Classical design is found in public buildings across much of Rhode Island. The architectural style appears in the columns of courthouses and the rotundas of prominent buildings, such as the Statehouse.
Is it more fundamentally beautiful than modern design? The answer is “no” for many architects who are not happy with a proposed executive order that would make classical architecture the default for future federal buildings.
The executive order, proposed in February but not signed, would require the classic proportions and design of Roman- and Greek-inspired architecture in federal structures exceeding $50 million.
The move was encouraged by the National Civic Art Society, a nonprofit that believes contemporary architecture has created a built environment that is “degrading” and dehumanizing, according to The New York Times.
The “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again” order would make classical styles the default architecture, and it’s a mistake, according to Rhode Island architects.
“It’s too simplistic, and I don’t think the government should impose stylistic guidelines,” said Dietrich Neumann, a professor of the history of modern architecture at Brown University.
‘It’s a complete misunderstanding of what architecture is all about.’
CHRISTINE WEST, KITE Architects Inc. principal and co-owner
Since modern design emerged in cities, in the late 1920s, there has been periodic pushback against it, he said. And there are plenty of examples of badly designed buildings.
“[It] can be sometimes harsh and off-putting and not always conducive to great urban spaces,” Neumann said. “There are many cases of that.”
But the government requiring a classical design is something else.
“For many architects, the problem with this is that the government shouldn’t be the one to dictate style,” Neumann said. “It should be the architects and the general discussion that leads to stylistic decisions and consensus.”
The American Institute of Architects has issued a letter to President Donald Trump opposing the proposed executive order. The institute, which has a Rhode Island chapter, said the decisions on design and style should be made by communities.
“Communities should continue to have the right and responsibility to decide for themselves what architectural design best fits their needs,” the letter said.
In Providence, where much of the downtown’s classical architecture has been preserved, the city has several prominent contemporary buildings.
It also has newer buildings that play off the red-brick construction of some of its historical buildings.
Christine West, who is the principal and co-owner of KITE Architects Inc., covered the architecture of Providence in a TEDx talk several years ago, in which she explored what makes a place, and the meaning of architecture.
The argument of traditional versus modern is divisive and unproductive, she told her audience. Think of the buildings in a city like guests at a dinner party.
“We all need manners and politeness to get along. But ultimately, you really need a good mix of personalities and sometimes some exuberant ones to make it a good time for everyone,” West said. “Applying a style label … can be really irrelevant.”
West said recently that the executive order is ridiculous.
“It’s a misuse of architecture. It’s a complete misunderstanding of what architecture is all about,” she said. “It’s inappropriate to dictate art like this. At the end of the day, architecture is more than just building, it’s a form of art.”
The qualities that make great architecture great are not in a design, but how the building makes you feel, said West, who encourages people to look at a space using their senses. “See what you love about a space with your eyes,” she said. “And the qualities that make architecture great are not necessarily traditional or modern. They’re universal qualities and they can be found in both.”
Neumann thinks the Providence Place mall, built in the 1990s, is a good example of a new building that tries to be contextual with the existing city. “The brick façade, the rest of the ornamentation,” he said. “There is something to be said for creating urban coherence rather than interruptions.”
Providence lacks an outstanding modern structure, he said. But near the Brown University campus, on Angell Street, he admires the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. The building that opened in 2011 is a three-story interdisciplinary art center and is one of the best modern buildings in the city, he said.
“It’s really quite beautiful and wonderful,” Neumann said.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
