Cataloging Contemporary Classicism on Pinterest

By Christine G. H. Franck

The contemporary renaissance of classical architecture is vast and varied. Whether large or small, public or private, canonic or abstract, new classical buildings increasingly grace our built environment. To showcase this I’ve developed a Catalog of Contemporary Classical and Traditional Architecture on Pinterest.

In over two decades of lecturing on contemporary classicism I have often battled the naysayers’ favorite refrains: “you can’t build like that today,” and “oh, that’s just about houses for rich people.” Well, gentle reader, you and I know that we can and do build “like that” today and that the classical tradition always has been and always will be about far more than “just houses,” but without examples such criticisms were hard to refute. Now, in one place, you can see and share the rich variety of the classical tradition today.

While still a work in progress, I have begun “pinning” projects by members of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, the RIBA’s Traditional Architecture Group and INTBAU’s International College of Traditional Practitioners. I generally select one image per project, with some exceptions, and try to list the project name, location, and architect with a link to the architect’s website. The projects are sorted onto boards of different building types. Organized in this way, this catalog serves as a resource for the media, academics, practitioners, manufacturers, builders, and perhaps even clients.

At this time I am focused on new construction rather than renovations or historical work. Recently, I have added categories for award winning projects and videos, and I anticipate adding new categories in the future. If you do not yet see your work, please be patient, I have only just begun. Over time, I hope to develop for us a complete picture of the breadth and depth of contemporary classical architecture.

For those of you not familiar with Pinterest, think of it as the modern day equivalent of a bulletin board with images of things that inspire you pinned on it.