THE COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIGHTHOUSE

DESIGN
By
J.

L. Gleave, A. R. I. B. A. Author of the Design

THE IDEAL
an attempt to build the greatest monument the world has This is a monument to the greatest ideal in the world "Progress to God." This is a monument to Christopher Columbus, the chosen personification of that greatest ideal. Progress the

THIS

is

ever seen.

innate urge; the irresistible aim of

man

since

man

was.

God

the

mysterious power behind the world; that made the world; that is the world and that will end the world. Progress to God the blind urge to progress that spurs us on to the unknown end; that makes each discovery a step forward into the dark and each invention another length of pathway lighted, until everything
is

explained, and

we know who we

are,

what we

are,

and why

we

are.

INTEEPRETATION OF THE IDEAL

to

Having this ideal of Progress to God, the problem is to convert it some striking and tangible form which will emphasize it to the

it, and overwhelmingly convince those can this be done? Surely only by taking some man (in this case Christopher Columbus, who of all men in history best expresses this ideal) and, using him as the central theme, building up the monument round him as the Greeks built their Parthenon around the central theme of Pallas Athene, who embodied the ideals of their age. And so we begin. We show Columbus starting from nothing, building up in the form of a cross, surging forward through pain, struggles, disappointments to achievement and a triumphant end, shooting up to God. We show him sharp, clear, and distinct. The vivid germ of the monument, and round this germ, we show his

people

who

already realize

who do

not.

How

spirit, like a halo.

less,
still

We

show

it

by space

indefinable, intangible, limitin the

building up round his material

fife still

form

of the Cross,
it,

symbolizing his ideals.

And round his spirit,

guided by

shaped

Progress, the increasing, irresistible surge of the world through the centuries sweeping towards the light- the point

by

it,

we

get

Modern

Columbus, our aspirations shoot upwards to God. Does the form need justifying? Is it not obvious? Could the great mass be anything but Progress, the march forward, the strong sweep
at which, like

343

344

THE PAN AMEEICAN

UlSriON

forward and upward? And can the Cross be anything but God? The Cross permeates the whole country with its atmosphere. The Cross means everything that is good. Whatever good spiritual or material qualities are in the world are symbolized by the Cross. What a great start it gives a monument to take the form of a Cross! One glance and the visitor is prepared. He is struck at once with a proper mood which can be played on. The Cross can never be cheap. One light remark which can easily be made by one of the thousands of visitors about any other symbol and the monument is ruined. No one dare sneer at the Cross. Las Casas wrote in his diary: "They made it a practice in all those countries and islands when they went on shore, to set up and leave there a cross." Columbus himself wrote: "You shall set up crosses on all roads and pathways, for as God be praised, this land belongs to Christians, the remembrance of it must be preserved to all time." That in itself is enough.

DESCRIPTION
Let us follow the progress of a visitor through the monument. He stands between the embracing arms of the loggias, in the court of Columbus, gathering courage to enter the great slit. Above him towers the great mass; he can not mistake the meaning. Not only its
very shape but the hundreds of names carved all over the surface mark it unmistakeably as Progress. He would be fascinated by the hieroglyphic names, deeds; hundreds of them, showing the building Einstein, up, century by century, from Columbus's time to our own. Lindbergh, Mozart, Pizarro, only one small panel for each. All the nations of the world; all the languages of the world. How small he would feel! How unimportant! Venturing finally into the slit, between the great rough, red walls, he would be attracted directly
to the brilliant tomb in the center of the chapel, in the heart of the monument. Around it a great encircling sheet of light through which he would glimpse the indescribable richness of the tomb itself

On each side everything peculiarly connected with Columbus being at this low level. And passing the tomb, he woidd come to the great canyon of Columbus. Along the center runs the long, serpentlike black-green granite tail of sculpture, on which he follows the material life of Columbus rising out of the pebbly, sandy floor of the canyon. The walls are of a very rough texture, deep earthy red in color. The uncanny gloom, the deathly silence, the overawing peace, perfect peace that transfers him down the ages to Columbus's own time; that makes him a participant in the very spirit of Columbus; that makes him feel the confinement, the gloom, the superstition of that age, and as they did, gathering
the
of

gem

in the center of the

whole 2,500-acre layout.

libraries,

him the entrances

to the

museum and

hope and courage from the view

of present progress, high

above his

THE COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIGHTHOUSE

head.

DESIGN"

345

And

then, rising to the top of the

struck with the openness of

of

modern

progress,

monument, he would be and gazing down from

the heights, see far below, the thin, threadlike, unquenchable spirit Columbus, from which the whole monument takes its form, gather-

ing inspiration thereupon according to his nature, and the walk along to the great beacon, the altar of modern progress. Would he see the

symbolism in the 21 spokes

of the encircling brazier?

monument
J.

is full

of

symbolism.

Everything means something.

The whole Not

L.

GLEAVE

English architect whose design for the Columbus Memorial Lighthouse was awarded first prize in the final stage of the international architectural position.

com-

Copyright by Emmanuel Levy

the crude sentimental variety which labels everything.

labeled, a
If,

If a thing is

man would
all

forget

it

by the time he reached the ground.

for himself, he and then tell his children. And when he finally reached the ground and took a last look, what thoughts the monument might conjure up in his mind. An Aztec Serpent! An Egyptian Sphinx! A conventionalized human body lying prostrate, brain in the head held proudly up looking for new worlds to conquer!

out of

the

monument, he discovers one thing

his
life,

will

remember

it all

346

THE

PAN"

AMEEICAN UNION

lute

The very shape reminiscent of airplanes, ships, motor cars an absosymbol of modern movement. And add to all this the climatic
;

conditions, sometimes hazy and blurred sometimes sharp and distinct; sometimes a heavy leaden look like the somber march of civilization viewed over the centuries. Sometimes moving quickly, vividly, as the breath-taking speed of modern progress appears to-day. Perhaps he would be there to see the great flash along the canj^on as the sun takes its axis. These thoughts seem endless.

bird's-eye view

Imagine the first sight of land from a trans- Atlantic air fhght. A tremendous cross inlaid in the ground. A double cross, showing the A cross of an elongated shape, giving the idea of parallel theme. The whole the symbol of Columbus. From one's first progress. Surely a most sight it reads exactly the same as at close quarters. important point. It might be amusing in an exhibition to have something that changes as one gets closer, such as a cross from a distance, a ship close to, but it would not have the enduring quahties necessary for a monument of this kind, where the ideal must be clear and simple in itself, carried forward rutlilessly to its logical and overwhelming A case where monotony is nob monotony, but unity, conclusion. and a supreme singleness of purpose, like the Pyramids. The roads, airport, seaport, and all other buildings are toned in with the forest. Only the cross is white and vivid, like a flashing sword inlaid in the ground. Has not every Christian member of the Church which built the Americas been signed as a token of faith with the sign of the Cross, and is it not a wonderful idea that the Americas as a whole should be signed with the sign of the Cross, so that a traveler at liis first view of land knows that their ideals are also bound up with God? In olden times to commemorate anything they set up crosses, market crosses, town crosses, memorial crosses, A\dth shght variations to suit the indiThis is the first of the vidual circumstances. As they did, so do we.
air crosses.

COLOR
with the creamy-white cross of the monument's mass, picked out in the center with vivid gold, purples, and
of the jungle, slashed across

Imagine the green background

light green cross, carrying the vivid

reds, like a

gem

set in the heart of the cross.

The

great shts of the

canyons a deep, earthy red

color, telling for miles against the outer

mass, creamy yellow at the base, toning to white toward the center, with the hieroglyphic lettering brought out in reds and blues and greens, darker at the top, fading off to the bottom.

PORTRAIT OF COLUMBUS, BY ANTONIO DEL RINCON

If

the authenticity of this portrait could be established, it would be the most important of the AdmiralIt is extremely old and has been reproduced innumerable times. From time immemorial it has been in what was until recently the private library of the Kings of Spain, and according to tradition, was painted by the artist Antonio del Rincon after Columbus's return from his second voyage. The first copies were published before the year 1600.

348

THE

PAIsr

AMEEICAN

UISTIOIsr

LIGHTING EFFECTS

The two great cross sheets of again, what of the night? Columbus, surrounded by the Cross of the forming flame, red blood Cross of Modern Progress around indistinct more but white blinding it, so that the same parallel and the same theme are kept up even at On cloudy nights, casting a reflected cross on the sky, hovernight.

And

Santo Domingo and when clouds are high, casting up a but tremendous cross, a blood-red brother of the Southern Cross. Even the effect of the ordinary hghthouse Hght. One does not notice the actual revolving ray, only the pulsing effect it gives to the whole monument, making it look like a great beast crouching on the ground, panting evenly, ever awake and ever
ing over
all

more

blurred,

watchful.

AS A SYMBOL

The most important point about a monument is that it should unmistakably refer to the man to whom it is built. It shoidd be impossible to confuse it with any other subject, but I do not know of any monument that does. How could it? In this case one might show a galleon, with a cross on its sails, and it could mean any crusader; at close range one could have the name, perhaps a portrait figure, though this presupposes familiarity with the picture of the man and his
deeds through the medium of books. But this is far from perfect. The whole monument, however, far or near, should unmistakably be embodied with the man. The only way is to make the whole thing take the form of his symbol. The only sign which would be unmis-

takably the United States of America would be the Stars and Stripes, which everyone recognizes as meaning all the ideals of the United States. The only monument which could unmistakably be Christianity is the Christian Cross, which everyone recognizes as meaning all the ideals of Christianity, which means in one symbol all the It is far finer to put the beliefs and all the teachings of the Bible.
Christian Cross as a symbol on, say, a book than write " Christianity. As yet, It has a meaning. It symbolizes the greatest act of Christ.
''

Columbus has no symbol, so I have invented one. It also has a It would be placed on history books, on biographies, on To make a symbol seems rather a drastic flags and monuments. tiling to do, but obviously aU symbols must be started some time, so why not Columbus now? At present, if a small child sees the Cross, he knows it means Christianitj^, as surely as if the name were written.
meaning.
If in the future

know

it is

he sees Columbus.

this long, pointed,

I

am

double cross shape, he convinced this is the only way.

will

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350

THE PAN

AMEEIOAlsr

UNION

DETAILS AND SITE PLANNING

is very obvious from the drawings. As no speciwere given as to accommodation required, it was decided that only a suggestion as to the final layout should be shown, providing, of course, that approximately the correct size of the various Santo Domingo is a place with an atmosphere units was maintained. To suit and maintain this the other units have completely its own. can only be described as a kind of confined been shown with what approaches, roads, are quite big enough, but are The spaciousness. or Parisian sense of the in, say, the Washington not monumental unreasonably expensive, would ruin layout would be word. Such a take away the effect of Domingo, and would air of Santo the delicate toned down and broken They could be up in scale, Cross. the great after prolonged study from necessary, decided only the air colored if

The

site

planning

fied instructions

itself.

Granting the positions of the airport and seaport, and then fixing the distance to be traveled between them, it is surely far better to use the coast road as the main connecting road. Not only is it a more pleasant road to journey along, but it keeps the monument If the main traffic road itself isolated almost lost in the jungle. were close to the monument, the desired effect could never be obFor this reason also the bridge is brought down close above tained. the harbor mouth, joining up to the Calle Separacion, and the planting is let run to seed, though actually carefully led in the way it The roads leading to the monument itself are rough should go. and pebbly, only the road from the water gate is topped, and there are wide, rough grass margins on each side of the roads, with the forest creeping up and back, so that the monument can easily be The great mass shoots forwards, westward. seen from the roads. Wlien it Civilization always travels westward, as did Columbus. reaches the tomb it turns also north and south to both the Americas, and from it radiate, fan-shaped, 21 roads, one for each of the Pan American Republics. What a fine effect an array of flags round the cross at the end of these roads would have! Under the foot of the cross comes the great arena. If an arena is buUt for a huge concourse, and it is only half filled, the effect is ruinous, but it is worse still to have a small arena overcrowded. This point has received a great deal of consideration in the scheme. At a small gathering, the preacher would stand in the slit, backed up by the gleaming tomb set back in the darkness. If a large crowd gathered, the preacher would still stand on the steps, ranks of soldiers, bands and choirs on the court behind him, and the people on the terrace in front. If a tremendous

THE COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIGHTHOUSE DESIGN

351

crowd gathered, the great cross over the ditch could be used also, so that however small or big the crowd, the monument seems
suitable.

organ has not been placed in the monument because of the cost, fine it would be if one could be installed! Perhaps a Columbus requiem could be played every night through the ages. Imagine it composed of a sevenfold phrase, starting very softly as the lights are turned on, swelling louder and louder, the lights climbbut

An

how

lights shoot

ing higher and higher, into a great final Gloria in Excelsis as the up to heaven, lighting up the watching crowds below.

Accommodation

for the lighting

equipment would be provided

in

There is also a the hollow arms and head, as much as required. basement under the chapel entered from the roads at the bottom of
the ditch, so that not only goods and machinery enter there, but perhaps the principal in some meeting, entering at this level, goes up the spiral staircase which rises to the top of the monument
into the chapel, suddenly appearing before the waiting thousands from

along the

slit.

The mound asked

this description
If it

for in the conditions has

it

the drawings or the model, as

was not in was thought necessary, be raised above the ground

very
air is
fine,

not been shown in was thought that a monument of mind when the condition was framed.
it is

obvious

how

the great cross could

level to the required height, giving a

but unfortunately expensive effect. Definition from the given by the simple method of digging trenches in the ground.

CONSTRUCTION
conditions, the structure is steel framed, and framing are clamped great slabs of reinforced concrete with rebated joints. Concrete can be very fine nowadays, and naturally it was used. The most extensive tests, samples, and specifications would be tried. The steel work is all of a standard, flat section, forming a huge bird-cage effect of light members close together, cross braced, making a tremendously strong structure at little cost. The slabs of concrete would be cast on the ground beneath the position they finally take up. This construction has been gone into very carefully, and various experts agree as to its suitability.
to the steel

As required by the