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Essay Subject: History & architectural analysis, site evaluation, preservation, downtown renewal projects, regulations, focusing on rebuilding after 1986 fires.... More...

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Paper Abstract: History & architectural analysis, site evaluation, preservation, downtown renewal projects, regulations, focusing on rebuilding after 1986 fires. Paper Introduction: The Los Angeles Central Library consists of a nearly-destroyed building that was elaborately rehabilitated and its expansive addition. The choice to rehabilitate was made on the grounds that it was an historic building worthy of preservation. The building was held to have symbolic importance, to make a vital aesthetic contribution, and to provide badly needed public space to the heavily developed downtown area. The facility was expanded with an eight-story wing that houses the great majority of the library's public functions. The attempt to replicate most practical and decorative features of the public spaces in the old building has produced a very large landmark that also serves a valuable public function. The Los Angeles Public Library system's Central Library building is located in downtown Los Angeles on a large two-block Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. This was undoubtedly influenced by the fact that the view ofthe library block was no longer so nearly unobstructed as it had originallybeen.Site Background and Development. Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. Banham argued thatsince the city had not grown, as pueblo-centered historians and "entrencheddowntown interests" believed, from the pueblo center outward, it waserroneous to believe that the renewed health of the area was vital to thecity (2 1). The designers tried to restore everything to itsoriginal state--regardless of what had been done in the meantime--and "thestrategy was to install old-style fixtures but adapt them to meet currentillumination standards" (Mays 118). As Mays noted, the "scarcity of historic landmarks in LosAngeles" was the source of the enormous amount of attention devoted to therenovation of the Central Library (115). TheMaguire Thomas plan that Moule and Polyzoides praise so enthusiasticallywas based on purchasing these rights, which enabled the construction ofSkidmore, Owings and Merrill's Gas Company Tower, at 52 stories, and Pei,Cobb and Freed's First Interstate Bank World Center (now Library Tower)which, at 73 stories is the tallest structure west of the Mississippi andis located across Fifth Street from the venerable Goodhue building. Most approaches to the Central Library pass through canyons of tallbuildings--from a dozen to fifty stories. All these things soondisappeared as the automobile took over as the principal means oftransportation. But in this, asin all the views, the backdrop is predominantly skyscrapers--some of whichbarely seem to have any space between them. The Library occupies enoughspace in its two-block setting to have an immediate impact on the viewer.The cream-colored mass and the tower, with its brightly mosaiced pyramidtop, constitute an abrupt break from the jumbled surfaces of the oldercommercial buildings and the sleek monochrome skyscrapers. California Architecture: Historic American Buildings Survey. The entrances to the Goodhue building all take the visitor throughdark-walled, cool halls and lead to a central lobby. In this and other instances the visitor could easily use thelibrary without ever going through a number of the spectacular portions ofthe old building (e. 1987: 11+.Hardy, Hugh. Following the fires of 1986 and the earthquake of 1987, whichdestabilized the Central Library's tower, many planners wanted to demolishthe building and proceed, with the Maguire Thomas plan's money, to build awhole new complex. Nor could the complete absence of women, except asdecorative figures, be tolerated. The FAR disconnected density regulations "fromform guidelines such as height, built-to-lines, land coverage and blockprofiles" that had kept development "within typological limits and hadallowed the incremental construction of the public realm as individualbuildings were put in place" (Moule and Polyzoides 31). New York: Harper and Row, 1971."Creating a Metropolitan Neighborhood." Architecture California Sept.-Oct. The building isroughly square and the halls divide it into quadrants. Some public spaces have been given new functions, e.g., the cafe,bookstore, and bibliographic center. Thus it reflects the farthestpoint he had reached in his "search for a modern style free of historicalreference" (Woodbridge 87). Although the decorative schemes in the building, and the sculptureattached to it, were hardly conducive to widespread public appeal in viewof their lack of diversity and skewed vision of history, the Libraryemphasized the diversity of artists contributing to the new wing. Ed. In thatcase the choice was made for expensive gold-leaf finish that coordinatedwith other finishes in the library and the more expensive incandescentlighting was adhered to because it fit the original lighting concept better--even though the "uplighting" had been freely altered. "Central Library and Convention Center Open in Los Angeles." Architecture: The AIA Journal 82 (1993): 24-25.Woodbridge, Sally B. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Public Library, 1997.Mays, Vernon. Woodbridge describes it as "an outstanding building inan Hispanic/Modernist mode by a nationally prominent architect" (151). Art, Music and Recreation Department. Thereare, however, frequent reminders of the building's historic status.Discreet labels explain certain elements in the design and decoration ofthe Goodhue building, and docent-led tours and informational brochuresabout the building itself are heavily promoted.Site Evaluation: Historic Value. Efforts at historic preservation in the area had begun with therestoration of Olvera Street but the idea that this was the true beginningof the city cannot really be confirmed and, like most "observable facts"about downtown's history, such speculation is often not very "historicallyrewarding" (Banham 2 4). .because that is all downtown Los Angeles deserves" (2 1). After the fires few lighting fixtures were usable and the designersand architects salvaged a few from the demolition to "serve as models foraccurate reproductions" (Mays 118). The fires proved to be "the best publicity opportunitythe library ever had" and the Goodhue tower was incorporated into the "Savethe Books" campaign logo, thereby focusing attention, as the city hoped, onthe building itself (Watson 35). It is, without doubt, one of the few instances in which thepublic sphere successfully intrudes on the commercial in this section ofthe city. Some important murals were also relatively undamagedbecause they were covered by the soot and they were restored in the samemanner. And the Central Library would not describe the Herter murals,which include "The Landing of Cabrillo," "The Building of a Mission," and"Fiesta at a Mission," as "succeed[ing] in imparting the gracious, colorfuland romantic atmosphere of early California History," without even hintingthat this might be a romanticized rather than a merely romantic view (LosAngeles Public Library Art 2). Los Angeles: Los Angeles Public Library, 1927.---. In both the north and northeastapproaches the Library addition does not appear to the casual eye to beconnected to the Goodhue building. In a similar fashion the replacement of woodwork varied fromlocation to location. The fountain on the southside was dismantled and replaced after construction was finished. While many of these wereburned or "blanched by steam created during the firefighting," a largenumber were covered, and protected by, particularly thick soot (Mays 122).The burned and faded portions were repainted and the covered sectionscarefully cleaned. Much of thebuilding has been turned over to technical and administrative services and,from the little that can be seen of these areas, they have been refurbishedin a subdued style that does not clash with the old building--but does notbother with replication of its fixtures, paneling, flooring and otherdetails. By comparison, onthe approach up Hope Street the building is completely dwarfed by thegigantic skyscraper on the right and other tall buildings on the left.This is the façade on which the tower has the shallowest setback and, sinceonly the central third of the façade is visible between the surroundingbuildings, its dramatically constructed series of five foliage-laden tiers,stairs and two entrances and the brightly colored pyramid give the buildinga jewel-box appearance in comparison to its neighbors. And the Maguire Thomasdevelopment scheme named its project "Library Square" and the Pei CobbFreed building on Fifth Street was originally, and is once again, called"Library Tower." The restoration of the Goodhue Central Library building as anhistoric landmark was possible because it served the public interest andcommercial interests simultaneously. But these are clearly newlyrefurbished areas and there is no pretense that they are anything else. When approaching from the north the entrance is relatively restrainedand the building is far less dramatic, except for the tower, which ispartly visible at almost any distance. Thetiered descent from the height of the project, featuring City Hall, was toconsist of a heavily landscaped Olive Street that would connect to HopeStreet which terminated at El Prado, a "block-sized park in front of aproposed public library" (Moule and Polyzoides). g., the three-story Rotunda, the terraces on the upperlevels). In the case of the very large zodiac chandelier which lightsthe Rotunda the fixture was rewired to provide additional illumination thatwould make the ceiling visible, as it had not been, and the entiremechanism was reinforced. Stenciled decoration adorns hundreds ofboard-formed concrete crossbeams and ceilings. But the history and appearance of this sector of downtown Los Angelesmake it clear that the Goodhue building was not just one of the fewexamples of interesting architecture that had ever been built there. And the vision of California historyembodied in the "shield" designs in the former main Reference Room, theDean Cornwell Murals (1932) in the Rotunda, and the Albert Herter murals(1928) currently in the Children's Literature Department would not beconsidered acceptable today. Some areas, suchas the Children's Reading Room, feature extensive murals. The carpeting--long ago used to coverthe tile floors--was entirely redesigned "with custom patterns inspired byhistoric murals and stencils" (Mays 123). The Library system, civic planners, and preservationists objected tothe idea of demolishing the Goodhue building and the Library system madethe reconstruction-renovation of the old building the centerpiece of itsfundraising efforts. Chairs and tables were replacedwith new furniture that "picks up the character of the originals in acontemporary style" (Whiteson 24). But public response to the drive to repair and clean7 , freeze-dried books proved so popular, raising over $1 million,that the idea of retrofitting and rehabilitating the Goodhue buildingseemed feasible. Although thedowntown area, roughly bounded on four sides by the Santa Monica, Harbor,Santa Ana and San Bernardino freeways, had been "the centre of regionalemployment and retail uses" at the turn of the century, with an "overallbuilding fabric [that] was dense and continuous and generated an activepedestrian life," its subsequent abandonment made it seem as though thisera had never flourished (Moule and Polyzoides 29). "Out of the Ashes: The Los Angeles Public Library." Wilson Library Bulletin Dec. "More controversial was the desired finish forthe gold elements" which were difficult to replicate (Mays 12 ). Italso had connections with past ideals regarding the centrality of thedowntown area in the cultural and business life of the city, and offeredone of the few possible breaks in the continuing walls of skyscrapers thatfill the area. On the exterior only standard cleaning was needed for the variety ofsculptures. But the downtown area had been a vital part of the city and attemptsat renewal have gone on throughout this century. Depending on how bad the fire had been, it couldsimply be refinished in some spots. Decorative finishes and murals are also important elements in therestored library's appearance. In the 198 sand 199 s the surge of major building projects in the downtown area meantthat the city was looking to the district as a source of employment andprestige as it had not done for many decades, and the presence of olderpublic buildings in the area created a sense of continuity with turn-of-the-century Los Angeles that not only offered historical connection but leaptover the intervening decades when the city center had fallen victim tocomplete neglect.The Site in Regional History. Yet it also serves the needs of the commercial sector as a vitalsource of up-to-date information services. The connected sprawl of the city had, indeed, been generatedfrom several points simultaneously and to compare its growth with citiesthat "sprawled centrifugally . The stacks areas and reading rooms that have beenretained (Rare Books, Music, and others) have the look of old libraries andclosely reflect the appearance of the original building. Otherwise shields representing Columbus, Cortez, "Castile andAragon," or "the Franciscan Order"--and no other aspects of history--wouldbe deemed an inadequate representation (Los Angeles Public Library HandBook 23). 29-33.Watson, Tom. Theneed for public institutions and open spaces in this new downtown meantthat what was already available was consistently tied in to new buildingproposals. . The Los Angeles Central Library consists of a nearly-destroyedbuilding that was elaborately rehabilitated and its expansive addition.The choice to rehabilitate was made on the grounds that it was an historicbuilding worthy of preservation. The building was held to have symbolicimportance, to make a vital aesthetic contribution, and to provide badlyneeded public space to the heavily developed downtown area. . London: Academy Editions-Ernst and Sohn, 1994. The attempt to replicate most practical anddecorative features of the public spaces in the old building has produced avery large landmark that also serves a valuable public function. 1989: 34+.Whiteson, Leon. But, inrebuilding the west garden from a parking lot, formerly an avenue ofcypresses flanking a series of fountains, the designers opted to commissionnew fountains and plantings rather than restoring the old plan and makingrecreations. Goodhue died young, prior to thecompletion of this, his last, building. The rather biased view of history inherent inthese items is probably permissible only because they are historicartifacts and the view is balanced somewhat by art incorporated into thenew wing. The building's historic value also extends to its role as evidence ofthe length and continuity of the city's commitment to culture via thesponsoring of fine architecture and library services. This immensely ambitiousproject was centered on the Bunker Hill district (the Goodhue Library liesat the southern edge of Bunker Hill) and the planners proceeded with theirvision of a downtown district consisting of entertainment, civic, andcultural structures on the basis of the notion that "a beautiful city, acity of deep culture and a prosperous city are interdependent" (Moule andPolyzoides 29). This project, which Moule andPolyzoides found to be a remarkable beginning at "revers[ing] the ravagesof Urban Renewal," was, in fact, based on the purchase of so-called "airrights" from the Library (Moule and Polyzoides 32). The Pfeiffer annex also extends fourfloors below street level--almost tripling the space that had beenavailable in the old building--and is accessible, via escalators, throughan eight-story atrium.Site Evaluation: Presentation. And, sincefunding had already been secured for most of the project, there were veryfew occasions, such as bond issues, on which public opinion might swingback against the project. Its preservation is, therefore,supportive of business in several ways and, for a landmark of such size andcost, this is a necessary condition of survival.Site Evaluation: Authentic and Reproduced Features. Maggie Toy. It is, nonetheless, one of thefew remnants of the era even remotely connected with this first majordowntown planning ideal. But,even if it had not been able to manage this feat, the value of the buildingas an example of an important architect's work in a city with few historiclandmarks would have made it necessary for the city to try, by some othermeans, to preserve the building. It is, no doubt, an exception to thegeneral rule for the preservation of historic sites in this respect. The addition was to create more than double theavailable space, but without detracting from the Goodhue building'sposition of dominance in its immediate environment. "Recrafting a Los Angeles Landmark." Architecture: The AIA Journal 83 (1994): 115-23.Moule, Elizabeth, and Stefanos Polyzoides. Theabsence of any African or Native American figures from the sculpturesrepresenting the "scrolls of wisdom" of the East and West or "the greatTorch-bearers of Mankind" would be unlikely today (Los Angeles PublicLibrary Hand Book 21). Very little of thisproject was realized and the Central Library, though it eventually appearedin this approximate location was not designed in accordance with theprinciples of the Allied Architects' plans. "Los Angeles Central Library." Spazio e Societa 17 (1994): 1 -23.Los Angeles Public Library. The plans for the addition were radically altered andthe overall plan for the Central Library was revised to include totalreclamation of the old structure, with rehabilitation of all its decorativeelements, retrofitting of the structure, and duplication of most fittingsand some furnishings. The famous "Red Car"system that had connected downtown with the outlying population centers,across intervening agricultural areas, made Los Angeles a uniquecombination of urban and rural that could not last. The"three" parks to be "constructed" included Pershing Square's rehabilitationand the park area in front of the Central Library. The plan "combines two tragic trends: clearance and theinternational formal language of Le Corbusier's Ville Radieuse" which meantthat some interesting and distinctive neighborhoods would be leveled andthey would be replaced by "the normative and arbitrary slabs thateventually robbed every American city of its public realm" (Moule andPolyzoides 3 -31). Overcrowding, some dilapidation, earthquake damage, andtwo serious 1986 fires that gutted most of the structure produced a greatdeal of support for demolishing the building and beginning again with a newstructure on the same site. Banham noted that the life that had existed inthe area resulted in some important civic buildings and commercialproperties, such as the Pico Block and the Bradbury Building, but he feltthat any such important landmarks anywhere in downtown Los Angeles stood"as unintegrated fragment[s] in a downtown scene that began to disintegratelong ago--out of sheer irrelevance as far as one can see" (2 8). The addition, designed by architects Norman Pfeiffer, Hugh Hardy andMalcolm Holzman, required the removal of a small wing of the old buildingat its east end. It is safe to say, therefore, that the great majority ofthe Goodhue building is put to practical non-public uses and the areas thatare open to the public--unless one is going to the music or children'slibraries--will only be seen when the visitor decides to tour them. Art in the Central Library. The 1987 South Park redevelopment project, for example, reachedout to the Central Library's open space via the so-called Grand Hope Parkthat "linked South Park to the Central Library and the rest of downtown byre-landscaping Hope Street into a tree-lined promenade [which was to be]part of an open space plan" that justified much of the redevelopmentproject (emphasis added, "Creating" 13). The fires that nearly destroyedthe building were widely reported and "no other [single] event in thehistory of Los Angeles that did not involve the loss of life has receivedas much news coverage as the April 29, 1986" fire at the library (Watson34). Because ideas such as the integration oflimestone sculptures that "seem to grow out of the concrete mass" were soonrejected by the mainstream of Modernist architecture some of Goodhue'stouches make the building worth preserving for their own sake (Hardy 18).But other aspects of his design, such as the prominence of the concretepiers between the external bays, were quite influential. But the pyramid cap on the tower had been badly cracked in anearthquake and, after the entire (nonfunctional) tower was reinforced, allthe badly faded and cracked tiles were replaced. Though Goodhue did not reach out to Modernist stylesevolving in Europe he was not simply interested in evoking the past.Various elements of his design may hint at older traditions, but it isdifficult to pinpoint any particular element that strongly resembles or isobviously derived from older buildings. IBM and other companies contributedheavily to the "Save the Books" campaign. In 1959 the Bunker Hill Urban Renewal Project was initiated as ameans of implementing revitalization that had stalled. Some of the idealsembodied in the building's decorative program are also of historic interestalthough, and because, they would not be considered acceptable today. Hand Book of the Central Building, Los Angeles Public Library. The building is now oriented toward the new section where thegreat majority of the open stacks, various reference sections, and readingrooms are located. Thus visitors, no matter which of the three Goodhueentrances they use, tend to pass through the circulation area on the firstfloor and immediately take escalators to another floor in order to move onto the addition. The Los Angeles Public Library system's Central Library building islocated in downtown Los Angeles on a large two-block plot running west toeast between Flower and Grand Streets, bordered on the north by FifthStreet, and abutted at the center of its south side by Hope Street. AndHardy notes that Goodhue's importance rests in part on his role as atransitional figure in the movement from "traditional masonry forms" viahis "exploration of how the new technology could be wedded to traditionalshapes" (12). Some decorative elements from thedestroyed east wing, such as stone reliefs, brass grills, and carvedexternal entryways, were salvaged and used in various places in the newwing--installed in a museum-like manner that identifies them as bits ofantiquity that were too good not to be preserved. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1988. Yet in the 192 s the "imperative for establishing downtownLos Angeles as the civic and cultural center of Los Angeles" took hold ofplanners' imaginations and the vision of the city center as Californianacropolis was undertaken by planners and architects in the AlliedArchitects group (Moule and Polyzoides 29). There were, originally, almost no taller buildings on mostsides of the Library and because the west front (the main entrance) isheavily landscaped, with a long slowly rising approach, the viewer sees thebuilding with the most possible open space around it. In other spaces open to the public the dramatic effects created bythe old building are in full force. Plans had already been initiated for adaptingthe Goodhue building by constructing an extension, but the fires and themost extensive earthquake damage in the building's history--all within twoyears--made clearing the site seem like the more practical alternative. But the predominant reasoning behind the preservation of the buildingis its rarity. The new structure was attached to the east end of theGoodhue building, allowing free access between the two buildings at allfour floors of the old structure. The result of this regulation, and growing investment in the downtownarea in the 197 s and 198 s, was a stereotypical skyline-- little differentfrom those of Atlanta, Houston, or most other large American cities. Dark woodwork, subdued but adequatelighting, and a rather hushed atmosphere dominate the halls, circulationarea, and spaces such as the three-story rotunda. In the mid-196 s, in orderto encourage still more commercial development, the city enacted the FloorArea Ratio (FAR) legislation "in the interest of delivering urban formdominated by monumental towers and random chaotic residual open space"(Moule and Polyzoides 31). The facilitywas expanded with an eight-story wing that houses the great majority of thelibrary's public functions. In 1984 the city's CommunityRedevelopment Agency and Maguire Thomas Partners agreed on a developmentscheme that allowed the construction of two gigantic towers, the extensionof the Central Library, and "the construction of three major parksincluding the renovation of Pershing Square, and the revitalisation of thestreetscape along three blocks of Grand Avenue and three blocks of fifthstreet" (Moule and Polyzoides 32). As quoted by Mouleand Polyzoides, the city's plan offered an "absolutely chillingdescription" of the whole idea that included the elimination of vehiculartraffic and, despite adhering in theory to principle of "the human scaleand beauty," the "removal of all height limit restraints [to] permitskyscrapers with breathtaking views" (31). The retention of the four-storyGoodhue building meant that the Library system was able to realize $125million for the rights to build above the limits on adjacent lots. In these areas the tone of the restof the building is maintained and none of the decorative elements wouldclash with any other spaces in the building. There were 27different types of lighting fixture--including those that had long ago beendiscarded and replaced by the Library with updated lighting. is to ignore the observable facts"(2 3). Subsequent projects included the agenda devised by the City PlanningCommission in 1942 which was to revitalize the downtown area, beginningwith Bunker Hill. From the northeast one sees the towermore than a block away, over what appears to be an intervening building.At first the east end of the addition, especially because it is on a steepgrade which is exaggerated by different heights in various sections of thefaçade, appears to be several buildings rather than one. Many of theolder styles could only be replaced from the original drawings because noexamples were extant. . The renovation was couched in terms of a "major civic renovationof a once-neglected landmark" and became the true center of the $214-million project--overshadowing the new addition (Hardy 12). But the Central Library really did become a central element in one ofthe most ambitious recent developments. As recently as 1971 Banham dismissed the downtown area with a chapterin his book on the city's architecture that was merely "a note . But only theapproach from the northwest gives much of an impression of the building asit once was. Heavy promotion of the building'simportance as an example of fine architecture, as a remnant of the earlierglories of the downtown sector, and as a rare Los Angeles historic landmarkturned public favor strongly in favor of the renovation of the oldbuilding. Connection with thelibrary rehabilitation-renovation effort was seen as a positive promotionalpoint by numerous businesses as well. "Downtown in the Twentieth Century: The Struggle for Defining the Centre of Los Angeles." World Cities: Los Angeles. They are designed toimpress and they do. But other lamps were recreated fromthe few designs that were documented in Goodhue's drawings. Works CitedBanham, Reyner. But the idea that urban blight was caused by an absence of parklandand too much automobile traffic merely disguised the true motivationsbehind this approach which were in fact based on "the associating of densecity form with social heterogeneity and social dysfunction" and, true toform, "Bunker Hill was cleansed only to have its social pathologies appearsouth, east and west of downtown in even more virulent forms"--aggravatedby the poorer citizens' loss of any faith in the city's ability to "listento their needs and respond to them" (Moule and Polyzoides 31). Cleared redevelopment sitesremained virtually empty for over 15 years and the commercial buildingswere, as Banham describes them, "a gutless-looking collection" ofundistinguished utilitarian structures (21 ). The "streetscapes" tobe renewed were the east and north sides of the Library, and its extension,and the block of Fifth Street in front of the First Interstate building.As in the South Park plan the Maguire Thomas development used whatever bitsof open land were available and managed to combine seeming public servicewith its purely economic motivation in developing even more oversized, ifsomewhat more handsome, buildings in the area of the Central Library. Other than the effect of theopen green space at the west end, the most impressive aspect of thelibrary's exterior is the contrast between its bright pyramid-capped towerand the whichever shiny monochrome skyscraper is behind it. Overall "theresult is unlike any other building of the period" and on this basis aloneit merits preservation (Hardy 18). Some dramaticeffects of the old building have been muted by the new arrangements. The subsequent campaign to save water-damaged books that had beenfreeze-dried raised millions of dollars and popular support forrehabilitation of the Goodhue building was tied to the rarity of largebuildings more than a few decades old anywhere in the city. New lamps were designed by thearchitects to be attached to newly designed tables for the reading rooms.In some cases "downlights" were added to fixtures in order to increaseillumination. Great stretches of landscaped areas were to fill thespaces between buildings and the center of the project was a "seven blocklong public piazza called Las Alturas" (Moule and Polyzoides 29). Theoriginal building was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue andbuilt in 1922-26. Goodhue's building was named to the National Register of HistoricBuildings in 197 , and its value as a piece of architectural history israted quite high. Much of this type of planning was realized in theclearance of a great deal of the Bunker Hill district in the period 1945-195 . Inaddition, the Library engaged in a strong campaign stressing the system'semphasis on "aggressive efforts to serve the people of various ethnicbackgrounds who have flocked to Los Angeles in recent years" (Watson 41).The purchasing of library materials in 28 languages, the hiring ofbilingual librarians, and the opening of new branches in areas such asLittle Tokyo were heavily promoted in the early 199 s. Theescalators mean that it is no longer necessary, or even common, to enterthe second story through the west-end entrance with its display of twoblack marble sphinxes and a statue of a female figure entitledCivilization. According to the FAR-type regulations in force, rights to build to a certain height wereapportioned to every building and could be sold off by those that did notintend to build above a certain height. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.