Gilbert Stanley Underwood is an Architect responsible for the design of several of these memorable structures. His work in the 20's and 30's took the Arts and Crafts Movement's influence in an uncharacteristically monumental direction. The National Park lodges of that era are the largest buildings that I can imagine coming out of this artisan and craftsman oriented sensibility. To me, Underwood's work represents the high water mark of United States 'Park Service' Architecture.
I appreciate the design sensibility and the sheer endurance of Architects like Underwood. Their talent and effort was in large part responsible for endowing the National Parks with these beautiful buildings. And just as important, I appreciate those who had the wisdom to tightly constrain the development of structures in the Parks- so that Architecture remains a foil to the celebration of wilderness rather than its replacement.
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| Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite National Park California |
Wilderness, as preserved by the National Parks and National Forests, is a tremendous source of inspiration for me. Yosemite is spectacular, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are beyond words. Glacier, Mt. Hood, Mt. Lassen, Mt. Shasta... from the most remote backcountry trail to the most touristed highlights. I cherish the time I've had visiting and absorbing the spirit of these places. But even though I revel in the power and appreciate the value of pristine wilderness areas, I've always experienced a sort of guilty pleasure in the Architecture found in these places. 'Park Service' buildings are usually designed to fit into, blend with, or at least act as a visual foil to their spectacular natural settings. The largest and best known are the great lodges that were developed to encourage tourism in the early days of the National Parks. They allowed the general population to visit and experience these remote and often inhospitable landscapes. I find these structures to be beautiful and inspiring. Beyond the scale of the buildings and the obvious difficulty of building in these locations, it's contrast that makes them so compelling. The raw natural landscape intensifies the power of the Architecture, and vice versa.
Gilbert Stanley Underwood is an Architect responsible for the design of several of these memorable structures. His work in the 20's and 30's took the Arts and Crafts Movement's influence in an uncharacteristically monumental direction. The National Park lodges of that era are the largest buildings that I can imagine coming out of this artisan and craftsman oriented sensibility. To me, Underwood's work represents the high water mark of United States 'Park Service' Architecture.
I appreciate the design sensibility and the sheer endurance of Architects like Underwood. Their talent and effort was in large part responsible for endowing the National Parks with these beautiful buildings. And just as important, I appreciate those who had the wisdom to tightly constrain the development of structures in the Parks- so that Architecture remains a foil to the celebration of wilderness rather than its replacement.
Ahwahnee Hotel (Yosemite)
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