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December 6, 2008
The new $600 million Visitor Center at the Capitol in Washington? Not good.
Talk about a harsh review! Here are some lowlights:
People visit the U.S. Capitol to walk where history happens, yet the new Capitol Visitor Center reminds you of a stone-slathered ballroom in a convention hotel. Endlessly delayed, the $621 million addition opened this week. . . . "We didn't want to detract from the Capitol's dignity," explained Stephen T. Ayers, acting Architect of the Capitol, on an opening-day walkthrough.Assuming that architecture could only ruin the Capitol is why the visitor center is such an overblown yet underwhelming disgrace.
. . .
Calling congressional sprawl a visitor center was a con. It also lowered expectations. No need to match the original structure's aspiration or attempt to invigorate the way Congress works if the thing is just about ticketing and coat checking.
. . .
It's almost as charming as an airport. You only know you are in Washington thanks to the lavish use of beige sandstone and brown marble and the kind of dish-shaped suspended bronze light fixtures that are the default choice in office-building lobbies.
The whole thing is worth reading - and meaner than my excerpts sound, even!
Posted by CrankyProfessor at December 6, 2008 11:49 AM