Existing comment:
Cass Gilbert's Solution:
By the 1920s, Cass Gilbert had designed buildings in a wide range of styles, selecting what he thought was the best architectural solution for a given project after careful study. From the start of his work on the Supreme Court, he and Chief Justice Taft envisioned a classically inspired "Temple of Justice." With the Building Commission's direction that the building must be harmonious with the other buildings on Capitol Hill, he had few options and turned to the monumental neoclassical style prevalent in other federal buildings in Washington. He understood that the Supreme Court Building might be his most important and lasting work and wanted it to take its place among the great buildings of history, like the Parthenon, the Pantheon, and the US Capitol. He succeeded with a masterful approach which progresses through the central temple, using the three architectural orders: the Corinthian in the portico, the Doric in the Great Hall, and the Ionic in the Courtroom, the evoke a sense of reverence and drama for the Nation's highest court. |