GOVERNMENTAL ARCHITECTURE Many municipalities in Europe have erected new and imposing buildings to house local administrations. State governments in the United States have undertaken new capitols. New, modernized post-offices, custom-houses, town-halls, etc., have been built in many places.
The plan problem of modern administrative buildings is some what similar to that of the commercial office building except for two features: (I) the plan includes large and specially designed rooms for the assembly of boards, councils, delegates or gatherings of representatives, which dominate the plan and are surrounded by offices for government workers and permanent staffs; (2) architecturally, both exterior and interior are treated more ex travagantly, with liberal provisions for landscaped settings (see LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE), all very properly done to impress the community with the power and authority of the State. The architectural problem is new only in so far as the tendency for the State to assume ownership of certain public utilities has consid erably increased the space needed for government work. The London County Council hall, near the Houses of Parliament, the fine building of the Port of London Authority, the Town Hall of Stockholm and the State Capitol of Nebraska in the United States are conspicuous examples. (See also GOVERNMENTAL ARCHI