CGC's Reflections

The design of the building and the landscaping is not only art but a triumph of how man-made structures can become one with its environment, rather than dominating the environment. [This image of the JFK Library and Museums is best viewed in its original large size to appreciate the minimalist but quite regal architecture of this building.]

View from the entry road
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Winter 2007
Columbia Point
Boston, MA, USA

The "square emerald cut" of the glass structure dominates the building. Here, a contrast between a black glass, against the all white solid building -- emphasizes the elegant simplicity and beauty of the building. There were minimal windows, not visible here, except on the left side of the building. Other than minimal artificial lighting; most of the illumination inside comes from the glass atrium and to an extent the glass at the entrance lobby. All the exhibits themselves -- except the large flag in the atrium -- were isolated from the breathtaking views of the Columbia Point with the solid white concrete structure.

What appears here as smudges on the "black" surface of the black glass were reflections of the clouds and the scenery from the equally simple landscaping and scenic views reflected from the Columbia Point. The dominant reflections however comes from the sky so that the visual tableau is a dynamic of each moment of the day and the seasons of the year.

This image of the exterior of the JFK Library and Museum was underexposed to show more detail on the glass atrium including the dark square supports that are more visible inside as part of the intricate supporting columns -- a part of the artistic design itself. View 1 -- 2 -- 3.
This artistic design is best appreciated from the inside and at the lower level of the atrium itself to view the large American flag, the most dominant feature in the atrium display.

I.M. Pei, who designed this building, used variations of this minimimalist glass style in a number of the famous buildings he designed -- including the landmark John Hancock Tower built in the 1970s in Copley Square Boston (the first glass skyscraper of its kind at the time), and the Glass Pyramids of the Louvre Museum in Paris***.

Both the Glass Pyramids of the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Glass Pyramids at the Louvre were quite controversial when they were first built but in time, both became iconic symbols of the respective cities.

The landscaping itself extends and is integrated with the minimalist design of the building, including the use of white for the stone cylindrical structures lining the entry road and the retaining walls of the Boston Harbor. All this will be present also in the future, including the simple but elegant outside staircase that leads to the outside promenade to appreciate the three dimensional exterior of the building from all sides and the scenic views of the Columbia Point.


I did not have a chance to visit the exhibits themselves, for a reason. They do not allow the use of tripod within the exhibit galleries themselves. My hands are not stable enough, and I do not wish to include blurred images here, so I could not show any of the exhibit photos even if I did get inside. I saw the exhibits already when I first came to Boston, many years back.

American History and the JFK Presidency

Kennedy's presidency was shortlived because of his tragic and untimely death. It marked however many historic events and the beginnings of many historic events to come -- including the Space Program partly motivated by the Cold War to establish American might in the struggle between "free nations" vs the other extreme Communism.

It was a time also when American optimism was at its zenith -- reaching out to the world -- with the US CARE and Peace Corps programs to name a few. America then was the envy of the world and the one the "free" world looked up to partly because of the vision of Kennedy, as President.

It also marked the more overt American government policy to meddle in Vietnam, still part of the struggle between "free nations" vs. Communism during the height of the Cold War -- one that would change America forever. Failure to learn from the lessons of the Vietnam "war" led to committing the same mistakes to the present, like the currently tragedy of American invasion of Iraq, the second time around.

It is amazing for example that the first President Bush who committed American might to help fight a more justified war opted not to go to Bagdhad after the Iraq army had been soundly defeated and expulled invading Iraq from Kuwait. In contrast, the second President Bush, in the guize of "weapons of mass destruction" that turned out to be fabricated decided not only to initiate the invasion but thought naively, as personified by the cockiness of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld that Iraq can be "freed" in a matter of days. More than 4 years later, with several thousands of Americans sacrificing their lives and tens of thousands more Americans permanently maimed for life and more than one and a quarter trillion dollars (yes that is trillions) spent so far, there is no end in sight. These sacrifices of America and Americans do not compare with the sacrifices of Iraqis and Iraq as a nation -- with tens of thousands killed or murdered and hundreds of thousands injured and maimed for life, as well as hundreds of thousands fleeing the country and a nation that is about to be subdivided by ethnic-motivated civil war.

The other historic issue at the time of Kennedy was the continuing struggle for Civil Liberties and equality by the African-American community. Addressing institutional and social discrimination of African-Americans became more prominent during Kennedy's era but progress was not realized because of his untimely death. It was left to President Lyndon Johnson to continue the unfinished task, as well as enact into law many other socio-political policies not realized during the Kennedy's presidency.

The beginnings of these historic events are explored in the museum exhibits, and archives of the papers that provide insight to these events are available in the presidential library.
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Notes:
***The above ground visible structure of the Glass Pyramids at the Louvre was very functional design meant primarily to illumine the underground Visitor Center that was to integrate the three major buildings (actually former Palaces) that comprise the Louvre. The image I have shown for the latter is not the visible Glass Pyramids (above the surface) but the intricate detail of the inverted pyramid inside the underground Visitor Center of the Louvre -- to reveal how much artistry IM Pei imbued in his minimalist glass buildings. I have never had a chance to upload the visible structure of the Inverted Glass Pyramids from above ground. I will try to do that in the future.]

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