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Nearly Three-Quarters Of Americans Are Sick Of Modern Architecture
The Federalist ^ | October 17, 2020 | Evita Duffy

Posted on 10/17/2020 11:25:29 AM PDT by Kaslin

Since the overwhelming majority of Americans have proven time and time again that they prefer traditional architecture, why do government agencies force ugly buildings on the American people?


A new study finds 72 percent of Americans prefer traditional architecture for U.S. courthouses and federal office buildings, including majorities across political, racial, sex, and socioeconomic categories. The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of National Civic Art Society and polled more than 2,000 U.S. adults.

These findings come in light of the possibility of a Trump administration executive order, appropriately named Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again, that would require that new office buildings in Washington, D.C. be classical in design. Among other things, the order would revise the 1962 “Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture,” which forced modernism to be the official government building style. In response to the leak of the potential order, a bill entitled the “Democracy in Design Act” was proposed by House Democrats to overturn it.

However, based on the study, it appears Trump’s potential executive order would be happily received by a majority of Americans, with traditional architecture the clear winner for all demographic groups, including sex, age, geographic region, household income, education, race/ethnicity, and political party affiliations.

The study showed participants seven pairs of images depicting U.S. courthouses and federal office buildings. Each pair presented one building in a traditional style and one building in a modern style. For each pair, the survey question was: “Which of these two buildings would you prefer for a U.S. courthouse or federal office building?”

The selected images were edited to ensure fair comparisons. Factors such as sky color, angle of photo, light conditions, distance from building, weather conditions, and the like were all controlled either perfectly (e.g., sky color) or as perfect as possible via “careful photo selection and editing.”

Below is an example of one of the survey’s image pairings:

The resounding preference for traditional design was soundly bipartisan, being favored by 73 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Democrats, and 73 percent of independents.

Preference for traditional architecture is shared across generations, being the top choice of 77 percent of those aged 65 or older, and 68 percent of those aged 18-34.

Both men and women prefer traditional architecture, but women are more likely than men to want U.S. courthouses and federal office buildings to be traditional, at 77 percent versus 67 percent, respectively.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: aia; architecture; brutaliststyle
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To: Dr. Sivana
This the University of Toronto Library building where I spent many a hour reading and contemplating life. It is triangular in shape from above. It had a nickname of Fort Book. The building in front is somewhat separate and blocks the view a bit but you can get an idea of what it looks like.


21 posted on 10/17/2020 11:50:57 AM PDT by xp38
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To: Dr. Sivana
That is as breathtaking as Pyongyang.


22 posted on 10/17/2020 11:53:24 AM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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To: Hodar

When teaching children to appreciate art it is important to encourage them to identify one aspect of a piece they find pleasing or distasteful.Art is about connecting good or bad.


23 posted on 10/17/2020 11:54:18 AM PDT by cnsmom
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To: Hodar

You will see such marvels as a scrap piece of plywood, with screws in it, and twine entitled “Constructing the Letter “H”.

My rule of thumb is, "If it's something even I could make, it ain't art." Since I can at least draw stick figures, I'd say that puts me one up on "modern artists".

24 posted on 10/17/2020 11:56:22 AM PDT by FormerFRLurker (Keep calm and vote your conscience.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Because nothing new has happened in architecture in the last 100 years or so.

The ugliness, brutality, and emptiness are a reflection of the moral relativism that dominates the “Arts”.


25 posted on 10/17/2020 11:57:25 AM PDT by ecomcon
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To: Cowboy Bob

Modern architecture is done with Computer Aided Design. Computers are great for angles more than for curves. I postulate that architects who use CAD to design buildings are not as good at architecture that is drawn with pencil.

As far as government buildings, everyone knows that designs are chosen based on factors not necessarily including architectural skill. Such factors would include things like family relationships, political contributions, favors granted or owed, and some others that have nothing whatsoever to do with ability.


26 posted on 10/17/2020 11:57:35 AM PDT by webheart (Coronavirus, I give up. Come get me.)
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To: Varda

Some modern architecture looks nice and inviting - windows that let in a lot of natural light and an interesting use of geometric shapes. But some of it is ugly and does not seem accommodating to the people who will use the building. I also think it is pointless to make a modern building that looks like an ancient Greek temple. I guess I don’t like either extreme.


27 posted on 10/17/2020 11:58:26 AM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: Kaslin

Both those buildings are butt ugly


28 posted on 10/17/2020 12:00:54 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

The painting of Obama is funny and mildly alarming - he looks like he is about to be engulfed by the plants all around him.


29 posted on 10/17/2020 12:01:19 PM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: Fai Mao
When graduate school a professor said: “Institutions need buildings, but architects want monuments “. There is the crux of the problem.

Yes. Novelty for the sake of novelty is a cancer. It affects all the visual arts. It afflicts music. And it has infected the humanities and social sciences in academia, where it is boosted by the publish or perish syndrome. In mature fields, it is difficult to impossible to find a truly new insight, and one eventually reaches limits on how many years one can spend researching in a desperate attempt to find a new source worthy of being explored. The goal should be to develop erudition and a profound appreciation for a classical canon, and to become a worthy teacher and guide. Instead, we see graduate students and young academics flocking to garbage studies to do something new and, they think, transgressive.

30 posted on 10/17/2020 12:03:44 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: FormerFRLurker

How hard is it to place a crucifix into a jar of urine? Most people would never do that but an artist would.

One time my wife had a college assignment to visit an art museum. One room was dominated by 4 giant styrofoam boards 20 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, arranged in a large square. As we were reviewing the museum guide a security guard came over and asked us not to sit on the artwork. Somebody got paid for arranging 4 huge pieces of styrofoam and calling it “sandwich”.


31 posted on 10/17/2020 12:04:17 PM PDT by webheart (Coronavirus, I give up. Come get me.)
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To: Kaslin
Modern architecture is designed to be the cheapest solution, nothing artistic in the shape, boxes, and also sometimes the structures are obviously designed by a narcissist looking to bring attention to his work. One of the worst eg of this, imho is:
32 posted on 10/17/2020 12:05:03 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: Kaslin
The photos are mostly of buildings in the concrete "brutalist" style.

Not all modernist (or post-modernist) buildings are like that.

33 posted on 10/17/2020 12:05:19 PM PDT by x
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To: Wilhelm Tell

34 posted on 10/17/2020 12:10:00 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom ("Inside Every Progressive Is A Totalitarian Screaming To Get Out" -- David Horowitz)
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To: Wilhelm Tell
I think it really depends on the talent of the architect. Bad ones make spaces no one wants to be in. I love Frank Lloyd Wrights work, Falling Water is beautiful and restful inside and out.


35 posted on 10/17/2020 12:11:03 PM PDT by Varda
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To: Kaslin

And open floor plans suck.


36 posted on 10/17/2020 12:11:16 PM PDT by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
Question: Why is a school of architecture from 100 years ago called “modern”?

It was named that at the time. Just like one of the better New Haven Apizza Parlours is called "Modern Apizza" (founded 1939). The theological heresy "modernism" is also about over 100 years old.
37 posted on 10/17/2020 12:11:20 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: Hodar

But ... tell us how you really feel ;-)

Agreed with what you said.


38 posted on 10/17/2020 12:11:23 PM PDT by Cloverfarm (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ...)
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To: Varda

Considering what that houses, the architecture is fitting.


39 posted on 10/17/2020 12:12:06 PM PDT by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
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To: Varda

Amen.

But is FLW still considered modern?

I love his homes.


40 posted on 10/17/2020 12:12:18 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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