Re: [UC] UCHS and Civic Center demolitions: a review

[Anthony West]

I love both the post office and the train station. If the Cira Center winds up as snazzy as it looks yet unfinished, 30th Street will be a wonderful sight! Whether or not it is Art Deco isn't important; whether it is wonderful is important.   Elisabeth wrote: > When one comes toward West Philadelphia over the Schuylkill, there > are three salient things to look at as one crosses the bridge: the > triumvirate of art deco buildings comprised by the post office, the train > station, and the old convention hall.  There will soon be a fourth - the > Cira Center.   > Tony says that we need to "treasure the best from the past while letting > the rest go."  The problem is that "best" is a matter of opinion, and in > this country we tend towards not being willing to regulate taste.   That is the problem indeed. But when we try to sidestep the crucial issue of taste, we wind up creating fake judgement criteria that smuggle it back in under another name. "Historicity" also boils down to taste. That's because ALL buildings have history and all buildings exemplify history. Anybody can write a two-page release about the period that any building represents. In practice, the history that gets preserved is the history that people like. One way or another, taste will be expressed.   The question is: who gets to say which buildings they like and which matter less to them? Who gets to choose now history, now modernity? I'm not sure I have a one-sentence answer. But in general, public tastes matter when it comes to public property. And in general, the public likes some things more than others, just as individuals do. And in general, no building stands forever. Sorting out the particulars case by case is what makes public works projects such a fun spectator sport.   -- Tony West