economically desirable but conducive to efficiency
and furthermore much pleasanter to the workmen.
Since direct sunlight might interfere with the process
of manufacture and the comfort of the workmen the
roofing is arranged on the "North Light" system,
the roof glazing being faced to the north at an angle
according to the latitudein England about 60° to
the horizontal. A further development necessitated
by weather conditions and problems of upkeep was
the invention of patent glazing.
When frame construction came to be applied to
buildings of what might be called an architectural
rather than an engineering typeto office buildings,
blocks of flats, civic buildings, large stores and so on
the increased surface available for glazing, though
not immediately made use of, gradually became less
and less masked with false masonry. A by-product of
the great office block was the standard metal-frame
window, though this did not occur until after the
War, and the combination of this adaptable unit and
the fluidity of fenestration allowed by frame con
struction led to that vertical or horizontal window-
pattern emphasis so much the fashion a short time
ago, particularly in Germany. The arrangement of
the fenestration in these large buildings was often
their only design feature. A later development was
to place the windows in advance of the wall face and
so obtain increased floor space, a considerable gain
thus being made in buildings of many floors.
Plateglass became commercially possible abouta hun
dred years ago. Previouslyto this it was an expensive
luxury to be found in the most palatial houses only.
The prosperity of West-End shops in the early part
of last century together with a demand for windows
unobstructed by numerous glazing bars led to it
being used in their windows, and the increased
demand for it, superior methods of making it and the
removal of the duties on glass soon led to plate
becoming indispensable in the better class shop. One
result of this was what is now a commonplace of
shopping centresstreets with their ground floors
consisting of a series of frames containing plate glass
supporting with apparent inadequacy a superstruc
ture of heavily stylistic masonry.
The desire of business-men to array their buildings in
historic and exotic stylesRenaissance, Tudor,
Flemish Gothic, Californian, Scottish Baronial, Queen
Anneall these may be seen flagrantly demonstrated
in the centre of London, though there is no need to
name any namesis at last beginning to be sicklied
o'er with the pale cast of second thoughts. Style
regarded as fancy dress they now see to be wasteful,
inefficient, false and unattractive. The result of this
reformation may not yet be strikingly apparent here
in England, though Peter Jones' new store in Sloane
Square, Simpson's in Piccadilly and Messrs. Boots'
new building in Stamford Street give an impressive
indication ofwhat is happening in English commercial
