Dog Bites Man: Architect Criticizes Classical Choice

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy hosted a White House dinner for 49 Nobel Prize recipients at which he famously said,

"I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House — with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Jefferson thought that Classicisal architecture was the perfect model for democratic architecture and the American Republic. His design for the Virginia statehouse was based on a Roman temple in Nîmes, a building he was thrilled to see when he was our Ambassador to France. His design for the University of Virginia was based on Classical pavilions which used different Classical orders as models for the students at Virginia. Jefferson thought that Classicism promoted virtue.

A few other well known Classical buildings in the United States are the US Capitol, the White House, most state capitols and most American courthouses.

When Thomas Gordon Smith was named Chief Architect of the United States General Service Administration, a well-known New York ideologue architect said "he finds Mr. Smith's appointment 'deeply troubling.' He called Mr. Smith's traditional views 'anti-progressive.' It 'picks up the imperial nature of Roman architecture, which was in service to the empire rather than service to democracy,' says Mr. Smith-Miller." (from the Wall Street Journal)

Here's a recent public building by Mr. Smith-Miller. I'll go with Mr. Jefferson on this.