Peter Birkenhead
This is the view tonight from the National Cathedral, miles from the White House. This is not the kind of thing you see in DC. Ever. This is a city where tall buildings are essentially outlawed. The whole aesthetic point of Washington DC is modesty, for good reason. Jefferson and other founders wanted the capital’s architecture to represent a rejection of monarchical grandiosity in favor of classical, human-scaled, restrained designs more in tune with democratic values. Nowhere in Washington was that commitment to simplicity and humility more important than in the design of the White House, about whose symbolism as a temporary residence for an elected executive The National Trust for Historic Preservation has written, “That symbolism is inseparable from its setting and relatively modest scale and design... further interrupt this critical sightline and overwhelm the intentional modesty of the historic residence." Tonight that sightline is interrupted by the blinding beams of klieg lights advertising a gladiatorial contest to be held in tribute to a man who sent a mob to smash the windows of the Capitol, and has gilded the halls of the People’s House. Here’s hoping for clearer skies, soon.
