Architecture in towns and cities

In a city or town, or in its immediate vicinity, where space is limited, where buildings stand crowded together, and depend for their attractions entirely upon the style and manner of their construction, mere architectural effect, after convenience and fitness are consulted, is of course the only point to be kept in view. There, the facade, which meets the eye of the spectator from the public street, is enriched and made attractive by the display of architectural style and decoration, commensurate to the magnitude or importance of the edifice; and the whole, so far as the effect of the building is concerned, comes directly within the province of the architect alone.