As he promised, President Donald Trump has deliberately undone many government regulations. Why then is he proposing a new one?
His proposed executive order “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again” (EW, Making Architecture Great Again, 2-13) says architects should return to the Greek and Roman styles that symbolized our federal building designs until the middle of the 20th century.
He criticizes President John Kennedy for having spearheaded the General Services Administration effort to bring contemporary design to new federal buildings. He criticizes several “Brutalist” buildings, naming the Hubert Humphrey Department of Health & Human Services, Frances Perkins Department of Labor and Robert C. Weaver Department of Housing and Urban Development buildings as examples.
Kennedy, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Frances Perkins (Secretary of Labor 1933-1945, first female cabinet member), Robert Weaver (Secretary of HUD and first African American cabinet member): Which bothers Trump more, the style or the people being honored?
Trump didn’t like San Francisco’s new Federal Building either. But it has ample day lighting and natural ventilation. The secretarial pool gets the windows with view, the bosses get the interior offices.
Trump cites one new example that he likes: the Tuscaloosa Federal Building. Sporting iconic columns and a pediment, this building was supposedly inspired by the Greek temple of Zeus at Nemea.
As an architect, I am not very fond of Brutalism. Several examples cited by Trump are indeed unpopular with some. But I remember with revulsion Hitler’s embrace of classical styles and his architect henchman, Albert Speer. Trump’s proposal to regulate architectural design would head us in that direction.
John S. Reynolds, FAIA
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.