Tribune Revival

1092 Words5 Pages
The Tribune Building is one example for an architectural revival in New York City’s architecture influenced by Greek Revival. This style of architecture is combined in an American city, which is today known best for its stiff necked, modern, and young appearance of buildings. But New York City offers considerably more as the modern skyscrapers and bright and newfangled places like the Time Square’s LED screen. Richard Morris Hunt was one contributor to the other, classical and historical side of New York’s architecture. He constructed the Tribune Building in 1873 to 1875 (Roth 251), which “was an outstanding contribution to New York City commercial architecture and to the city’s skyline” (Baker 219). It had nine basements, which all in all…show more content…
The whole appearance implied that the architect was influenced by that style while constructing the building. It starts with the “elaborated door surrounds [that] are a dominant feature of Greek Revival houses” (McAlester 180), where it was very common to have entry porches (183). On its sides it is surrounded by two porch columns, which stand on a base and offer the classical Roman Tuscan form that has a straight, unfluted shaft. Since the capital looks bigger than only a stone plate, as it occurs in a Doric column, or the typical Corinthian acanthus leaves need more space to be constructed, after a method of elimination, the columns have an Ionic capital with volutes. The entrance offers typical cornice details whose enframement is not only pedimented but also consist of a three-part top and with a full transom light (McAlester…show more content…
Furthermore, in the tall tower Hunt introduced a form that continued to shape New York skyscrapers for sixty years” (Roth 251-252). The Tribune’s base is brighter than the rest of the building, because it was designed with light-colored granite (Baker 221) whereas the “walls [were] faced with deep red Baltimore brick with geometrical designs in black, white, and red brick” (Baker 221). Highlights were set with this bright granite stone to emphasize the windows and different stories. As well the contrast divides the building perpendicular and horizontal into the two- or three-story units. The basement seems to be out of one unit, but the three windows above built one unit together. They are highlighted with the help of five vertical protruding walls that end with ornamented capitals, which are similar to pilasters. The fourth and fifth built one unit, and the story above is a separate

More about Tribune Revival

Open Document