Statement of

Julian P. W. Turner
Concerned Citizen
BEFORE THE
FAIRFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA CITY COUNCIL
 Should art be destroyed? How can one define art? Is it subjective or objective? These are the

questions that must be asked by governing body on every level from Congress down to this City Council.

These remarks aim to make a case that art is much more than the paintings on these walls, or the music

on phones on the desks next to them, but extends to the very walls themselves and the desks too.

Art in the conventional sense is commonly defined as “expression or application of human

creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing

works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”. At surface glance this

definition seems to reaffirm common beleifs to the conventional notion of art as a strictly

detatched and visual.Howver, upon closer inspection this definition is written with a much

broader stroke.

Apprecaition of architecture as an art is taught in our schools, but not in art class, but in

history class. Ask any highschooler about the subject and they will tell you about the Parthenon

of Rome and the leaning tower of Pizza. But as long as there have been buildings there have

been archetects, these are the artists who transform a space into a piece, and a city into an

instillation. In our country’s history we have seen a wide variety of architects who have

transformed skylines in iconic ways. One of the most iconic and influential of these artists was

Hungarian born Marcel Bruer. Although this Brutalist Modernist archetct may not be a

household name today, his effect on the world of architecture is seen all around us.

Bruer’s designs range from extravagant yet minimalist costal retreats, to gravity defying

cathedrals. His style of cast concrete, bare bones, yet astetically interesting and eye catching

started a trend that has never gone out of style. The most famous of his designs can be located

all over the globe from Paris to Argentina, and in the states from the Connecticutand New York

City on the East coast to Atlanta and Minnasota, and even our Reston backyard. Completed in
1974, the American Press Institue building is Virginias only Bruer building. Completed in 1974

this 48,000 square foot space housed the American Press Instuture for over 40 years. Aside

from the API’s contribution to journalism the space itself is a testament to architectural ingenuity.

To the untrained eye this monolith of a building looks like a 70’s cast concrete mistake, but upon

further inspection the subtlys of design become clear. Odd slanted walls intersect with concrete

pilons in a style unseen today, making it a unique part of Reston’s historical and cultural

makeup. Any further explination of the cultural importance of this building would be futile, as it is

already in destroyed.

In may of 2016, the 4.6 acres that had been unused for 4 years were rezoned for

industrial use. The Seakas firm prompty released plans to build 34 townhouses and 10 condos

in its place. There was an understandable pushback from residents, historians and architects

alike. Petitions, proposals and protests were frequent throughout the summer. 1,300 Reston

citizens signed a petition and a vialable alternative to repurpose the space into a public library

were largely ignored. The purpose of this testimony is not to save the API building, but to teach

a lesson from it.

Yesterday, Wednesday the 14th of September 2016 demolition of the API building

began. This new development includes 12 percent affordable housing, providing a public good.

But a library also would have provided public good and utility. This begs the question how can

we measure the benefit of architecture and its effect on public good. There is no easy awnser to

this, but next time you go on a walk imagine all the buildings looked the same, just like condos

do. Think of all the things that provide utility that go unnoticed. Even the chair underneath you,

somebody designed that, spent hours thinking about the contour of the arm wrests, just like the

curves of an arch. Design and art are all around us. Their utility simply cannot be measured by

people housed or money saved. But without it, our chairs would be folding, our houses would be

condos, and our lives would be boring. But none of this awnsers the first three questions,
because they cannot be awnsered. We cannot objectively or subjectively define art, and without

that we cannot know if it can or should be destroyed. We can only appreciate it.