Navy to alter barracks shaped like swastika / AP

[Demeter]

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2007/09/ap_navyswastika_070926/

CORONADO, Calif. — The Navy will spend as much as $600,000 to modify the appearance of a barracks complex that resembles a swastika from the air, officials said.

The Navy approved the spending for changes to the four L-shaped buildings’ walkways, landscaping and rooftop solar panels after satellite images from Google Earth revealed the swastika-like shape, officials said....Navy officials said the buildings’ shape was not noted until after the groundbreaking in 1967. Since it was not visible from the ground, officials decided not to make any changes. But aerial photos made available on Google Earth in recent years revealed the buildings’ shape to a wide audience of computer users.


The Navy decided to alter the buildings’ shape following requests this year by Anti-Defamation League regional director Morris Casuto and Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif....The funds to change the buildings’ appearance were budgeted for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, officials said.

[Kelly Rupert]

1. What a waste of tax money n/t

[Myrina]

2. Who approved the design in the first place?

I can't imagine this was built without some architect or engineer getting a look at the plans and thinking ... "hmmmm ... this might not be so good".

:shrug:

[hedgehog]

3. The swastika is a basic shape like a square, circle, diamond, etc.

it's found as a symbol of good in many cultures. It may well be that it does make good sense for a building complex.

[Kelly Rupert]

4. It's just four L-shaped buildings.

It's an efficient design to create semienclosed courtyards with rotational symmetry. It's rather pleasing to the eye, I think. It's really a pity that the Nazis completely destroyed such a beautiful design with such a rich history (of course, that would probably be pretty low on the "bad things Nazis did" list...)

While I can see the original designers not catching it if it slowly evolved in that direction from, say, an H-shaped complex, though...yeah, I really would think that *someone* would have had to catch that before groundbreaking.

[MindPilot]

6. Here ya go...

[Igel]

5. Will they alter the outline of the adjacent bomber-shaped building? n/t

[Karenina]

7. The page has gone AWOL!

:rofl: