Surprisingly, the Eisenhower Memorial design contains almost none of the known Gehry-box of tricks. His giant etched chain-link curtain, first applied in 1979 to hide an ungracious parking garage at Santa Monica Place, is resurrected for Eisenhower to screen the equally graceless facade of the Department of Education.

The quote by Leon Krier is a critique of the Eisenhower Memorial design by architect Frank Gehry. Krier points out that the memorial avoids many of the so-called “Gehry-box of tricks,” referring to Gehry’s signature design elements such as fragmented forms, metallic surfaces, and unconventional structures. However, he notes that one element—the giant etched chain-link curtain—was included, a feature Gehry first used in 1979 at Santa Monica Place to obscure an unattractive parking garage.

By drawing this parallel, Krier implies that Gehry’s design for the Eisenhower Memorial repeats a solution originally intended as a concealment device, rather than as an uplifting or meaningful architectural gesture. The chain-link curtain becomes, in Krier’s view, a recycled idea used to cover what he calls the “graceless facade” of the U.S. Department of Education. His tone suggests dissatisfaction with the design, seeing it as unworthy of a national memorial dedicated to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The deeper meaning of Krier’s critique lies in his philosophy of traditional and classical architecture, which often stands in opposition to Gehry’s modernist and deconstructivist style. For Krier, a memorial should embody dignity, harmony, and timeless symbolism, while Gehry’s approach often emphasizes bold experimentation. This clash of values explains why Krier found the Eisenhower design disappointing—he viewed it as both aesthetic recycling and a mismatch for the gravity of a presidential memorial.

The origin of this quote lies in Krier’s role as a Luxembourgish architect, urban planner, and critic, well known for his outspoken opposition to modernist and postmodernist trends in architecture. As a proponent of New Urbanism and classical design, Krier has long criticized Gehry’s work for prioritizing spectacle over meaning. His comments on the Eisenhower Memorial reflect both his personal design philosophy and the broader debate over how America should memorialize its leaders.