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Foreign. How do you instill a feeling of justice, patriotism, and authority into a building's design? For the architects of the Supreme Court Building of the United States, the choice of material was able to signify national pride without the judiciary being seen to favor any. Any specific state. Much of the building is constructed with US Sourced marble, while the materials for the courtroom itself all come from abroad. You're listening to Tall Stories, a Monocle production brought to you by the team behind the Urbanist. I'm Andrew Tuck. In this episode, Charlotte MacDonald Gibson explains the design secrets and a few quirks behind this neoclassical monument in Washington, D.C.
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Positioned next door to the Beaux Art splendor of the Library of Congress and opposite all the political intrigue taking place underneath the soaring dome of the U.S. capitol, the Supreme Court could be at risk of being overwhelmed by its flashier neighbors. But behind the 16 Corinthian columns and of its relatively modest neoclassical facade, momentous decisions are being made that could affect the future of democracy in America. That's a big one, not a big one. With President Donald Trump testing the limits of the Constitution with a barrage of executive orders, many of his critics are hoping the Supreme Court will prove a check on his ambitions. And it's all taking place in a building imbued with meaning and symbolism. The clean, bold lines of the exterior, carved in white marble from Vermont, are meant to evoke a Greco Roman temple, declaring to all that justice is worthy of worship in America. But it took 146 years for the Supreme Court to have a home of its own. Established by the Constitution in 1789, the highest court in the land first sat in New York and then Philadelphia. When the seat of government moved to D.C. in 1880, the justices could be found pondering matters of law in different alcoves of the US Capitol. It wasn't until 1931 that the first stone was laid after former President William Howard Taft, also Supreme Court chief justice from 1921 to 1930, successfully lobbied for its creation. Architect Cass Gilbert, best known for the Woolworth Building skyscraper in New York, envisaged a Supreme Court that fitted in with the neoclassical style of the nearby federal buildings, but with plenty of nods to the lofty ideals of law and justice. The sculpted group above the grand entrance depicts liberty enthroned, and the court's creators were no shrinking violets. Sculptor Robert Aitken created a likeness of himself, Cass Gilbert and President Taft. Among the allegorical figures in the frieze, the words Equal justice under Law are carved underneath above two huge bronze doors. Each measuring 17ft high and weighing six and a half tons. These feature bas reliefs depicting moments in legal history, fictional and otherwise, ranging from a scene from Homer's Iliad to the signing of the Magna Carta. Miraculously for public commission, the Supreme Court actually came in under its $9.7 million budget, and $94,000 were returned to the US treasury after after its grand opening in 1935. Inside, there are two elliptical marble staircases and four inner courtyards carved from crystalline flaked white Georgian marble and creamy Alabama marble. The wood in all the offices is American quartered white oak. At the heart of the building is the Supreme Court chamber, where the nine justices sit. With its heavy red velvet curtains, dark wood and gilt trim, it's a room with a dignified, sombre atmosphere. Friezes high atop the walls depict figures including Moses, Confucius, Charmalayne and King John. Intriguingly, while materials from across the US Are showcased throughout the building, in the court chamber itself, all the key elements are sourced from overseas. The carved judge's bench is crafted from Honduran mahogany. The 24 columns framing the court her old convent quarry Sienna marble from Liguria, Italy. The walls and friezes are ivory veined marble from Alicante. Floors are Italian and Algerian marble. Gilbert chose the foreign materials to make the room stand out from the rest of the building, and he resisted fierce lobbying from different states to have their products showcased in the highest courtroom in the land. Staying true to his aesthetic vision, he presumably felt that foreign materials were superior in quality, an ethos that doesn't quite chime with Trump's American first mantra.
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America First.
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And it is Trump who looms large over the court as it's finishing up its current term. Despite its 6:3 conservative majority, critics of Trump's policies are hoping that their allegiance remains to the Constitution rather than the president. The justices have ruled against the administration in a handful of cases, but in more recent cases involving birthright, citizenship and transgender issues, the conservative majority has swung decisions in favor of the Trump administration. In the coming days, the court officially goes on recess until October. It's unlikely to be a quiet summer of vacationing for the justices, however, they will inevitably be called upon during recess to hear emergency cases spurred by Trump's ceaseless executive orders. And while there is symbolism aplenty for them to ponder in their offices for inspiration, they should also keep their eyes open. In spring 2022, as the justices were finalizing their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to abortion, a huge slab of Georgian marble crashed to the ground in one of the inner courtrooms. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the symbolism was not lost on detractors of that momentous decision.
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Tall Stories is a monocle production from the team behind the Urbanist. This episode was written by Charlotte MacDonald Gibson and produced and edited by David Stevens. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to receive new episodes every week. I'm Magic Tuck. Goodbye and thank you for listening. City Lovers.