Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-21
Cultural Center Site

1Ou nave carried letters
recently protesting the Foggy
Bottom site selection made by
the D. c. Auditorium Com
mission for the proposed ma
tional cultural center.
One person wrote: THE
plan to erect a unitarian
auditorium and cultural CEN
ter equipped for worldwide
broadcasting and televising of
we : know not what becomes
entirely wrong and unsuitable
when coupled anonymously
with the functions Of an opera
house"
While the Foggy Bottom site
is attractive. there are COM
Polling reasons for placing this
great new cultural center on
the Mall and relating it
physically to the Smithsonian
Institution complex. First,
the new center should be a
branch Of the Smithsonian in
the same way the National
Gallery, the Freer Gallery,
and the Museum of Natural
History are. This was the ex-
cellent recommendation made
by Robert w. Bowling. presi-
dent of the congressionally
chartered American National
Theater and Academy.
1t has been the clear intent
Of the Federal Government
for more than a century to
make the central Mall area a
unique cultural center with a
number of different but related
cultural activities housed in
Federal buildings along its
north and south sides. This
long-range design has made
the Mall itself a cultural CEN
ter without an equal anywhere
else in the world.
The Auditorium Commission
signally failed to take proper
cognizance of this long-range
plan, So, since nature and the
Federal Government abhor
vacuums, the National Capital
Planning Commission promptly
designated a 5-acre site on the
Mall south of the Mellon CAL
lery for a monster air museum,
This is the site where the pro-
posed new cultural center
should go. Such a structure
would be much more to the
scale and design of the other
buildings along the Mall than
the air museum.
The Auditorium Commission,
in its report to Congress. called
for "a great hall to accom-
modate national and interna-
tional conferences. the in
augural ball civic receptions,
festivals, trade fairs, exhibit
tons. ETC." The Commission
also recommended an audi
torium-music hall for conven-
tons"
Ralph Black, National Sym
ply Orchestra manager. has
declared that From an artistic
standpoint. ! believe an audi
forum Of this size is simply too
big. 1t is difficult to get a
proper rapport in an audi
forum Of this size, for music
demands some degree of
intimacy" Mr.. Black suggests
an auditorium more in line
with the leading concert halls
and opera houses of the world.
Certainly, this seems an excel
lent suggestion and it is diff
cult to understand how it
escaped the Auditorium Com
missions attention. However.
the auditorium music hall
seems TO be almost twice as
large as the music halls listed
by Mr.. Black
1t Is important to note that
New York City, which has had
great deal more experience
with cultural facilities than
Washington or the ID. G.. Audi
forum Commission, has sep
arated the coliseum facilities
from the cultural facilities.
The New York Coliseum is
located at Columbus circle. The
proposed cultural center is to
be located at Lincoln square.
A few years ago the Wash
ington Board OF Trade esti-
mated that a convention hall
type OF building would bring
into Washington $l2 million
a year in new business. Such
n structure obviously would
pay its own way and no ma
tional fund drive is needed to
obtain one for Washington.
II is to be hoped that. the
d. c. Auditorium Commission
will make a study of how 1872
other American cities obtained
buildings of this type and come
UP with some constructive pro-
posals for Washington's con-
sideration.
In the meantime. ] am glad
to say. sound plans are under
way at last, backed by the
Washington Board Of Trade. 10