The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 59, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 18, 1949 Page: 4 of 8
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Four
THE THRESHER
Rice Architect Claims Modernism
Verona Porch
Rice's Verona Porch, found at the main entrance to the Chemistry
Lecture Hall, is of Lombard origin. This particular example resembles
the porch on the facade of S. Zeno in Verona.
KAY'S CLUB GRILL
2324 BISSONNET
Where Friends Meet
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It appears that it was only at the
end of the tenth century that the
Lombard builders took over and re-
vived the old Byzantine motiff, us-
ing it extensively, even in later
times. Another motiff admittedly
closely related to the arched corbel-
tables is the blind niche so char-
acteristic of the cornices of the Lom-
bard domes. The northern Italian
builders found that the exigencies
of their rigorous climate made im-
practicable the frank external treat-
ment of the dome, such as is fre-
quently found in the more southern
lattitudes. They accordingly covered
the half dome of their apses with a
simple lean-to roof, and continued
the wall straight up to meet the
eaves. The half dome was thus
masked externally. In order to ob-
viate the waste of material which
would otherwise occur, and perhaps
to make the construction more
truthful, the architects introduced
blind niches occupying the space
between the eaves and the dome.
There are blind niches on Lovett
Hall to the right and left of Sally-
port, as may be seen in the accom-
panying picture.
As was natural with a motif so
constantly repeated, the arched
corbel-tables underwent varioius de-
velopments and embellishments. In
some cases the open work patterns
were introduced beneath the arches.
This inspiration for this could have
come from the old choir screens of
the Byzantine churches; and al-
though not used in connection with
corbel-tables, there is a rather good
example of the type of open-work on
several of the arches of the Phy-
sics Building. Other examples of
similar open-work can be seen in the
Chemistry Building and Mechanical
Engineering Building, though none
of it is of the delicate type first
used by Byzantine sculptors and
later by those of Lombardy.
From this we see the number of
assimilated elements that were
used to produce the architecture of
the Rice Campus. One other example
of this assimilation is the pointed
caps on top of the Physics Build-
ing, which can be named as G(fthic.
These forms are, essentially, Gothic,
with their peaked hoods and pointed
arches. But from this assimilation
we should also see a style that has
Gothic romanticism, pictorial qual-
ity, and structural integrity. In the
words of R. A. Cram, the designing
architect, "... the result is good,
and I am* prepared to offer it as a
sane and logical type of 'modernism'
better, I am willing to avow (and
again in my own prejudiced opin-
ion), than much of that which bears
the name and has been evolved since
the Rice Institute was begun."
-O-
P. A. L. S. Society
Elect New Officers
At its regulai'ly scheduled meet-
ing Tuesday P.A.L.S. elected Alice
York for the 1949-'50 president. Pat
Penn was named vice-president,
Margaret Frink, secretary, and Con-
nie Owens, treasurer for next year.
Other officers chosen were Marie
Zapalac, councilman-at-large; Mary
Fleming and Coletta Ray, social
chairmen; Joan Bennett and Joie
Payne, sergeants-at-arms; Nancy
Markle, reporter; Mary Agnes de-
mons, keeper of the scraps; Clara
Margaret Mohr, Lit Council repre-
sentative; and Genie Hare and Nina
Shannon, Athletic Council repre-
sentatives.
O
There will be no A-House dance
tonight, Mrs. Cannon announced. A-
House will not sponsor its usual
weekly dance because of the im-
nending academic crisis that will
involve the usual participants of tha
customary mid-week get-togethers.
Lovett Hall
u
"Perhaps the most elaborate of the sculpture on the campus is to
be found around the main entrance to Lovett Hall, Sallyport. It was
a characteristic of Lombard architecture to splay the door openings just
as they had splayed their windows. The delicate design of the sculpture
must be admired, and must also be mentioned as the same general type
as found on the facades of Lombard Churches."
Physics Building Towers
Another element used in the architecture of the Institute, is the
Gothic steeple found atop the Physics Building. The pointed arches and
peaked hoods of the steeples are Gothic keynotes.
Lovett Hall Columns
<V:
These two "basket columns" at the end of the Lovett Hall cloisters
are what seems to be an exclusively Byzantine development. It is,
basically, the Corinthian capital, but with entirely Byzantine tendencies,
stringiness in carved detail, and avoidance of the deep undercarving of
the classic ornament. As this latter tendency grew more decided, the
finish of the capitals was executed less and less according to the Roman
form. When merely the general outline had been cut, the artists set
to work to cover the surface with charming designs of acanthus-leaves
and vines. One further step completed the evolution of the Byzantine
capital. The original block was left entirely unshaped, the square abacus
being merged into the round neck by subtle curves. A surface decoration
was then added, and the fully developed "basket capital", had come
into existence.
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 59, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 18, 1949, newspaper, May 18, 1949; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230814/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.