Quote:
Originally Posted by Wasatch_One
Nice try? 
I question how much you really know about architectural style in general based on your commentary.
Most of the remarkable historic structures we have here in the United States are revivalist in nature as it is, based on thousands of years of Roman/Italian, Greek, French, Spanish & English influence.
We, as a country are very new in terms of world timelines. Most of our heritage is borrowed from the millions of immigrants who traveled here and brought along a piece of their former homes. Architecture is cyclical with many revivalism periods. Yes, we do have contemporary and modern cycles as well, but to disregard thousands of years of history as faux is fairly amateur in one's understanding.
Like DMTower and Stenar, I appreciate a great modern structure (like SL's new public safety bldg or the SL library, though even it combines contemporary w/ classic features) ...but in my opinion, varied styling is always best. A well done "recreation" will age well and will probably be admired 50+ years down the line as people have this same ongoing debate we have delved into today. |
Okay, I finally have some time to respond to this. The reason I said that those were bad examples, is because none of those examples were built in modern times. In other words, they were all built back when load-bearing masonry was still the leading technology. Steel and concrete frame structures were not around just yet. Thus, my reasoning for saying that there were definite structural and programmatic reasons why those building were built they were built. Modern functionalism and aesthetics of lightweight cladding and glass were not yet discovered. And, besides, those buildings were typically a hodgepodge of classical masonry styles. And, maybe only one of those was more like Italian medieval architecture, which is what the new civic center was trying to mimic.
To respond to your reasoning about architectural recycling, here is my retort. Classical styles were borrowed and reborrowed many many times. But, now that we have the technology and very different modern functions and programs, that type of structure no longer fits these modern times. They also meant different things back then. Too often Americans look back with nostalgia of classical architecture, but without understanding the context, meanings, functions, and technological limitations that they were meant for back then. They then somewhat ignorantly try to recreate those past styles to modern programming, function, and technology. Most of the time, they do it cheaply and wrongly. They do it with wrong proportions, wrong context, etc. The Draper High School is a perfect example of a misappropriation of classical forms. Plus, there is no nearby examples of colonial architecture like that, except for maybe an old LDS chapel which borrowed from New England protestant churches. If there was a more traditional architectural form to pull from in pre-modern times commonly found in Draper, it would be a barn or something like that.
Regarding classical styles being resurrected and borrowing, the renaissance was about returning to more rational and proportional forms of Roman classical architecture. Vitruvius, a Roman military man, recorded the classical styles and architecture, and his writings were resurrected and used as inspiration during the Renaissance. After that, architects began playing around with different ways to reuse these architectural forms, such as arches, cornices, entablatures, keys, bases, roman columns, and pilasters, and decorative moldings over windows, pitched roofs, towers, domes, and cupolas. But, finally new technology were developed to meet the demands of an industrial/post-industrial/modern era. Load bearing masonry was not needed. Brave architects explored new rational forms of building cladding and aesthetics. We don't need to retreat to these old forms that were used for centuries and centuries. It was a different spirit of the times, and they didn;t know any better. but, now we do.
My biggest problem with trying to recreate past historical forms is that there is barely any context to justify a return to do that here, and it is typically done incorrectly, ie. bad proportions, cheap detailing, etc.
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