This week, I am choosing to elaborate on Ecole De Beaux Arts. La Ecole De Beaux Arts is the first ever school of architecture which had a very definitive style. The architects were educated in things like gothic and neoclassical architecture and they studied how to create new structures based off these classic styles. This mixing of styles is called eclecticism, which I did not know before. Previously, I thought being eclectic was being chaotic and mis-matched, it is not until the lecture that I learned it could be so beautiful. We then learned about the Ecole De Beaux Arts buildings in New York: the Post Office, the original Penn Station, The New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This had me floored. All these buildings are amongst my favorites and embody everything I love about architecture. It all makes sense, while I am a lover of many types of art, the classics hold my heart. This got me thinking about “good” and “bad” art and architecture. The argument “what is art?” is as old as time and will probably never reach a conclusion, but it is not so widely debated on what makes good architecture. As a New York City native, I have driven through and wandered the streets of Manhattan many times, often observing what types of buildings I did and did not like. I find the immense glass skyscrapers to be beautifully simplistic, but a bit boring, the functional mid century buildings hideous, and Renaissance Revival and Eclectic structures to be the best of them all. I have often had conversations where I asked, “Imagine what the city would look like if it was filled with buildings like this, where architects paid attention to detail and structures had character.” That being my own preference, obviously I think that style of architecture to be the best. However, it seems to me as the Ecole De Beaux Arts studied the best of the best to create the best. While it may seem a bit prestigious and pretentious, does that have something to say about what kinda of architecture stands the test of time and consistently appeals to so many people? Perhaps it is the history connected to these styles that holds the esteem. Maybe it is the age and high regard of the institution that gains it validation. Would a minimalist completely disagree with me, or would they at least regard the beauty of eclectic architecture whether it is their style or not? To me, buildings like these stand out amongst the more simple structures of New York and add character. I find them special, but are they just basic in terms of the beaux arts? Is there something in particular that makes architecture “good,” or is it all just personal opinion. Unfortunately, I can’t debate that by myself; but I think there is definitely a connection between the prestige of the Ecole De Beaux Arts School of Architecture and the, dare I say, universal love of the buildings in that style.
