Cities as Order (S01-EP01)
In this episode, Cities as Order we speak to Conrad Hamann as we discuss contemporary perspectives on the emulated city, questioning its role as a symbol of order and an instrument of control.
Conrad Hamann explores the impulse to emulate cities as a means of establishing order, authority, stability, and clarity. The enduring presence of Rome and Athens in urban design serves as a prime example, but we also see this in 19th-century Melbourne’s fascination with Venice. These forms of emulation are often colonial, where rapidly growing settlements borrow familiar urban forms to create an instant sense of structure and legitimacy—mirroring the mother country.
This pattern extends beyond architecture into cinema, from the archetypal Wild West town to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, where urban forms reinforce control, hierarchy, and power. The desire for order is closely tied to protection, conquest, and the assertion of ownership over land. This may also explain the obsession with creating city icons—perhaps nowhere more apparent than in Melbourne—where a single building is expected to embody the identity of an entire city.
‘SUP is hosted by Ian Nazareth, Graham Crist and Christine Phillips
Show Notes and References
1. American Classicism & Federal Civic Architecture
Trump Administration Executive Order (2025)
Advocated for classical architecture in federal buildings, sparking debate around design freedom and aesthetic standards.
U.S. Pavilion – Venice Biennale
Highlights the enduring classical influence in national American architecture.
Neoclassical Monuments
Lincoln Memorial (Henry Bacon, 1922)
Britannica
Wikipedia
National Gallery of Art (John Russell Pope, 1941)
NGA
Jefferson Memorial (John Russell Pope, 1943)
National Park Service
U.S. Treasury Building
Treasury.gov
2. Monumentality, Tradition & Power
EUR District, Rome
Designed for the Universal Rome Expo (1940s) – a mix of classical Roman grandeur and modernist ideals during Fascist Italy.
Poundbury, Dorset, UK
Urban development based on traditional European town planning, walkability, and classical design.
Quinlan Terry
British architect promoting classical and Palladian design in contrast to modernism.
3. Key Text
Lewis Mumford – Sticks and Stones (1924)
A cultural study of American architecture and its evolution as a civilising force.
4. Classical Foundations in Australia
Canberra – Old Parliament House (1927)
Designed by John Smith Murdoch, reflecting democratic ideals with restrained neoclassical styling.
New Parliament House, Canberra (1981)
Design by Romaldo Giurgola (Mitchell Giurgola Thorp), winner of the 1979 design competition.
Melbourne Civic Examples
Former BHP House by Yuncken Freeman (1968)
Cromwell Building Museums Victoria
Melbourne Landmark International Ideas Competition
An ambitious urban design initiative that failed to establish a lasting civic landmark.
5. Other Notable Civic Sites
Leeds Town Hall, England
A Victorian-era civic building reflecting imperial grandeur and classical order.
Durbar Hall, New Delhi
Ceremonial space blending Mughal and British Victorian styles.
Shanghai Civic Spaces
Shanghai Concert Hall
Shanghai Museum
Terracotta Warrior Precinct
Area combining heritage tourism with new civic and military museum spaces.
6. Institutions & Architectural Governance
Washington Fine Arts Commission
Focused on enhancing public architecture and reflecting civic identity.
Canberra Civic Institutions
National Library
Defence Ministry
National War Memorial
New Parliament House
Designed to balance classical symbolism with modern expression.