Americans Prefer Classical Buildings, Hands Down

Corinthian columns and Carrara marble do more for Americans than concrete and steel, according to a new poll on America’s architectural tastes. And it’s not even close.

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, asked more than 2,000 Americans to consider seven pairs of images, most of them side-by-side photographs of various federal buildings — one classical in design, the other more modern-looking. “Which of these two buildings would you prefer for a U.S. courthouse or federal office building?” asked the survey, which was organized by the National Civic Art Society, a nonprofit that promotes classical approaches to architecture and urbanism.