University of Notre Dame's architecture dean speaks out against classical executive order
A proposal such as “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again” potentially reduces an entire architectural philosophy to a caricature. Arbitrarily pasting columns and arches on a building so it looks like a Parthenon-Colosseum hybrid is pretentious — and doesn’t make the building classical. Designing classical buildings for the modern age is a complex process, requiring knowledge of construction, world architectural history and urbanism, as well as aesthetic judgment.
Writing in The Washington Post, Michael Lykoudis, Dean of the classical architecture-focused School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, writes that the planned "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" executive order fills him with "great dismay."
Evoking the work of 15th century architect Leon Battista Alberti, Lykoudis explains that "as our students can attest, classical architecture is not a style; it is a dedication to principles of community, resilience and beauty."
"Buildings are not meant to be mere objects," Lykoudis adds, "but should contribute to the fabric of the city, promoting a healthy and nurturing community."
The measure has been opposed by a wide variety of advocacy groups, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
