Article from The American Architect, 6 October 1920

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia H. Hornbostel, Architect By Arthur T. North
	In a clearing, atop a range of low, thickly-wooded hills traversed by deep ravines, is located the remarkable group of buildings which are the commencement of a great university. These buildings are notable in several particulars; the use of a well-known material in a new manner, an unusual color scheme, an honest designing which is the true basis of architectural expression. These simple, exquisitely colored buildings along the borders of the forest begirt clearing, are as iridescent opals deep in a green jewel casket.
To use this waste material was the problem.	With limited means at his disposal, Mr. Hornbostel sought every opportunity to render the maximum service and to accomplish this he made a study of the local materials that were available. Georgia Marble, as marbles are ordinarily used, is relatively an expensive structural material. Visiting the large quarries near Atlanta he noted the large amount of offal, the first sawing of the rough blocks. This material had one plane face, the back being uneven and the thickness varying from less than one inch to several inches. To use this waste material was the problem. These slabs were roughly cut into square or rectangular shapes of whatever size the piece best afforded. The face was polished and the joints made square and true by grinding on carborundum wheels. The colors embraced almost every shade of gray, pink and brown confined to one piece--or several colors common to one piece. The majority of the pieces, however, have a dominant color. The pieces were placed in the wall in random range without reference to size or color with exceptions as later explained.
The pieces were placed in the wall ... without reference to size or color ...	The exterior walls of the building are made of concrete faced with marble. Against the outer form the pieces of marble were placed in position and the joints merely closed with the least possible amount of plaster of Paris. The mortar in these joints is not apparent. With wire anchors, as in marble wainscoting, the pieces are attached to the concrete which was poured into the forms after the marble facing was in position. The Law Building The marble work obviously indicates its purpose as a veneer or facing and not as having structural functions. The impression is gained by the absence of the usual mortar joints. The window and door jambs consist of slabs showing an even edge of perhaps two inches. These are made of long slabs while the soffits of the arches are formed of narrow slabs.
The ornamentation ... [has] cotton flower and leaf and boll as the motif.	In the academic buildings, Law and Theology, and the Dodds Dormitory, the corners are finished with a pilaster effect made of large slabs. These slabs are placed with vertical grain, with a slight projection beyond the face of the wall and finished with a simple moulded cap and base. They are selected for a fairly uniform color of dark reddish shade. A heavily moulded base with plinth is placed immediately above the panelled concrete basement walls. Above this base is a panelled course with slightly projected narrow stiles and rails selected for color. The frieze, immediately above the second story windows consists of large plain slabs selected for a fairly uniform dark color corresponding with the corner pilasters. The field of the wall is laid up of square and rectangular pieces without regard to color or size. As the jointing as not laid out on drawings but made as the circumstances determined during construction, it is this unordered, arrangement in size and color that gives the great beauty and charm to these buildings. A band of ornamental glazed terra cotta is in the center of the jambs and soffit of the great arched entrances. This band is pierced on each side at the spring of the arch by a window opening into the second floor toilet room. The ornamentation is subtle and harmonious with the cotton flower and leaf and boll as the motif. The windows are made with metal frames, sash and m??tins and the division of the glass varies with the different buildings. The chapel in the Theology Building has a wooden wainscoting, ceiling and trusses made of California Red Wood unfinished. These trusses are especially beautiful in design and when the ultimate scheme of bright spots of color is applied they will tend to lighten up the ceiling and present an appearance of richness and subdued brilliance. The walls above the wainscoting are faced with marble in a manner similar to the exterior walls. The electric lights are placed on chased bronze brackets in front of which are very thin slabs of marble in bronze frames and with bronze ornaments applied to the face. This provides a very attractive and effective indirect artificial lighting. The organ loft is treated with a very graceful and effective colonnade in plaster. Contrary to the usual custom, the chapel window is glazed with plate glass. No ornamental glass colors can excel the exquisite beauty of the pine trees to be seen outside--as effective as a Japanese landscape. The beauty of these buildings is increased by the reflection of the surrounding forest and the vistas seen through and beyond the plate glass windows.
A Window Detail	The dissimilarity of the fenestration on the principal elevations will not be apparent when the covered colonnade is constructed as shown in the drawing. The transverse colonnade in front of the central library building will house in its attic the bookstacks and be accessible to the main library building and the adjoining buildings at either end. The Physiology and Anatomy buildings of the medical group are treated in a consistent manner. The walls are constructed similar to those already described except that the corners are finished with large quoin slabs instead of pilasters. These quoins are irregular in size and selected for fairly uniform color and shade. There is no moulded base course as in the academic group but instead a plain projecting belt course with the courses of uniform height below and between it and the panelled concrete basement walls. The ends are treated with very low relief pilasters, with cap, base and frieze. Between these is placed a name panel ornamented with inscriptions. These buildings are exceedingly simple in design and inexpensive but withal presenting an attractive and satisfactory appearance. The main buildings of the Dobbs Dormitorv are connected by an arched passage behind which is a ?? light and attractive common lounge room. Back of the building and at a lower level are tennis courts. The broadly projecting cornices are built with great simplicity and are exceedingly effective in appearance. In the Academic Group the cornice is supported on a framework of structural steel. Supported on the ends of the steel lookouts or brackets is an angle iron carried entirely around the building, with the upstanding leg exposed. To the steel lookouts are suspended cream colored terra cotta brackets having a broad soffit and with but slight projection below the main soffit of the cornice. At the intersection of the dark colored marble frieze and the soffit of the cornice there is a cream colored terra cotta bed mould, into which the end of the terra cotta brackets member. In what might be termed this terra cotta frame is placed a large slab of marble, which forms the panel of the soffit. It is selected for color and in combination with the beautifully moulded, light colored terra cotta, the rich marble frieze, the dark colored angle at the eaves, the red tile roof and delicately colored and skillfuIIy arranged marbles of the walls, the effect is so entirely good and satisfactory as to be beyond criticism. The cornices of the Medical Group are constructed with broad concrete lookouts having a slight drop below the plane of the cornice soffit. Between the lookouts are placed large panels of marble, as in the Academic Group. This design is much more simple and almost devoid of ornament, but in keeping with the buildings. The concrete lookouts are constructed as cantilevers from the exterior walls of the building. The construction of a cornice of this type is comparatively inexpensive and very effective.
Interior of Law Library	The columns supporting the ceiling and second floor over the library rooms in the Law and Theology buildings are placed well toward the corners of the room, as shown in the illustration of the library. This column arrangement permits of a large unobstructed space in the center of the room. There are diagonal girders from the columns to the corners of the room and similar girders at right angles to these connecting columns. The soffits of the girders are arched and the effect is that of a slightly groined ceiling on a flat plane surface. Between these arched girders and enclosing the large central area are concrete girders of rectangular sections. This is a very good construction from a structural viewpoint. The peculiar column arrangement and the design and disposition of the girders give a spacious appearance to this room that could not be secured by any other means. The roofs are covered with red burned-clay shingle tile not selected for shade. They are very effective in combination with the marble walls and the surrounding forest. The complete plant will consist of the academic group in the front center of the bird's eye view, the theology and law buildings are already constructed at the left and right front respectively; the physics building at the left of the central library building is also constructed as well as the basement of the chemistry building. To the left center is the dormitory group with athletic field and gymnasium adjoining. The rear center and left constitute the medical college and hospital groups. To the right center is the domestic service group. The power house is located in the center of the plant. Roadways are constructed with concrete bridges over the ravines and ornamental concrete balustrates along the edges of the ravines--as shown in the rear of the law building. Great credit is due to that master mind and skilled hand which has found a use for a waste product--a use that has resulted in buildings of incomparable beauty. It requires a certain measure of bravery on the part of the architect to make such a radical departure from the traditional methods and designs applied to such an important project. Happily, success attended the effort and there stands a group of buildings well worthy of the attention of all students of American architecture.

The American Architect

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia