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第37章

the higher learning in america-第37章

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libraries; laboratories; and lecture rooms。 The last of these is



the least exacting; and it is the one most commonly well



supplied。 It is also; on the whole; the more conspicuous in



proportion to the outlay。 But all these are matters chiefly of



interior arrangement; appliances and materials; and they are all



of a relatively inconspicuous character。 Except as detailed in



printed statistics they do not ordinarily lend themselves with



appreciable effect to the art of advertising。 In meeting all



these material requirements of the work in hand a very large



expenditure of funds might advantageously be made 



advantageously to the academic use which they are to serve 



without much visible effect as seen in perspective from the



outside。 And so far as bears on this academic use; the exterior



of the buildings is a matter of altogether minor consequence; as



are also the decorative appointments of the interior。



    In practice; under compulsion of the business principles of



publicity; it will be found; however; that the exterior and the



decorative appointments are the chief object of the designer's



attention; the interior arrangement and working appointments will



not infrequently become a matter of rude approximation to the



requirements of the work; care being first taken that these



arrangements shall not interfere with the decorative or



spectacular intent of the outside。 But even with the best…advised



management of its publicity value; it is always appreciably more



difficult to secure appropriations for the material equipment of



a laboratory or library than for the shell of the edifice; and



still more so for the maintenance of an adequate corps of



caretakers and attendants。



    As will be found true of other lines of this university



enterprise in publicity; so also as to this presentation of a



reputable exterior; it is designed to impress not the academic



personnel; or the scholarly element at large; but the laity。 The



academic folk and scholars are commonly less susceptible to the



appeal of curious facades and perplexing feats of architecture;



and then; such an appeal would have no particular motive in their



case; it is not necessary to impress them。 It is in the eyes of



the unlettered; particularly the business community; that it is



desirable for the university to present an imposing front; that



being the feature of academic installation which they will



readily appreciate。 To carry instant conviction of a high



academic worth to this large element of the populace; the



university buildings should bulk large in the landscape; should



be wastefully expensive; and should conform to the architectural



mannerisms in present vogue。 In a few years the style of



architectural affectations will change; of course; as fashions



necessarily change in any community whose tastes are governed by



pecuniary standards; and any particular architectural contrivance



will therefore presently lose much of its prestige value; but by



the time it so is overtaken by obsolescence; the structures which



embody the particular affectation in question will have made the



appeal for which they were designed; and so will have served



their purpose of publicity。 And then; too; edifices created with



a thrifty view to a large spectacular effect at a low cost are



also liable to so rapid a physical decay as to be ready for



removal and replacement before they have greatly outlived their



usefulness in this respect。



    In recent scholastic edifices one is not surprised to find



lecture rooms acoustically ill designed; and with an annoying



distribution of light; due to the requirements of exterior



symmetry and the decorative distribution of windows; and the like



holds true even in a higher degree for libraries and



laboratories; since for these uses the demands in these respects



are even more exacting。 Nor is it unusual to find waste of space



and weakness of structure; due; e。g。; to a fictitious winding



stair; thrown into the design to permit such a facade as will



simulate the defensive details of a mediaeval keep; to be



surmounted with embrasured battlements and a (make…believe)



loopholed turret。 So; again; space will; on the same ground; be



wasted in heavy…ceiled; ill…lighted lobbies; which might once



have served as a mustering place for a body of unruly



men…at…arms; but which mean nothing more to the point today; and



in these premises; than so many inconvenient flagstones to be



crossed in coming and going。



    These principles of spectacular publicity demand a nice



adjustment of the conspicuous features of the plant to the



current vagaries in decorative art and magnificence;that is to



say; conformity to the sophistications current on that level of



culture on which these unlettered men of substance live and move



and have their being。 As touches the case of the seats of



learning; these current lay sophistications draw on several more



or less diverse; and not altogether congruous; lines of



conventionally approved manifestation of the ability to pay。 Out



of the past comes the conventional preconception that these



scholastic edifices should show something of the revered traits



of ecclesiastical and monastic real…estate; while out of the



present comes an ingrained predilection for the more sprightly



and exuberant effects of decoration and magnificence to which the



modern concert…hall; the more expensive cafes and clubrooms; and



the Pullman coaches have given a degree of authentication。 Any



one given to curious inquiry might find congenial employment in



tracing out the manner and proportion in which these; and the



like; strains of aesthetic indoctrination are blended in the



edifices and grounds of a well…advised modern university。



    It is not necessary here to offer many speculations on the



enduring artistic merit of these costly stage properties of the



seats of learning; since their permanent value in that respect is



scarcely to be rated as a substantial motive in their



construction。 But there is; e。 g。; no obvious reason why; with



the next change in the tide of mannerism; the disjointed



grotesqueries of an eclectic and modified Gothic should not



presently pass into the same category of apologetic neglect; with



the architectural evils wrought by the mid…Victorian generation。



But there is another side to this architecture of notoriety; that



merits some slight further remark。 It is consistently and



unavoidably meretricious。 Just at present the enjoined vogue is



some form of bastard antique。 The archaic forms which it



ostensibly preserves are structurally out of date; ill adapted to



the modern materials and the modern builder's use of materials。



Modern building; on a large scale and designed for durable



results; is framework building。 The modern requirements of light;



heating; ventilation and access require it to be such; and the



materials used lend themselves to that manner of construction。



The strains involved in modern structures are frame…work strains;



whereas the forms which these edifices are required to simulate



are masonry forms。 The outward conformation and ostensible



structure of the buildings; therefore; are commonly meaningless;



except as an architectural prevarication。 They have to be



adapted; simulated; deranged; because in modern use they are



impracticable in the shape; proportion and combination that of



right belonged to them under the circumstances of materials and



uses under which they were once worked out。 So there results a



meaningless juxtapos

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