The New University Building

Mr.Eoitor. The eltizens of Ann Arbor are very deeply Intereated n tlie plan and appearance of any public building to bc erected in the city. Th proposed nciv Jniveralty bnlldlng wlll consiitutea proranent and permaneot feature in Ihe arcliieet ure of the place, and the tastes and vlshos of the public oujjht to be consul ted is far as compatible with the intcr'.'sts of he Universlty. The public have been informed throOgh he reporls in the Detroit papera, thït n ommittee of the Board of Regent? has rejected the idea of a dome, made a compro Otee With a plan which bettuics a Inrge ex pense upon tiie oíd building, and ordered the freat sseinbly rooni placed one or mor" UglUê of stair abóte Pie gro'ind. There are reat objectlons to eacb of these decesions. As to th! frunt elevation, there has been 10 plan pnsented whlch strikes the general aste as favorabty as E. S. Jenison's. Obcctiiiti is made (a the cost of the dome. Jut it vrill be obserred tbat almost no ex jense is bestowed iifjou the old buildings ut the expense proposed by the plan of . il. Smith with the cost of the proposed upóla or tower, and you have the mean 0 erccf, Jenison's dome, which is nuneasur ibiy grander. The ideaofgreat expense exsts only in íaney. Again, it is objecteil hat the dome Is too large and too high. As a tliinl olyection makes it too sm:ill, it s probable that neitlier possesses mucli v.-ilit. It is also objected that the douie Dggests tlifi idea of a state capítol. This 8 right. The University is a State insliution, and this building uppronches the 1 hui, slons oí a títate capítol, Moreover he dome is a plcasing flnisli in massive jublic structures. The snggcstions of the ome are aupropriatc. Far better is this !i i to have the great hnlldmg recall a '-i v. Ejij;' nd '■■■'■ iory by ItxdilDtnutive bel I ower, or a lilock o' Morsa by the moiiotoly ot its opper contour. The doine feature jrowB In favor the more it is contemplate.1 t s the Oüly finish which can givea granel )ies"ntmeut to tiwt noble íacade. Another inisli milit be more beautiful for inspecion In minute detail, but taste requires lia" ue stutly the effect of the elevation as i whole. Let Sinith'K eievation Im; adopted uil Jenison's perspective view bc left laoglog In the library, nnd how soon anfl íow utianimonsly will regrets arie that falst ideas of economy or personal idiosyncrasita of taste have imposed upon us the inferlor plan. This is amatter in which' citizens are interested and have a right to ■peak. They ought to examine the plans submittcd,espt.cialy Jenison's and Sinith's, and insist upon being heard. Jeniíon's front elevation Ís a wonderful snecess. Without expending money upon the old buildings he has wrought thein into complete haamony with a new and modern building, lie devotos the whole of the imans to new work. The grand pediment ís essential. No other plan embraces it. Having once seen its effect, it cannot be dUpensed with. Much might be sald In defense of the " rear extensio.1 plan'' (or the great assembly room, btit I fear to Intrudc upon your columns. It will be a source of permanent regret if. while we are building, we fail to produce just the result whlch we deslre. Some additional expense could be managed n soinc w;iy. Private subscriplions or subsidlary appropriations by thejegislature would do it. Lct our cltlzena conslder these matters, and consider them imm;diately.