While the architecture of the Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition displayed a multitude of building styles
and colors, the buildings of White Cityincluding Richard
Morris Hunt's Administration Building and McKim, Mead, and White's
Agricultural Buildingillustrated a return to classical traditions
in American architecture.
Richard Morris Hunt's
Designed under the guidance of architect
Daniel Hudson Burnham, White City became an obvious example
of the American Renaissance movement.
White City was the antithesis of the sprawling
metropolis surrounding it and the Midway nearby. The classically
inspired buildings symbolized order and unity in a socially
and culturally diverse world.