reCyclorama
The Campaign to Save Richard Neutra's
Cyclorama Building at Gettysburg

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A new visitor's center at Gettysburg National Military Park opens today. For the first time since 2005, the public will be able to view the 1884 restored cyclorama painting of the battle. Meanwhile, the historic home of the painting sits dark and vacant, igniting a battle over preservation. WHYY's Arts and Culture reporter, Alex Schmidt paid a visit to the historically and architecturally significant building and has this story. Audio file.

THE GETTYSBURG CYCLORAMA: SLEEK, SPARE, AND SEXY -that's the look internationally renowned architect Richard Neutra was going for when he unveiled his Cyclorama Center to the public in 1962. Opened just in time for the Civil War Centennial, the Center consisted of a sweeping, light-filled causeway that led to a large, drum-shaped white concrete building meant to house a 360-degree painting of the infamous Gettysburg battlefield.

Today, architects still regard the Cyclorama Center as some of Neutra's best work and a prime example of mid-20th century modernist design. However, the National Park Service appears to have a slightly less- favorable opinion. Nearby, construction is currently underway on a new home for the cyclorama painting - which means tearing down Neutra's masterwork. At present, it's estimated the building will be razed no later than 2009. In the meantime, architecture lovers, historic preservationists, and local Gettysburg business owners have banded together to bring another fight to this already hallowed ground. Step one is mobilizing public support and awareness - accomplished most prominently when the Cyclorama Center was added to the World Monuments Watch list of 100 Most Endangered Sites in 2006. Step two is admittedly a little more confrontational, as it involves the long arm of the law. In December 2006, the Recent Past Preservation Network sued the federal government and alleged that the Park Service hadn't done enough to maintain the building and hadn't properly taken into account the impact the demolition would have on the surrounding environment. What happens next is anyone's guess, but given that the Park Service is standing firm on their plan thus far, it might not be a good idea to wait before you visit. MENTALFLOSS.COM, July-August 2007, Volume 6, Issue 4, by Maggie Koerth-Baker

Others in this Top Ten: 1. Nauru (South Pacific), 2. The Dead Sea, 3. Mexico City, 4. Amish Country, 5. Freetown Christiania, 6. Route 66, 7. The Maldives, 8. The Snows of Kilimanjaro, 9. The Diamer Region of Pakistan, 10. The Gettysburg Cyclorama