GDG- Battle Rages Over Neutra's Cyclorama Center

[huddleston.r at comcast.net]

IIRC, the family did not care about the building until it was scheduled to be razed. Only then did they raise complaints.

It never worked like it was designed -- whether that was Neutra's fault or the NPS, he and his family seem to have ignored it.

I suspect that the design was flawed. I have become increasingly disillusioned about architects over the years. They design and build beautiful buildings that are totally inappropriate for their site or for the use of humans. I worked at Denver International Airport for seven years  -- it is a beautiful airport. But anyone who ever worked there can catalog the design problems that make it difficult if not a joke in actual use.

And Wright's Falling Waters is rusting. Duh: build a house on top of a stream and no one thought about the implications of humidity?

They do raise one interesting point: we are always changing what we build. Our needs change, or vision changes. We should not retain everything. Surely the Battle and Speech are the important parts of GB, not a modern building on the site. I would hope there are other Neutra's that actually work and are in a place where the building enhances the site.

--
Take care,

Bob

Judy and Bob Huddleston
10643 Sperry Street
Northglenn, CO  80234-3612
huddleston.r at comcast.net

“…and man who pretends to believe that this is not a war for the emancipation of the blacks .. is either a fool or a liar.” The Vidette, the camp newspaper of Morgan’s Confederate Brigade, November 3, 1862.