To the Editor:
When it comes to the Will County Courthouse, the new design is too modern, not classic enough for the historic downtown Joliet. Look at how charming downtown Naperville and Geneva are. Has downtown Joliet figured out how they are trying to market themselves with relevant building and design codes?
An entire wall of windows will put a huge air conditioning load on that section of the building and likewise in the winter, the cold air will wash down the windows and fill the space with chilly air. The downtown will look like a tacky version of Schaumburg without a coherent architectural style, a few modern buildings, some dilapidated structures and some classic gems that should be emulated, like the Rialto and old train station.
The courthouse should reflect the stability of our cultural heritage of democracy and justice from the Greeks and Romans to the colonial period with its classic Georgian architecture. Think pillars, stone, columns and red brick, and a cupola on the top with an American flag flying, not an office building masquerading as a courthouse.
Another problem is that Will County could easily double in size when it is fully built out, meaning this will not be the last courthouse the county needs and could just be $150 million down the drain. These architects act like civil engineers rather than architects well-versed in the fine arts.
Sincerely,
Thomas Cechner
Lockport