"days in December 1900, members and guests of the American Institute of Architects gathered at the capital's Arlington Hotel and strategized about how to stop a White House expansion that they deemed an affront to a treasured American icon. Under President William McKinley, the government official who oversaw public buildings in the District of Columbia had proposed to add two huge, ornate wings directly to the sides of the White House. These, the architects believed, would overwhelm the existing building and disfigure its classical simplicity."
"The group wasn't trying only to stop the renovation. It was also trying to elevate the influence of professional expertise over the appearance of major urban landmarks in the nation's capital and across the country. Led by the architect and historian Glenn Brown, group members wanted to show that their specialized knowledge would produce more livable cities than would the hasty or imperious schemes cooked up by politicians and their friends."
Donald Trump's abrupt demolition of the White House East Wing ended a 125-year practice of consulting architects on major changes to the presidential residence. In December 1900 the American Institute of Architects mobilized to block President McKinley's plan to add two large ornate wings that would have overwhelmed James Hoban's classical design. Led by Glenn Brown, architects argued for professional oversight to preserve urban landmarks and produce livable cities. Theodore Roosevelt and Edith Roosevelt embraced those recommendations. The Roosevelts commissioned McKim, Mead & White to renovate respectfully, creating low-slung West and East annexes set back among trees to complement the mansion.
#white-house-architecture #architectural-preservation #american-institute-of-architects #mckim-mead--white
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