Theaters of Power: Architectural and Cultural Productions

Journal of Architectural Education, May 1997, pp. 230-43.

To the American corporate elite, victory in World War II presented a key moment of opportunity. Much of what was understood about the world had changed; much of what was hoped-for was suddenly within reach. To further the country's evolution, one deficiency needed attention: the performing arts had to play a prominent role in the lives of Americans.

To reveal the utility of architectural heroes to this nation-building project, this paper studies the intentions and actions of the men who directed the production and consumption of America's Acropolis, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

Research methods included archival searches, interviews with project participants, site visits, consideration of scholarly and popular texts, and attendance at Lincoln Center performances.

To the inner circle, production and consumption of monumental architectural artifacts is a means to an end. In the case of Lincoln Center, that end was the creation of a dominant, historically significant postwar America through the creation of 'the cultural capital of the world.'