Nearly Three-Quarters Of Americans Are Sick Of Modern Architecture

The Federalist ^ | October 17, 2020 | Evita Duffy

[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?

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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.

[a fool in paradise]

Paul Joseph Watson

Why Modern Architecture SUCKS
1,285,686 views•Jun 30, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GapUEKYLE1o

and

Latest Atrocities in Modern Architecture
760,925 views•Apr 24, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lB5QbMxvac

he also referenced this one

James Kunstler: How bad architecture wrecked cities
430,000 views•May 16, 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ

and recommended this one

Roger Scruton: “Why Beauty Matters?” https://vimeo.com/128428182

[Sacajaweau]

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d109239-Reviews-Old_Post_Office_Pavilion-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

[a fool in paradise]

Antifa/Globalist/Statist Architects tearing down YOUR cities and replacing them with hives and monoliths, comrade.

[knarf]

No one has taught, thus not learned, how to use a coping saw .... generally referred to as:

Can't cope.

Badumbump !

[Sacajaweau]

The Post Office was to be abolished. President Trump saved it.

[sphinx]

Falling Water is beautiful and restful inside and out.

Falling Water is a perfect example of a modernist building that works because of a spectacular natural setting and the absence of any neighbors. It is a beautiful building. That said, I'd fire any architect who insisted on building in most of the furniture. I want to shove the La-Z-Boy recliner where I want it, not where the architect thinks I should sit to best imbibe his vision.

[Larry Lucido]

I like the Grace building. But Kruger couldn't get the stain out. Maybe Vice President Koko can.

[Sacajaweau]

Done by a black artist. These are normally traditional portraits....

[a fool in paradise]

>>There should have been somebody who could have said “No” to these abominations. I’m referring to the paintings, by the way.

Painted in China, by the way. The “artist” is a con man and doesn’t hold a brush to the people who do the actual work on his “paintings”.

[Stravinsky]

A “Traditional” and “modern” split is too broad for me to agree without qualification, but certainly there are specific cases that are easy. A sane defendant would no doubt feel much more comfortable entering a courthouse of the neoclassical style than one of brutalism. One offers the promise of a fair shake. The other says, “Abandon all hope, citizen.”

[a fool in paradise]

>>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.

I’ve certainly seen highway “on/off” ramps and overpasses that were designed by idiots with computers.

[setter]

“Modern architecture...Sux!”

But it is way cheaper to build. Slab concrete sides with no detail = less cost.

When we built our house a few years back we went overboard with cove moldings, cherry rails etc. Paneled ceilings etc.

Probably $75k in additional cost but worth it.

[setter]

“Antifa/Globalist/Statist Architects tearing down YOUR cities and replacing them with hives and monoliths, comrade.”

And 300 sq ft one room mini homes stacked up on top of each other

[Albion Wilde]

Speaking of brutalism,

Georgetown University’s library:

And that’s just the back. The front is even more hideous, and contrasts with GU’s iconic Healy Hall, its 1879 main building, designed by the same guy who designed the Library of Congress:

These modernist (and especially brutalist) heaps look like Lego sets next to classical architecture.

[a fool in paradise]

>>I love his homes.

There is one for sale

Rare Frank Lloyd Wright concrete home asks $850K
Designed in the Usonian Automatic style
By Megan Barber@megcbarber Sep 23, 2019, 10:30am EDT
https://archive.curbed.com/2019/9/23/20879594/frank-lloyd-wright-house-for-sale-kalil-new-hampshire

[yuleeyahoo]

Modern architecture is designed to be soul sucking and depress you into submission.

[a fool in paradise]

https://pagesix.com/2018/02/14/barack-obamas-portrait-may-have-been-made-in-china/

Sources say artist Kehinde Wiley — who painted the former president before a background of greenery and flowers — has studios in China and produces most of his work there.

“It’s his base of operation,” said art critic Charlie Finch, who has known Wiley and appreciated his talent since they were students at Yale. “He has dozens of assistants working for him.”

While Obama sat for Wiley for several hours, the portrait may have been sent to China to be completed.

“Normally, Wiley sketches out the important parts, and assistants fill out the rest,” Finch told me.

[left that other site]

That library looks as if it was “designed” by the same clowns who did Boston City Hall!

[Albion Wilde]

(The biggest and ugliest modernist building, not surprisingly, is a school, which the film mocks as "brutal.")

Brutalism is actually the name of a recognized style of architecture.

[AFreeBird]

Haven’t been. It’s about a four or five hour drive for me to get there. I’d like to go. I’ve seen the pictures and videos; read many articles.

The place intrigues me, the surroundings, speak to me. I know it has some problems. I’m not a particular fan of some of the furniture he had crafted. Still....