Category Archives: architecture

I am Justin Shubow

President of the National Civic Art Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes the classical and humanistic tradition in public art and architecture. Eleventh Chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency comprising seven presidential appointees who are the aesthetic guardians of Washington.

Speaking About Architecture and Nihilism at the Michael Oakeshott Association Conference on Sept. 28

On Saturday, September 28, 2013, I’ll be giving a talk at the biennial conference of the Michael Oakeshott Association. (Full conference program here.) The theme of the conference, which is being held at Colorado College, is Modernity and Its Discontents. … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, civic architecture, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, Michael Oakeshott, nihilism, political philosophy, vandalism | 2 Comments

We Must Preserve the Founders’ Classical Vision for Our Nation’s Capital

Below is an essay I published in Public Discourse last month. It is an adaptation of the June 1, 2012 testimony I delivered before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands on “The Future of the … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, beauty, civic architecture, classicism, congressional testimony, Eisenhower Memorial, Frank Lloyd Wright, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Washington, historic preservation, Jefferson Memorial, Joseph Hudnut, L'Enfant Plan, Lincoln Memorial, McMillan Plan, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, National Gallery of Art, National Mall, National Park Service, Spirit of the Times, Thomas Jefferson, uncategorized, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Classical Architecture Inspires a Return to Beauty in Classical Music

Goethe famously said that “Architecture is music frozen in time.” Expressing that literally, Le Corbusier and composer Iannis Xenakis co-designed the Philips Pavilion for Expo ’58 in Brussels.  In particular, the hyperboloid building, shaped like a stomach, was inspired by … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, beauty, classicism, Edgard Varèse, Iannis Xenakis, Le Corbusier, McKim Mead & White, Modernism, music | 3 Comments