An investigation at the diverse functions of neoclassical buildings
It does not take the exhaustive lines of tourists, the stoic Royal Guards, or the exclusive gating to recognize that there is something capturing about Buckingham Palace. The elaborate and imposing exterior arrests the attention of visitors; there is universality, nostalgia, an imposing presence to the Palace that makes it stand out. Buckingham Palace was designed principally by John Nash and Edward Blore, and it serves as a commentary not only in the popular tastes of today, but the timeless and popular grip neoclassical architecture had in the 18th and 19th century.
While many may not be capable of defining neoclassical architecture or be able to elaborate on its features, a large majority are capable of discerning such buildings from a mass of structures. Neoclassical style intends for its designs to stand out as a nucleus to its area. Stylistically, chief ambition of neoclassicism after all was to employ modern technology to revive the old. Classical Greek and Roman architecture was viewed with greater endearment, function, and timelessness than more contemporary counterparts. Considering its attraction, its nucleus-like presence, and its continued importance, it is difficult to counter argue such interpretations.
What contributes to this importance is that the function of neoclassicism is greatly diverse. In Berlin, for example, Karl Friedrich Schinkel used the Greek Stoa in Athens as a model to design the Altes Museum in 1825. Altes museum continues to serve as a major landmark in museum typology with its tall, classical, and minimalist environment. By contrast, neoclassicism can be disguised with a more ambiguous function. The Statue of Liberty, sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, used a neoclassical realistic sculpture design for its form. The Statue of Liberty is patterned after the Roman goddess, Libertas, the personification of freedom, and shares the same classical and ostentatious elements that define neoclassicism.
The United States is rich in neoclassical buildings too; primarily because Thomas Jefferson wanted to construct the new republic as a glorious democracy in the same vein of classical Greek (historians may argue that interpretation of Greek society, of course). The United States Capitol with its domed roof and large columns, the White House with its dated yet classical exterior, or the University of Virginia all saw influence of Thomas Jefferson. The trend for using neoclassical architecture to reflect power and central control has not weakened in America tradition either, as demonstrated by the construction of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1923 and the Pentagon in 1943.