to 

 competent architects. The necessary isolation and altitude of 

 these buildings is at once a suggestion of the availability of the 

 site as a pleasure-ground, the tower itself constituting an admirable 

 central feature readily adapted to the purposes of a lookout. 



"In the case of private ownership it should be borne in mind 

 that in the bestowal of such franchises the community gives, 

 without price, something of substantial value, which might grate- 

 fully be in part repaid by the avoidance of an absolutely ugly 

 sore on the landscape at least, if not by throwing open to public 

 enjoyment something of the nature of a public park." 



In passing judgment upon a number of prize designs, a well- 

 selected committee of architects and engineers say in part: 

 "The conditions under which we were invited to act were, first, 

 adaptability for the purpose desired; second, architectural 

 design; third, economy in the treatment; fourth, rendering of 

 the drawings. In interpreting these conditions we were led to 

 believe that the general scope and intent of the competition would 

 lead to precedence being given to adaptability rather than to 

 merely artistic expression in the design, and that in considering 

 the merits of the various designs submitted, other things being 

 equal, the design given the higher place should be based upon 

 ordinary and feasible conditions, such as might arise in the average 

 community, rather than upon exceptional or unusual conditions, 

 even if exceeding in artistic merit. 



"We regret that so few designs were presented in which 

 artistic effect had been sought by simple means, rather than by 

 costly and formal architectural devices. It must frequently 



