Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-29
Cities
nDSRepIe
On Looking
American
By ROBERT ]. LEWIS

By ROBERT ]. LEWIS
Nov THAT THE Govern
~ ment is in a mood to
encourage contemporary de-
sign for Federal buildings,
there's the feeling on the
part of some people that
Washington can become
more American" in appear
ance.
Indeed, the new architec-
tural policy, plus the chal-
lenge Of remaking the north
side of Pennsylvania avenue,
has led Nathaniel Owings to
suggest that this city now
should more fully reflect
"the image of America"
As chairman Of the Coun-
Gil on Redevelopment of
Pennsylvania Avenue, Mr..
OwingS is bound to have a
great influence on the city's
new architectural symbolism.
Whether the city should
constitute an image of West
ern culture, as a whole, or
should, more chauviniSti-
cally, seek to be more
American" is a big question
all its own.
But the extent to which
Mr.. OwingS, or anyone else,
can make Washington re-
fleet Americas original con-
tributionS to architecture is,
by now, severely limited.
First, that overwhelmingly
American symbol, the sky
scraper, was long ago re-
jected for Washington. Nor
is there any likelihood we'll
be having any soon.
Second, the opportunity to
accept a building by the pur-
est, most undiluted and most
influential American archi-
tectural genius Of all time
was irrevocably lost with the
death Of Frank Lloyd Wright.
1T WAS NATURAL that
Washington should start out
with a plan that reflected
the grace and majesty of
18-century Europe.
AS time went on, circum-
stances Of fashion led us fur
ther back into architectural
history for our symbolism.
We borrowed the design Of
the Washington Monument
from the ancient Egyptians.
Much Of the rest, even unto
the present day, was built in
the image of Greece and
Rome.
Insulated by images Of the
past, the Capital City could
ignore the present century.
1t could be oblivious at once
to the rise of a forceful
American spirit in architec-
ture and to the titanic strug-
gle being waged with design
ers in Europe.
While Frank Lloyd Wright
lived, that battle never ended.
Now that he's no longer here,
the frigid, angular, box-like
elegance Of architecture in
the image Of Europe has
been left supreme on the
scene Of battle.
Frank Lloyd Wright never
tired of condemning Eu-
ropes international Style"
and what he called its re-
vival Of the unadorned box,
or cage, as the form for
buildings.
1.-THE international Style is
nothing but the old architec-
ture of the box with its face
lifted" he said.
ANY box is more a coffin
for the human spirit than
an inspiration"
Against such developments
as the glass-and-a aluminium
Lever House in New York,
designed by Mr.. Owings'
firm, Skidmore, Owings g.
Merrill, Mr.. Wright main
tanned unrelenting contempt.
"Old Man Box merely looks
different when classified,
that's ALL" he said.
80
LIKE RIP VAN WRINKLE,
washington Is now opening
It's eyes after a lot of things
have happened in the world
of architecture that it did
not wish to see.
In this new world, the
glass box has become so
fashionable in America that
even the European archi-
tects are beginning to ques-
ton it themselves.
The battles over design
continue, as they always will,
but in more muted tones,
now that Frank Lloyd Wright
is gone.