Thursday 6 February 2020

federalist style

The American Institute of Architects are expressing grave displeasure and concern over a draft plan has surfaced to mandate all government buildings adhere to the principles of “classical architecture,” (certainly the the stuff of the L’Enfant Plan but also the plantation house and anything modern such as this would never be built) decrying this sort command, top down planning that would severely curtail creative licenses and the input of the host community. Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again revises a 1962 guide commissioned by John Kennedy (see also) and composed by New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a recognised and respected scholar and critic, that encouraged experimentation and for buildings to be reflective of contemporary movements.