TABLE OF CONTENTS Sharon C. Park, FAIA
Chief, Technical Preservation Services
Heritage Preservation Services
National Center for Cultural Resources
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.
Caroline R. Alderson
Program Manager, Center for Historic Buildings
Office of the Chief Architect, Public Buildings Service
U.S. General Services Administration
Washington, D.C.
The new security constraints on Federal building are opportunities for enriching architecture. Once you understand the limitations, they should be cause for invention and analysis that allows you to push beyond your preconceptions. The security issues should allow you to invent a vocabulary that not only solves the problem but also creates an appropriate architectural image.
CHARLES GWA THMEY, FAIA (B. 1938)
Architect of the U.S. Mission to the
United Nations in New York City, from
Vision & Voice Design Excellence in
Federal Architecture: Building a Legacy
The September 11, 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center and portions of the Pentagon, a registered National Historic Landmark, heightened awareness about the vulnerability of America's cultural icons and heritage properties. Tempering these concerns, however, is an increased ambivalence about the effects of security measures on the quality of American life and the urban environment. Fortunately, replacement of expedient, temporary installations with more permanent architectural solutions is now creating an opportunity for design professionals to take a more imaginative approach to security retrofit for historic buildings and sites.
Although the pace of the response may be unusual, the challenge of accommodating new requirements without sacrificing historic materials and...
