A tall architecture with a commanding view caught my eyes while I was passing through the Brooklyn Bridge. I walked to its front, wondering what this building was. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be a government building. Generally, government buildings have a boring modern look. It must be some kind of ancient architecture with a long history. It is called Manhattan Municipal Building.
Can you believe a government has such great taste for a building incorporating classic Roman styles of architecture with Corinthian columns? More research reveals that the design of the building was inspired by the City Beautiful movement in New York.
This is the first time that I heard of City Beautiful movement. I think the movement exemplifies a scenario where people were motivated by the reform philosophy that beautiful urban environment promoted order, harmony and civic pride and improves the quality of life. They were driven by the belief that physical appearance of a city could have strong social, cultural and moral impacts on the residents. And they implemented their noble ideas and beautiful visions, resulting in, among others, Manhattan Municipal Building.
Such a splendid building! It all started with a noble idea and a beautiful vision. Idea and vision come ahead of everything.
Here’s a Chinese saying for this, 完美无缺 (Wánměi wúquē), meaning “flawless.”
By the way, I wrote this piece on 12/26/2024. I have to recycle this one as I’m on the way to Beijing now.