CHAPTER IX 

 ARCHITECTURE IN PARKS 



THE demand for building sites within park areas is much greater 

 than would be generally supposed. There are demands for 

 auditoriums, armouries, gymnasiums, art museums, natural history 

 rooms and public buildings of all kinds. In one of the most recent 

 books on city planning there is made this recommendation: 



" Among the edifices which may properly be placed in the parks are mu- 

 nicipal banquet halls. In such halls the various municipal and semi-miuiicipal 

 functions could be held, instead of in the hotels as at present. Distinguished 

 guests could be received in. more dignity at such banquet halls than in private 

 hostelries." 



It may be seen from this that, although much has been written 

 adverse to sacrificing parks to buildings, the tendency to project build- 

 ings into park areas is not yet dead — its tail still wriggles. Central 

 Park in New York, especially, has been overrun with innumerable 

 projects for the introduction of edifices within its domain, from the 

 suggestion in 1872 that all religious sects should be invited to build 

 places of worship upon it, to recommendations within recent years that 

 sites be granted there for academies of design, art museums and 

 exhibition palaces. New York City, however, has proven itself a 

 St. Patrick in respect to public buildings in parks, and can be depended 

 upon to crush the idea of a municipal banquet hall also should it seek 

 admission there. 



PARKS TO POSSESS ARCHITECTURE; ARCHITECTURE NOT TO 

 DISPOSSESS PARKS 



"A park is to furnish relief and repose of mind which natural 

 scenerj^ brings to those who are wearied by city sights and sounds." 

 From this it would appear that no building of anj'^ kind should be 

 permitted within park domains, as jeopardising the effect of the land- 



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