- New Classical Architecture -

[jetsetter]

St. John Neumann - Farragut, Tennessee
Architect: HDB/Cram & Ferguson

Quite impressive, the structure was only completed last year. There are only a few details I would change. They need to do something with that parking lot, the bell tower could be a tad slimmer, and the columns in the interior should be more pronounced with corresponding arches. Beyond that the new paintings, stained glass, and mosaics are something not seen for quite some time in the United States

Henry Edwards
St. John Neumann Church has the most elaborate stained glass program of any recently constructed U.S. church I’ve heard of, and fortunately it has been pretty comprehensively documented in both image and word. It was carefully and consciously designed to tell as much of the content and history of the Catholic faith as possible, and to explicitly support the liturgy offered within the church. However, this content is not easily located at the sjnknox.org web site, so let me give a few clues.

In the Nave (God’s Plan and the 7 Sacraments)
http://sjnknox.org/content/view/78/2/

The Stations of the Cross
http://sjnknox.org/content/view/29/2/

The Dome and Penditives
http://sjnknox.org/content/view/27/2/

These pages just scratch the surface of the overall plan. Now go back to the “art directory” page

http://sjnknox.org/content/view/213/1/

and scroll down past the half dozen construction photos at the top until you see

Click on the below items for close-up views of our church art and architectural features.

Then you can begin to get into detail like

Clerestory Windows (the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary)
http://sjnknox.org/content/view/18/2/

[Hed Kandi]

Infosys Training Complex - Mysore, India


http://www.flickr.com/photos/sownak/4450374669/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/sownak/4420163276/

[Busy Bee]

Washington University in Saint Louis has some great new gothic revival buildings. If anyone knows the names and details of these, please chime in:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/msabeln...7623000471913/

[Hed Kandi]

.

[jetsetter]

The one on the right (Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center) was completed in 2001. The university has quite a few impressive structures built fairly recently. Here is Brauer Hall, due to be completed in the fall.



I suggesting checking this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing...in_Saint_Louis

[jetsetter]

Two new Yale residential colleges that will start construction soon:

[jetsetter]

Whitman College is one of the six residential colleges at Princeton University, New Jersey, United States. The college is named after Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, following her $30 million donation to build the college. The structure was designed by architect Demetri Porphyrios. Construction of Whitman College was completed in Fall of 2007; 2007–08 marked the inaugural academic year for the college.

Whitman is a four-year residential college, open to students of all four academic classes. Its sister two-year college is Forbes College. Although it is possible for any upperclassman to live in Whitman, priority for housing is given to those those upperclassmen who lived in either Whitman or Forbes as underclassmen.

The master of Whitman is Harvey S. Rosen, the John L. Weinberg Professor of Economics and Business Policy. The Dean is Dr. Rebecca Graves-Bayazitoglu, the former Director of Studies for Rockefeller College. The Director of Studies is Dr. Cole M. Crittenden, the former Allston Burr Resident Dean of Currier House at Harvard University. The Director of Student Life is Christina Davis. Josue Lajeunesse, a custodian at Whitman College, is a main subject of the documentary film The Philosopher Kings, and is also an active humanitarian working to make clean water accessible to the people of his home village of Lasource, Haiti.

The residential college comprises seven dormitories: South Baker Hall, Hargadon Hall, Fisher Hall, Lauritzen Hall, Class of 1981 Hall, Murley-Pivirotto Family Tower, and North Hall. The college's dining hall is called Community Hall, so named not for the University community but rather for the eBay community.

One of the more unique aspects of the Whitman College system is its tradition of weekly "College Night" dinners, sponsored by the Whitman College Council and open to Whitman residents only. College Nights involve a number of different themes including Carnival, Halloween, and even a dinner themed after the NBC series "The Office". College Night dinners are popular among Whitman students but have sparked some controversy among the rest of the Princeton community.

Whitman College participates in seasonal intramural athletics, including soccer, volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee. Whitman also organizes a variety of other recreational activities, including a craft circle and the Jane Austen literary society.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitman...ton_University

[jetsetter]

Two recently completed townhouses at Chicago's Lincoln Park.

These two townhouses were built on spec in Chicago's Lincoln Park, just north of the Loop, and designed by Timothy LeVaughn. Congratulations to him for this excellent work. He is an architect and partner in Melrose Partners. Its web site suggests that the firm does much rehab work in old residential buildings in Chicago, but these two buildings are brand new.

Melrose is a design-build firm, which means the eyebrows of most architects are raised. I'm not sure why, but here is Wikipedia's take on design-build. Apparently the general idea is to cut out the architectural firm as an independent contractor, and use architects hired directly by the building company. Design-build is considered an inroad on the power and prestige of pure architecture, but if it can produce such a high quality of work, then I say bring it on.

http://news.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs...nstructio.html

[jetsetter]

Recently completed Le Virage luxury townhomes at Habersham, SC.

[jetsetter]

Macatawa Bank in Holland, Michigan, completed in 2006.



Rhodes College Library, completed in 2005.



Alvarado Transportation Center, completed in 2006



Meier Hall of Elmira college, yet to be completed.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by jetsetter

Two new Yale residential colleges that will start construction soon:

Unfortunately.

Yale has an amazing architectural tradition, but the most recent residential colleges, Morse and Ezra Stiles, both designed by Eero Saarinen in a then ostensibly "progressive" style, weren't (and continue to not be) very well-received by students. The university has been much more conservative with many of its newer buildings (as opposed to, say, the University of Chicago, a peer institution which continues to push for truly progressive design). These new residential colleges unfortunately continue that vein. Even with Bob Stern at the helm of their design, I have a hard time envisioning them as anything more than simulacra of American collegiate gothic, which is already something of a simulacrum itself.

[jetsetter]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

Unfortunately.

Yale has an amazing architectural tradition, but the most recent residential colleges, Morse and Ezra Stiles, both designed by Eero Saarinen in a then ostensibly "progressive" style, weren't (and continue to not be) very well-received by students. The university has been much more conservative with many of its newer buildings (as opposed to, say, the University of Chicago, a peer institution which continues to push for truly progressive design). These new residential colleges unfortunately continue that vein. Even with Bob Stern at the helm of their design, I have a hard time envisioning them as anything more than simulacra of American collegiate gothic, which is already something of a simulacrum itself.

I have to disagree. American collegiate gothic is a handsome style and should if anything be further propagated. I find almost all "modern" and "progressive" (what names!!!, as if trying to shove it in the face of others) architecture to be dreadful. What you see in the drawings will be loved far longer and last far longer than any example of "modern" or "progressive" architecture. Of that you can be assured.

[DizzyEdge]

This is a really interesting thread, in the sense that there is always much debate between faking old buildings and building contemporary styled ones, however usually the debate seems pretty cut and dry to me since the faked structures tend to do it on the cheap, and look like crap. Many of these buildings however seem to be of very high quality, and so they blur my opinion.

Originally Posted by village person

I think you're now blurring the line between your "acceptable" and "unacceptable" examples. Yes, this falls within neoclassicism... only pretty heavy on the neo-. I woldn't date this any earlier than the 1990s from even a quick glance -- based on design alone, not wear of materials. It reminds me of Robert A.M. Stern a bit. Though, that's not to discredit anything but the line you want to draw. It's a quality design. Shouldn't that be the line?

Regardless of whether a building is using past or brand new designs, I think that should be the criteria for passing for failing grades for sure.

Originally Posted by JMancuso

i think any contemporary building that tastefully uses traditional styling cues should qualify. we are never going to build buildings exactly as we did a century ago because needs change. the nashville symphony hall reflects current desire for larger windows for example which allows for more natural light.

This is a tricky one, as at some point it can range from a completely contemporary building with a few tacked on relics of old, to something which is half and half and doesn't really belong as traditional or contemporary, to something that's 75% tradition, but the contemporary aspects make it look like a fake.

Originally Posted by nouveau_Mauvilla

The OP actually just wants all things ornate. Regardless of style, correctness, scale, function, cost, setting, how they work with people, etc.

A building doesn't have to have ridiculous, over the top decoration to be a beautiful building. Plus, decoration shouldn't be the priority- which it obviously is to you, Hed Kandi.

Why is it that you find contemporary buildings true to their style simply horrendous?

I disagree, I don't think it's a fault for a building to be built where decoration is actually a big priority, one thing I've found is while many buildings of old seemed to celebrate incorporating works of art into their structure, or actually be works of art due to their lines and such, many later buildings seem to try to impress with their cutting-edgeness, vs artisticness, meaning that as technology moves on they lose their luster far faster than buildings which strived more to be beautiful.

Originally Posted by trueviking

<pruned a fair bit>
...i was actually trying to spark a discussion by demonstrating that you can make spectacular architecture that is very respectful of traditional values and ideas.....

..is he suggesting that we should build these things in north america?.....is he suggesting that because they use traditional construction techniques in india that it should also be done here?.

...this thread is pointless without engaging is some debate about it.

what is the point of this web site if not to learn from real debate about these issues?

These sorts of debates is something I'd love to take part in, or at least view, is there a thread already appropriate for it?

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by jetsetter

I have to disagree. American collegiate gothic is a handsome style and should if anything be further propagated. I find almost all "modern" and "progressive" (what names!!!, as if trying to shove it in the face of others) architecture to be dreadful. What you see in the drawings will be loved far longer and last far longer than any example of "modern" or "progressive" architecture. Of that you can be assured.

Before you get all sanctimonious, consider what I actually wrote. I didn't malign collegiate gothic-- I simply pointed out the obvious, which is to say, it's an imitation of gothic and, hence, only authentic inasmuch as we confer upon it a new, qualified status (collegiate gothic).

Many of the the trades that made real gothic architecture so captivating have disappeared as technologies have progressed. Even between the early 1900s, when collegiate gothic flourished, and the present, the number of skilled craftsman has, I'm certain, dwindled. What we're confronted with is a situation where the craft/skill/building techniques that defined gothic and, to a lesser extent, collegiate gothic no longer exist. And, practically speaking, what this means is contemporary revivalist architecture often pales in comparison to the styles it attempts to emulate.

Now, if anyone can faithfully reinterpret collegiate gothic, it's Bob Stern-- his drawings are much, much nicer than some of the built examples you posted. But, for the reason I describe above, he faces huge challenges.

On a side note, the collegiate gothic and neo-Georgian architecture of Yale was mostly designed by the prolific James Gamble Rogers. For the gothic structures, he poured acid over the stone to make it look aged and broke and re-soldered windows to make the buildings look like they had been through war-- like the Oxbridge campuses they were based on. In other words, he attempted to fabricate what he believed were the characteristics that made gothic architecture so loved. Putting any philosophical questions that naturally arise from these kinds of practices aside, can you imagine developers footing the bill for such essential details in this day and age? And what enormous resources they would have to command in order to do so?

[vandelay]

These debates are tiresome. There's no reason that these traditional architectural styles can't evolve or devolve with the times. The all or nothing approach to traditional styles elevates them to unnecessary heights. The fact that architects can adapt modern construction and materials to architecture that resonates culturally or historically more than makes up for the deficiencies of our time. There's good contemporary architecture and there's bad contemporary architecture. There's good traditionalist architecture and there's bad traditionalist architecture. Bad examples don't invalidate the relevance of the entire enterprise. That being said, I agree, it's hard to find an equal to Robert Stern in ability to modernize traditional architecture.

[jetsetter]

This is a really interesting thread, in the sense that there is always much debate between faking old buildings and building contemporary styled ones, however usually the debate seems pretty cut and dry to me since the faked structures tend to do it on the cheap, and look like crap. Many of these buildings however seem to be of very high quality, and so they blur my opinion.

Your statement highlights a significant problem. There is nothing "fake" about the buildings I posted. True, they are using a design language pioneered in the past but that does not make them fake by any means. Architectural styles are in my opinion, timeless. A painting done in a style invented long ago is not fake. It is just a piece of art. A painting done in a style invented more recently is not really new, just done in a different style. And yes, while I often decry "modern" architecture because some architects seem to be designing pieces of "art" instead of functional buildings I still find the metaphor apt

Bad examples don't invalidate the relevance of the entire enterprise.

Quite true. Had it not been true then "modern" architecture would be in trouble.

What I tire of is critics who decry structures that use design language pioneered in the past and do not admit that they just do not like that particular style. I freely admit I do not like most "modern" structures because they are done in a style I find repulsive.

[Jasoncw]

I think that architecture is shaped by the cultural, social, ideological, practical, etc. forces of the time that it's built in.

I think that the view that styles can be revived at will denies the buildings of the unique circumstances which lead to their style's original development.

[jetsetter]

Then we differ greatly in our opinions. Certain factors may explain the rise of one style of architecture at a certain time but that does not mean that the style can not be used at some other time. Once a style is created it comes a reservoir of knowledge to draw from.

[jetsetter]

Saint Martin's Episcopal Church located in Houston, Texas (Completed 2004)

[Tolbert]

One of the ugliest chirches i've ever seen,...

Totaly out of proportion and nothing in common with the cothic stile at all...