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Tiaras: a problem not confined to bachelorette parties. In the upper left corner of this photo (or, if you’re an art-history major, its upper right) is an example of a tiara. These, Julian Hunt says, are a “doodads”—-“useless ornament” and a prime example of what he says is the “solipsism” endemic to D.C. architecture.
The tiara caps a building on Vermont Avenue and K Street NW that, like many buildings in D.C. faces an “odd corner.” There are different ways to solve such a problem, Hunt says. A great example is the Flatiron Building in New York. A bad example is this one, which houses a Corner Bakery on its ground floor.
Another dismaying feature of D.C. street furniture, says Hunt, is its light fixtures. The pole is mounted on a cheap base so there’s easy access to its electronics. The pole is OK, but it switches styles halfway up to a ’50s street light. It’s just not great.
