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CITYWATCH
Taking the long view of Providence architecture
By Christina Bevilacqua

 

Catherine Horsey, executive director of the Providence Preservation Society (PPS), was fretting. Awaiting a visit from friend, an architectural historian on his first trip to Providence, she worried that he might not survive its charms. "He’s used to the spectacular mediocrity of Atlanta," she exclaimed, "so he’s just going to die when he gets here! We don’t have just historical architecture, we have extraordinary historical architecture!" Now, thanks to PPS and the Rhode Island chapter of the American Institute of Architects, we will soon have a guidebook detailing the city’s extraordinary architecture, from the legendary to the latest. Formatted as a series of walking tours, PPS/AIARI Guide to Providence Architecture is written by architectural historian Mack Woodward, who has studied and documented Providence’s development for more than 30 years, and who provides both background and lowdown on 300-plus buildings within the cityscape.

It’s the lowdown part, Horsey owns, that made the project lively. "We didn’t want to offend anyone," she says, "but it is a critical work." In other words, Woodward weighs in with more than just the facts. "Take the Citizen’s Bank building," she says. "Some people wanted it shorter, as it blocks their view. Mack thinks it would have been more elegant if it had been taller." She pauses. "Of course, he did use the term ‘squat and graceless,’ which some people didn’t appreciate." And as some of those people are in a position to fund or otherwise promote PPS, it was sometimes difficult to balance the agendas, she says. "We asked a lot of people for money," says Horsey, "but we were very clear about the critical nature of the book. I didn’t want anyone to support it and then be surprised."

In finding that balance, she was sympathetic to some of the umbrage taken at Woodward’s criticism. "Look, it’s easier to write about historical buildings — you have perspective, and the people who commissioned them aren’t alive to read your opinion. When you write about something built now, you’re passing judgment on a work that has turned out as it has due to so many influences, often the least of which is the taste of the person who commissioned it. Design review boards weigh in, costs get scaled back . . . It’s tough to legislate design. Hire a great architect and then see what you get!"

In the end, though, Woodward’s characteristic voice and exacting vocabulary carried, and if his opinions foment argument, so much the better. "We’re trying to create a dialogue," explains Horsey. "People in Providence are very protective about their surroundings, and they don’t always agree. This is a book to get people talking. It’s not just about the buildings — it’s about the people and places and stories that make those buildings matter."

PPS/AIARI Guide to Providence Architecture debuts with a gala fundraiser on Saturday, November 8, from 8-11 p.m. at Providence City Hall. Call (401) 831-7440 for information.


Issue Date: November 7 - 13, 2003
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