During a time of great political divide across the nation and widespread distrust of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., can architecture offer a practical solution to partisan politics?Â
Deadlock continues to fester on Capitol Hill. Congressâ approval rating ended the year at a meager 17%, and has hovered below the historic average (31%) since mid-2009. President-elect Donald Trump has stated that he plans to work with those on both sides of the aisle in Congress to accomplish his goals. Observers and experts predict Trump will have a tough go at it, even with a GOP-controlled Congress.
This begs the question, Is the âaisleâ part of the problem in Washington? Iâm not referring to the metaphorical divide between political parties, rather the physical layout of legislative spaces.Â
From K-12 schools to offices to universities, building owners across practically every sector are retooling their spaces to meet the needs of todayâs innovation economy. Why not legislative spaces?
âIn such a tumultuous period, shouldnât we be questioning whether these spaces are working?â wrote New York Times architecture writer Allison Arieff, in a Nov. 2 opinion piece.Â
So much has changed in the business of governingâsocial and mass media, electronic voting, global conveningsâyet the vast majority of spaces for political congregation remain virtually untouched, âfrozen in time,â wrote Arieff.
She points to a study by Amsterdam-based creative agency XML that breaks down the design of 193 legislative buildings across the world. The most prominent layoutsâopposing benches, classroom, and semicircleâwere developed 165â215 years ago and remain intact with little modification. When updates are required, governments tend to restore these spaces, rather than rethink the layout.Â
There are outliers, though, including a meeting hall with zero tables and chairs for the European Union Council in Brussels. The layout, designed by XML and Jurgen Bey, utilizes blocky, interlocking furniture pieces that encourage council members to mingle. Check out XMLâs report here.
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