The building is not unpleasing, but there is little about
it to hold the interest. Robert Farquhar was the architect.
Sculpture. All the sculpture on Festival Hall is the work of Sherry E.
Fry. The figures are well suited to their purpose, from the slender
"Torch-Bearer," surmounting the minor domes, to the heavy reclining
figures on the pylons at the main entrance. Most of the statues are too
roughly finished to have more than a decorative interest, but the two
groups flanking the main stairway are worthy of study. These two "Flower
Girls," one on either side, have a beautiful flowing grace. But quite
the most appealing things here are the two minor figures before the
pedestals on which the Flower Girls stand. Before the one at the north
is a captivating boy Pan with a lizard. Half hidden in the shrubbery at
the other side is the sitting figure of a girl, attractively immature
and charming in line.
Palace of Horticulture
The Palace of Horticulture is characterized by that combination of
Eastern and Western architectural motives which is so noticeable
throughout the buildings. The dome is Byzantine, while the rest of the
building is of Renaissance, or modern, French architecture. The dome
considered alone is an almost perfect bit of design, beautifully
proportioned and finely simple. The rest of the building is in general
over-decorated, the portals especially being heavily loaded down with
meaningless ornament.
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