Since no one will publish the essay, it is getting posted here. Please be kind as I did this essay as research for a college capstone at my community college, which I only recently graduated.
St. Louis? Greatest Architect and Conqueror of the Educational Prison: William B. Ittner
Imagine attending school in a dark, and plain, building, with poor ventilation, and mud flats for a playground, where safety is substandard, and hope is dismal. This is commonplace for educational buildings before William Butts Ittner revolutionizes the then archaic educational architecture to reflect the true possibly of the modern mind. Before he builds schools, the form of the modern school is a prison, and many students view their school as such. Perhaps school architects, before Ittner, are detached from the minds of students; they do not realize the psychological hindrance of this environment. William Ittner understands the concern of the student, because he personally views these old style schools as prisons; he views his own elementary school as such. This is his motivation for leaving private practice temporarily, and his justification for architectural modernization in St. Louis, which then serves as a standard for architecture across the country. Ittner is the true essence of avant-garde, and his style influences modern architecture to this day.
According to Margaret Freedman, who writes in Untitled, which is a 1972 Washington University graduate paper on Ittner, ??schools were not always well lit, well ventilated, pleasant looking buildings?there was a time not long ago when schools were just a building and a playground was just a mud flat? (1). Freedman also says that in 1908, the Federal Commission on Education notes that the new public school buildings, of St. Louis, are the best in the nation; furthermore, William Ittner is responsible for these achievements (1). Obviously, Ittner has a great impact on modern architecture, and we can thank his ?open plan,? or ?Ittner Plan,? which is his personal architecture scheme, and the source of his revolutionary results. In Footprints, a 1955 composure of Ittner?s accomplishments, his wife Marie Anderson Ittner, writes that his plan: restricts the height of school buildings; places all educational buildings above ground, has a necessity for large sites for the spreading out of the buildings, and makes playgrounds essential; makes a provision in this plan for maximum safety, correct lighting, and efficient ventilation; plans flexibility for ease of alteration and expansion, to serve community changes; and finally, it gives opportunity for diversified, individualized, and distinctive school buildings (9). This plan is the basis for Ittner?s revolutionary architectural styles, and the reason he is given the position of Commissioner of School Buildings by the St. Louis School Board (Childs 1).
Furthermore, in Interesting St. Louisans, a biography of Ittner, which appears in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sunday Magazine, number 12, July 27, 1930, W. M. Childs outlines Ittner?s beginnings as an architect, and his accomplishments. He notes that Ittner, born in 1864, studies architecture at Cornell University, and comes back to St. Louis for private practice (1). Eventually, he receives work in private practice, and then obtains the position of Commissioner, with the justification for this lower paying position being the remembrance of his own childhood school, as a child. One of his first buildings, the Frank Soldan High school, wins him national appeal, and respect. According to Childs, a journalist Julian Street wrote of Ittner, "Nevertheless, St. Louis has one architect whom she cannot honor too highly- Mr. William B. Ittner, who, as a designer of schools, stands unsurpassed. If ever I have seen a building perfect for its purpose that building is the Frank Louis Soldan High School, designed by this man, William Ittner". (qtd 2).
Childs further illustrates that the first elementary school that Ittner builds is Sherman, which encompasses all forms of the ?open plan.? Dark corridors are absent, there is no ?box-like? structure, and modern sanitation is present for the first time in St. Louis schools. It boggles the mind that before Ittner?s time, these were not essential for schools, and it is noteworthy that he introduces fireplaces, spacious bay windows, special wall paintings and aquariums, and he doubles the size of kindergartens (Childs 3).
Again, in Footnotes Mrs. Ittner includes several news articles about William, including one from the American School Board Journal of March 1936. This article states, ?He (Ittner) struck a new note in the planning of school buildings where he adopted the ?open plan? with all the advantages of ventilating, light, and occupancy circulation which the older ?block plan? lacked? (qtd Ittner 21). William Ittner, himself writes, in The School Plan in Present-Day Education, that the present day concerns of health have caused a renaissance in modern day school building. He asserts that these modern building styles serve as an anchor for the community, and serve as a testament to civic success (1). Ittner?s concern in this paper is outlining his main concern that is health in educational buildings; he says, ?The promotion of health of youth and adults is, in general, a community problem; by far the most efficient factor through which the community can work is the public school? (2). Obviously, this statement comes from Ittner?s personal experience in the jail-like public school system, and this further illustrates his motivation as a public servant. Ittner seeks to smash the traditional architecture, which so affects him, and he wishes to make St. Louis the avant-garde of architecture.
In The Architectural Record, author Guy Study describes Ittner?s works in detail. Study further illustrates Ittner?s important contributions as he states, ?In this development of the modern school no architect has played a more prominent role than William B. Ittner?St. Louis possessed only the?dreary schools?lacking in ventilation and lighting? (97). Study reaffirms the idea that once Ittner receives his civic position he immediately confronts the problems of the modern school; Ittner also views the school as an aesthetic benefit to the community at large (99). Study, being a critic of architecture, commends Ittner?s form, as being of the highest order, and as typifying the ultimate development of modern American school building (101). Study says that, since he is the son of a brick mason, Ittner is able to create life-like adaptations of brick that present texture, and a unique style that no other modern architect possesses (102). Study says that one of his most fantastic non-education buildings is the Mason Scottish Rite Cathedral, which contains auditorium seating for up to 3,500 persons, with a 98 foot stage, along with banquet rooms, which is unique for this type of building (121). It is evident that the fa?ade of this building holds much to Roman Architecture, rather than English and it only furthers the concept that Ittner is truly a versatile, and talented, artist; Ittner is constrained by no mores, and he is able to use any style he wishes (Study 121).
Ittner writes in The School Plant in Present-Day Education that pleasure is essential for any educational process, and he further states that all health programs include physical activates, and schools should be no different; therefore, he asserts that gym?s and playgrounds are essential for schools (2). Ittner promotes the usage of laboratories, which further improve motor skills, and the overall heath of the child. He also promotes, in this paper, the improvement of lighting, and the design of the modern classroom (2-3). Ittner promotes the idea of an auditorium, which is common today, as a force for socialization, as well as, education. He suggests that they be soundproof and separate from classrooms, which will promote independent study (3). Ittner heavily stresses that pleasure is essential for success in life, and he asserts that all schools should reflect this ideal in architecture. Ittner promotes the revolutionary idea that schools are tools to serve the community in both recreation, and education, meaning adults should be able to use the facilities. Finally, Ittner promotes the new idea of zoning schools in one area, or using districts, which will create a centralized system (4). Obviously, Ittner?s past experiences influence his ideologies, and serve as motivation for his great public works.
Again, in Footprints, the catalogue of Ittner?s professional works, his wife notes that he built 500 schools, with a total cost of $115,000,000. Specifically his works include: 135 high schools, 267 elementary, 93 special schools, and 5 colleges (4). Ittner designs several buildings outside the educational realm which include: the Continental Life Building of 3615 Olive; the Scottish Rite Cathedral of 3637 Lindell; the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children of 700 S. Kingshighway; the Central Institute for the Deaf of 818 S. Kingshighway; the St. Louis Colored Orphans Home of 2616 Goode; the Church of Unity at 5015 Waterman; and finally the Missouri Athletic Club (Freedman 2).
Specifically, the Continental Life Building is perhaps his most unique, and amazing, work of art. Robert Powers, of builtstlouis.net, the online archive of St. Louis Architecture, writes,
?soaring verticality, emphasized by the unbroken lines of the facade running up between the windows, make it a close cousin to "skyscraper Gothic"?instead of using traditional Gothic elements such as buttresses, gargoyles, and crockets to express this verticality?William B. Ittner turned to the emergent Art Deco style?a vocabulary of ornamentation based on floral and plant motifs, geometric forms, and highly stylized and streamlined forms?elements are best seen in the pairs of figures that stand at the 16th floor setback?their bodies merge seamlessly into the piers upon which they rest?detailing can be found in the polished black granite of the first three stories, including flattened pilasters crowned with small flower-like motifs, and a low-relief globe surrounded by a cornucopia of vegetation.
Ironically the Continental Life building has a uniquely tragic story, as it was vacant for some twenty years, and with a $20,000,000 renovation, it now accepts tenants at the rate of $700-2000 per month (Powers). This reflects the vitality of the city of St. Louis, and the longevity of Ittner?s works: even after the Continental Life Building is vacant for twenty years, it largely in tact, and this is a testament to Ittner?s building materials, as well as, the physical worth of his architecture.
As he uses art deco with the Continental Life Building, and the ?open plan? as the interior of educational buildings, it is important to mention the other exterior styles which he uses for his schools. According to Freedman, ?the outsides of the buildings were generally forms of English Renaissance Architecture, Tudor Gothic, or Georgian forms?and one of the most striking things about the exteriors is the brickwork (11). Again, Ittner uses texture brick which gives educational buildings a unique fa?ade, as well as, a certain fiery aspect. Ittner also designs buildings from inside out, rather than outside in; this is obviously due to his concern for the students, as the primary influence, and motivation, for his architecture triumphs (Freedman 11).
Unfortunately, William Ittner dies in 1936, of heart disease, with a large legacy that influences the citizens, and students of St. Louis, to the present day. His unique ?open plan,? which comes from his negative experience in school, serves as the rationale for his triumphant conquering of the prison-like archaic school architecture. Ittner?s architectural mark encompasses many buildings, including non-educational ones, which maybe greater in style than perhaps his educational buildings; his style, however, follows this unique ?open plan? which is evident in all of his works. Ittner?s firm, post-mortem, continues his work with the construction of the Hazelwood High Schools, and East Central Junior College of Missouri. His buildings are public work gems that serve as beacons of hope, as well as, reminders of past glory, and innovative progress, which are integral to the identity of the United States, and the city of St. Louis. His unique, then avant-garde, mark on St. Louis is visible today, and he will be forever know as the man who conquers archaic formal tradition, and one of the true cultural icons of St. Louis.
Works Cited
American School Board Journal. ?Untitled.? Footprints. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1955. 20-21.
Childs, M.W. ?Interesting St. Louisians: William B. Ittner.? St. Louis Post Dispatch. 27. Jul. 1930.
Freedman, Margaret. ?Untitled.? St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1972.
Ittner, Marie A. Footprints. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1955. 1-4, 9, 11, 20-21.
Ittner, WM. B. F.A.I.A. ?The School Plant in Present-Day Education.? The Special School Building Number of The Architectural Forum. Boston: Unknown, 1922.
Study, Guy. ?The Work of William Ittner FAIA.? The Architectural Record. Vol. 57. No. 2. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1925.
St. Louis? Greatest Architect and Conqueror of the Educational Prison: William B. Ittner
Imagine attending school in a dark, and plain, building, with poor ventilation, and mud flats for a playground, where safety is substandard, and hope is dismal. This is commonplace for educational buildings before William Butts Ittner revolutionizes the then archaic educational architecture to reflect the true possibly of the modern mind. Before he builds schools, the form of the modern school is a prison, and many students view their school as such. Perhaps school architects, before Ittner, are detached from the minds of students; they do not realize the psychological hindrance of this environment. William Ittner understands the concern of the student, because he personally views these old style schools as prisons; he views his own elementary school as such. This is his motivation for leaving private practice temporarily, and his justification for architectural modernization in St. Louis, which then serves as a standard for architecture across the country. Ittner is the true essence of avant-garde, and his style influences modern architecture to this day.
According to Margaret Freedman, who writes in Untitled, which is a 1972 Washington University graduate paper on Ittner, ??schools were not always well lit, well ventilated, pleasant looking buildings?there was a time not long ago when schools were just a building and a playground was just a mud flat? (1). Freedman also says that in 1908, the Federal Commission on Education notes that the new public school buildings, of St. Louis, are the best in the nation; furthermore, William Ittner is responsible for these achievements (1). Obviously, Ittner has a great impact on modern architecture, and we can thank his ?open plan,? or ?Ittner Plan,? which is his personal architecture scheme, and the source of his revolutionary results. In Footprints, a 1955 composure of Ittner?s accomplishments, his wife Marie Anderson Ittner, writes that his plan: restricts the height of school buildings; places all educational buildings above ground, has a necessity for large sites for the spreading out of the buildings, and makes playgrounds essential; makes a provision in this plan for maximum safety, correct lighting, and efficient ventilation; plans flexibility for ease of alteration and expansion, to serve community changes; and finally, it gives opportunity for diversified, individualized, and distinctive school buildings (9). This plan is the basis for Ittner?s revolutionary architectural styles, and the reason he is given the position of Commissioner of School Buildings by the St. Louis School Board (Childs 1).
Furthermore, in Interesting St. Louisans, a biography of Ittner, which appears in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sunday Magazine, number 12, July 27, 1930, W. M. Childs outlines Ittner?s beginnings as an architect, and his accomplishments. He notes that Ittner, born in 1864, studies architecture at Cornell University, and comes back to St. Louis for private practice (1). Eventually, he receives work in private practice, and then obtains the position of Commissioner, with the justification for this lower paying position being the remembrance of his own childhood school, as a child. One of his first buildings, the Frank Soldan High school, wins him national appeal, and respect. According to Childs, a journalist Julian Street wrote of Ittner, "Nevertheless, St. Louis has one architect whom she cannot honor too highly- Mr. William B. Ittner, who, as a designer of schools, stands unsurpassed. If ever I have seen a building perfect for its purpose that building is the Frank Louis Soldan High School, designed by this man, William Ittner". (qtd 2).
Childs further illustrates that the first elementary school that Ittner builds is Sherman, which encompasses all forms of the ?open plan.? Dark corridors are absent, there is no ?box-like? structure, and modern sanitation is present for the first time in St. Louis schools. It boggles the mind that before Ittner?s time, these were not essential for schools, and it is noteworthy that he introduces fireplaces, spacious bay windows, special wall paintings and aquariums, and he doubles the size of kindergartens (Childs 3).
Again, in Footnotes Mrs. Ittner includes several news articles about William, including one from the American School Board Journal of March 1936. This article states, ?He (Ittner) struck a new note in the planning of school buildings where he adopted the ?open plan? with all the advantages of ventilating, light, and occupancy circulation which the older ?block plan? lacked? (qtd Ittner 21). William Ittner, himself writes, in The School Plan in Present-Day Education, that the present day concerns of health have caused a renaissance in modern day school building. He asserts that these modern building styles serve as an anchor for the community, and serve as a testament to civic success (1). Ittner?s concern in this paper is outlining his main concern that is health in educational buildings; he says, ?The promotion of health of youth and adults is, in general, a community problem; by far the most efficient factor through which the community can work is the public school? (2). Obviously, this statement comes from Ittner?s personal experience in the jail-like public school system, and this further illustrates his motivation as a public servant. Ittner seeks to smash the traditional architecture, which so affects him, and he wishes to make St. Louis the avant-garde of architecture.
In The Architectural Record, author Guy Study describes Ittner?s works in detail. Study further illustrates Ittner?s important contributions as he states, ?In this development of the modern school no architect has played a more prominent role than William B. Ittner?St. Louis possessed only the?dreary schools?lacking in ventilation and lighting? (97). Study reaffirms the idea that once Ittner receives his civic position he immediately confronts the problems of the modern school; Ittner also views the school as an aesthetic benefit to the community at large (99). Study, being a critic of architecture, commends Ittner?s form, as being of the highest order, and as typifying the ultimate development of modern American school building (101). Study says that, since he is the son of a brick mason, Ittner is able to create life-like adaptations of brick that present texture, and a unique style that no other modern architect possesses (102). Study says that one of his most fantastic non-education buildings is the Mason Scottish Rite Cathedral, which contains auditorium seating for up to 3,500 persons, with a 98 foot stage, along with banquet rooms, which is unique for this type of building (121). It is evident that the fa?ade of this building holds much to Roman Architecture, rather than English and it only furthers the concept that Ittner is truly a versatile, and talented, artist; Ittner is constrained by no mores, and he is able to use any style he wishes (Study 121).
Ittner writes in The School Plant in Present-Day Education that pleasure is essential for any educational process, and he further states that all health programs include physical activates, and schools should be no different; therefore, he asserts that gym?s and playgrounds are essential for schools (2). Ittner promotes the usage of laboratories, which further improve motor skills, and the overall heath of the child. He also promotes, in this paper, the improvement of lighting, and the design of the modern classroom (2-3). Ittner promotes the idea of an auditorium, which is common today, as a force for socialization, as well as, education. He suggests that they be soundproof and separate from classrooms, which will promote independent study (3). Ittner heavily stresses that pleasure is essential for success in life, and he asserts that all schools should reflect this ideal in architecture. Ittner promotes the revolutionary idea that schools are tools to serve the community in both recreation, and education, meaning adults should be able to use the facilities. Finally, Ittner promotes the new idea of zoning schools in one area, or using districts, which will create a centralized system (4). Obviously, Ittner?s past experiences influence his ideologies, and serve as motivation for his great public works.
Again, in Footprints, the catalogue of Ittner?s professional works, his wife notes that he built 500 schools, with a total cost of $115,000,000. Specifically his works include: 135 high schools, 267 elementary, 93 special schools, and 5 colleges (4). Ittner designs several buildings outside the educational realm which include: the Continental Life Building of 3615 Olive; the Scottish Rite Cathedral of 3637 Lindell; the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children of 700 S. Kingshighway; the Central Institute for the Deaf of 818 S. Kingshighway; the St. Louis Colored Orphans Home of 2616 Goode; the Church of Unity at 5015 Waterman; and finally the Missouri Athletic Club (Freedman 2).
Specifically, the Continental Life Building is perhaps his most unique, and amazing, work of art. Robert Powers, of builtstlouis.net, the online archive of St. Louis Architecture, writes,
?soaring verticality, emphasized by the unbroken lines of the facade running up between the windows, make it a close cousin to "skyscraper Gothic"?instead of using traditional Gothic elements such as buttresses, gargoyles, and crockets to express this verticality?William B. Ittner turned to the emergent Art Deco style?a vocabulary of ornamentation based on floral and plant motifs, geometric forms, and highly stylized and streamlined forms?elements are best seen in the pairs of figures that stand at the 16th floor setback?their bodies merge seamlessly into the piers upon which they rest?detailing can be found in the polished black granite of the first three stories, including flattened pilasters crowned with small flower-like motifs, and a low-relief globe surrounded by a cornucopia of vegetation.
Ironically the Continental Life building has a uniquely tragic story, as it was vacant for some twenty years, and with a $20,000,000 renovation, it now accepts tenants at the rate of $700-2000 per month (Powers). This reflects the vitality of the city of St. Louis, and the longevity of Ittner?s works: even after the Continental Life Building is vacant for twenty years, it largely in tact, and this is a testament to Ittner?s building materials, as well as, the physical worth of his architecture.
As he uses art deco with the Continental Life Building, and the ?open plan? as the interior of educational buildings, it is important to mention the other exterior styles which he uses for his schools. According to Freedman, ?the outsides of the buildings were generally forms of English Renaissance Architecture, Tudor Gothic, or Georgian forms?and one of the most striking things about the exteriors is the brickwork (11). Again, Ittner uses texture brick which gives educational buildings a unique fa?ade, as well as, a certain fiery aspect. Ittner also designs buildings from inside out, rather than outside in; this is obviously due to his concern for the students, as the primary influence, and motivation, for his architecture triumphs (Freedman 11).
Unfortunately, William Ittner dies in 1936, of heart disease, with a large legacy that influences the citizens, and students of St. Louis, to the present day. His unique ?open plan,? which comes from his negative experience in school, serves as the rationale for his triumphant conquering of the prison-like archaic school architecture. Ittner?s architectural mark encompasses many buildings, including non-educational ones, which maybe greater in style than perhaps his educational buildings; his style, however, follows this unique ?open plan? which is evident in all of his works. Ittner?s firm, post-mortem, continues his work with the construction of the Hazelwood High Schools, and East Central Junior College of Missouri. His buildings are public work gems that serve as beacons of hope, as well as, reminders of past glory, and innovative progress, which are integral to the identity of the United States, and the city of St. Louis. His unique, then avant-garde, mark on St. Louis is visible today, and he will be forever know as the man who conquers archaic formal tradition, and one of the true cultural icons of St. Louis.
Works Cited
American School Board Journal. ?Untitled.? Footprints. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1955. 20-21.
Childs, M.W. ?Interesting St. Louisians: William B. Ittner.? St. Louis Post Dispatch. 27. Jul. 1930.
Freedman, Margaret. ?Untitled.? St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1972.
Ittner, Marie A. Footprints. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1955. 1-4, 9, 11, 20-21.
Ittner, WM. B. F.A.I.A. ?The School Plant in Present-Day Education.? The Special School Building Number of The Architectural Forum. Boston: Unknown, 1922.
Study, Guy. ?The Work of William Ittner FAIA.? The Architectural Record. Vol. 57. No. 2. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library, 1925.
