Ronan, W. C.

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 The Knowledge Bank at The Ohio State University Ohio State Engineer   Title:  On the Use of Precedent Creators:  Ronan, W. C. Issue Date:  Jan-1922 Publisher:  Ohio State University, College of Engineering Citation:  Ohio State Engineer, vol. 5, no. 2 (January, 1922), 18-19. URI:  http://hdl.handle.net/1811/34365  Appears in Collections: Ohio State Engineer: Volume 5, no. 2 (January, 1922)       18 The Ohio State EngineerOn the Use of PrecedentW. C. RONAN, Assistant Professor, Department of ArchitectureAmong students in architectural design there ismuch uncertainty as to the use of precedent,The ambitious beginner very properly resolves tobe individual and not a copyist, to be a leaderand not a follower. He is at once confronted withthe question, where does individuality cease andplagiarism begin? Shall he strive to invent newmotives, or use old ones?It is quite easy to invent a new form, providedone is indifferent as to its quality. This has beendone, giving rise to l'Art Nouveau, the examplesof which are sometimes interesting but usuallydistressing.All historic styles have been the result of col-lective effort, never the work of any one man.Brunelleschi came as near to originating a styleas any architect has done, but even he used thesame methods as his predecessors, and borroweddetails from existing work. He probably neverknew that his work marked the beginning of anew era.Historic styles have frequently been the out-growth of new methods of construction, so itwould seem that a new style may be expectedfrom the use of steel frame and reinforced con-crete. Steel frame construction has not yet givenrise to a distinctive style, the examples usingeverything in the way of detail from Classic toPseudo Gothic. Some of them are very beauti-ful, for example the New York Municipal Build-ing and the Woolworth Building. A number ofnotable buildings have been done recently in re-inforced concrete. The crudeness of this mate-rial precludes any refinement of detail, and forcesthe designer to rely on proportion and mass alone.While these are the most important elements incomposition, they would seem insufficient founda-tion for a new style. This is particularly truebecause the necessary massiveness and simplicityof the design makes the material inappropriatefor any but large structures, such as warehouses,bridges and stadia. So far, then, these new mate-rials have not given rise to a new style.Turning from the attempt to invent new mo-tives and following precedent, the designer some-times feels that he is copying rather than design-ing. He need have no fear if he uses the oldmotives intelligently. If he is puzzled it is be-cause he has confused Invention and Individual-ity. Good invention is and must be rare, but in-dividuality is a birthright and a duty. Emersonsays "Great men are more distinguished by rangeand extent, than by originality. If we requirethe originality which consists in weaving, like asipder, their web from their own bowels, in find-ing clay, and making bricks, and building thehouse, no great men are original. Nor does val-uable originality consist in imlikeness to othermen. The hero is in the press of knights, and tinthick of events; and, seeing what men want, andsharing their desire, he adds the needful lengthof sight and of arm, to come at the desired point.The greatest genius is the most indebted man."The greatest artists have borrowed ideas wher-ever they found them. Ictinus and Callicratesdid not invent the Doric column; they perfected itand produced the Parthenon. Virgil worked oversome old legends and of them made the Aeneid,while Shakespeare took ideas, plots, and evenphrases from many sources. These men inventedlittle; they assimilated and developed the inven-tions of others. They attained the very highesttype of individuality.To know that one is not merely "cribbing," heneed only make sure his design answers all therequirements of the problem, that it is suitablefor its position, appropriate to the material, andexpressive of the conditions and ideals of thepeople who are to use it. These requirementsvary in every community, in every age, and forevery race, so, if the design answers them all, itis reasonably certain that the designer is no mereslave to precedent. To adopt is plagiarism, toadapt is design. The intelligent use of precedent,keeping to the Golden Mean is as far from copy-ing as gold mining is from pocketpicking.The designer, then, may take ideas whereverhe finds them, if they are suitable and he prop-erly assimilates them. This is true of styles also,hence the present day eclecticism in design. Inselecting old motives, only those should be chosenwhich possess elements which make them appro-priate. Among these are racial influences, thehistorical associations of the function of thebuilding, and the historical associations of thelocality.Americans are the heirs of many races. Byactual descent there are Americans of almostevery race under the sun. This does not mean,however, that the styles developed by all theseraces are appropriate in America. * As Freemenhas said, in his essay on "Race and Language,"the tongue we speak has more to do with theshaping of our ideas than has our actual descent.So although, for example, there is a large numberof Swedes in this country, we need not expect tosee any considerable effect from Sweden on Amer-ican architecture. These people cease, after atime, to use the Swedish language, and that factultimately divorces them from Swedish literatureand ideas. Instead they use English and becomepermeated with the ideals which have been ex-pressed in that language. It follows then, thatalthough we may draw inspiration from manysources, the dominant source must remain thework of English-speaking peoples.Aside from race and language there are otherhereditary elements to be considered, the stylesassociated historically with the purpose of thebuilding. The Romans impressed their law uponthe world, and much of our law is founded upontheirs, so the more severe phases of the Romanstyle are appropriate for law courts. In Art werecognize the leadership of Greece so the Greekstyle is well suited to buildings devoted to thatpurpose. The Gothic was developed to expressThe Ohio State Engineer 19the ideals of the middle ages, and so remains themost appropriate style for those religious bodieswhich are descended from the mediaeval churches.The other great consideration which must notbe neglected is the historical character of thelocality. In the South West the Spanish Colonialor Mission style is much used and is highly ap-propriate. The Spanish missionaries first openedthis region to civilization, and their self-sacrificeshould not be forgotten. Other examples of thissort are to be found in the French work at NewOrleans, and in English Colonial work in NewEngland. These localities possess charming in-dividuality due to the presence of these styles,and it is here that the sanctity of individualityshould be most strongly insisted upon.It is worse than plagiarism, it is insolent con-ceit to import into these regions any styles whichwill not harmonize with the existing characteristicwork. To destroy the individuality of the placeby incongrous importations is little better thanthe destruction of Soissons, of Noyon and ofRheims. Western architecture is being copiedin Japan, and the satisfying art of that nation issuffering thereby. The European styles do notbelong there, nor the Japanese style here. Suchplagiarism destroys the charm of picturesque va-riety as well as the individuality of races.Besides these considerations the nature of thelocality itself must not be forgotten. Climate,available materials, political and social conditionsmust be recognized and they will invariably mod-ify the design. That design is best which seemsinevitable, and to be inevitable it must have noth-ing forced about it. It must obey all of theseinfluences—racial, traditional and local.One form of indefensible plagiarism is the useof any but the simplest kinds of stock ornament.It is plagiarism because the work is not assim-ilated but copied. It is possible to purchase ex-act copies of the Erechtheion columns, in severalsizes and for interior as well as exterior use.Let no one imagine that by using them he willcreate another Erechtheion. He will meet onlyignominious failure. These columns were de-signed for one particular place, size, material,climate, race, and religious purpose. These con-ditions are not duplicated in America today, sothe columns cannot be suitable.But if the designer take that column, and mod-ify the detail to accord with a different material,modify the proportions to fit a new location, mod-ify the spirit to fulfill a new purpose, then he isdoing what Mnesicles did, assimilating and de-veloping, adapting not adopting, which is design.One of the most disheartening offenses of thissort is the improper use of heraldry. It is pos-sible to purchase exact copies of Tudor ceilingsin which the heraldic designs of the originals arefaithfully copied. These coats of arms were andare private property. They belonged exclusivelyto the knights who carried them into battle, andthey belong exclusively to their descendants. Onehas no more reason or right to appropriate thesedesigns than to assume the names of the familiesto whom they belong.Of a piece with the incorrect use of heraldryis the artificial aging of a building. A time wornappearance adds to the beauty of a building mostlybecause it is the effect of time. The charm ofCompton Wynyates and Penshurst is due partlyto the softening of the lines and mellowing of thecolors, but more to the suggestion of venerableage. The old mansions appear to be dreamingof the life they have witnessed, of tournaments,royal progresses, baronial hospitality, of"old, unhappy, far-off things,And battles long ago."To attempt to obtain this charm by defacing thefresh mouldings with a hammer is merely silly.It is like wearing false jewels, painting lichens ona roof, or imitating thatch with tortured shingles.To conclude then, we may avoid the eccentri-cities of too obtrusive invention and the insipidityof slavery to precedent by obeying the principlesof the greatest designers of the past. The bestcreative work of all ages has been founded onthese principles. If followed they will, as always,produce a healthy art, which will be traditionalin the main, because the conditions are tradi-tional. When conditions change the art willchange with them, and the resulting new stylewill be not an abrupt change but a naturalgrowth.

On the Use of Precedent

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On the Use of Precedent

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