Architecture Here and There

The symposium on the American Renaissance sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society brings to mind the two sets of murders that bookended the City Beautiful. That movement was sparked by the White City at the World's Columbian Exposition, or Chicago World's Fair. (Remember when cities vied for world's fairs rather than Olympic games?)

I think that, having mentioned murder, I will introduce Thursday's column with a set of photographs of Providence buildings that either escaped assassination, were wounded in assassination attempts, or were assassinated outright and no longer exist. Here goes:

Providence City Hall (1878) dodged a bullet when poverty prevented the city from carrying out the Downtown Providence 1970 Plan (1960):

One of the city's American Renaissance superlatives, the Providence Public Library (1901), was hobbled by a clunky attachment (not pictured) in 1951 or thereabouts:

Providence Place's opponents, mainly the dupes of suburban mall interests, tried to throttle the building by preventing its erection or (boring from within) seeking to use modernist interventions to water down its traditional design. Luckily, they failed. Beyond the mall are the original Westin (on which I cut my architectural criticism teeth) and its recent addition; to their right is part of the GTECH building, which signaled the modernists' successful attempt to wrest ugliness from the jaws of beauty. Despite the elegance of the mall, seen below from the balcony of the Governor's Office at the Rhode Island State House (another Am. Ren. icon) and Waterplace Park, Capital Center today is sadly diminished:

Finally, here is the Providence Police/Fire Headquarters in the process of being murdered, victim of Mayor Cicilline's shortsightedness. In its place, a parking lot:

 Tags  American Renaissance Chicago City Beautiful demolition Providence Preservation Society Providence RI

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Sam Lima said:

That last image makes me angry. That's pathetic.

Link | November 6, 2009 12:16 PM
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Bala said:

CourtneyYay! Oh my goodness- I am at work and I just sqkeaued out "Yay!" out loud and I am sure that everyone here thinks I am crazy. Soo excited! I would like the letter "A" for AceMan. And now I am going to have to go out and buy some pink and purple and green fabric and try to make one for Emerson because I am sure she will want one too! Thanks so much Paige!

Link | April 28, 2012 11:35 PM
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