To the Editor of the "Nowrn-Cuixa Dairy News."
Sim—I was more than interested in Mr. J. L.'s article on Mr, Bothwell and the drawings of the new Custom House, in-your issue of the instant, With Mr. J. L's taste there will be disagreement, but all architects.
iN agree, including Mr. Bothwell himself, that he ix wrong in writing, of the work will appear architectural perspective shows it, more expecially perspective ix made before the com mencement of the actual building.
'There are so many remarks that Mr. J. L, makes on questions of design to' which I dissent, that I vill confine myself to a few.
I do not agree that the art of ancient Greece has perpetual beauty; the Greek and Roman "order" have been and are being copied so many thousands of times in so many thousands of positions, that even the original works run' the risk of losing their beauty through. sheer: Voredom, although to those who like perfect work, the "orders" will always remain a pleasure to look at in the original.
Architects will, I think, in var future, cease to show on buildgs any forms whatsoever of ro-productions from the "Orders"
I do not agree that this building, fs the finest chance that an architect has in Shanghai, because the Hong-Kong & Shanghai Bank site was finer opportunity.
Mr. J.L's remarks about flat surfaces are, I think, unfortunate, as flat surfaces ate! tone of the things to be aimed at in design, with an appropriate number of decorated or rough surfaces in. troduced, to get the effect one finished work more effec: is, roughly speaking, only praise of architectural drawing, although it is interesting as a new departure in local journalism,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.