Art: Palace of Concrete

Not since the Eiffel Tower was topped off in 1889 have Parisians raised such a hullabaloo about a structure. The new $9,010,000 UNESCO Headquarters is a mammoth (by Paris standards) concrete complex that soars up 95 ft. to the top limit allowed by Paris' building code, and spreads over 7½ acres. Where were the plain grey façades, balconies, front-to-sidewalk walls and classical details? Every tradition lover in town was up in arms. To make matters worse, the new structure was directly across from one of the gems of 18th century architecture—the revered Ecole Militaire, facing on the semicircular Place de...

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