Fundamentally, the purpose of civic centers has remained relatively unchanged throughout history, steadfastly serving as the soul of a community. From a practical standpoint, civic centers are intended to serve society and reflect the setting and period within which they are shaped. As such, civic values that guided an era are expressed in the architecture and spaces created during that time. For instance, one can understand the fundamentals of early Greek society by studying its agora, which included buildings and gathering places for debate, socializing, education, worship, adjudication, and finance. Contrast that with the city halls and civic plazas of the Federalist-aged 1800s, which reflected society’s move toward regularity and structure, or even the early 1900s Beaux Arts period city halls, which were meant to inspire and awe. Today, we ask ourselves, “How should a contemporary civic center define itself and what should it convey regarding current values for centuries to come?”
Regardless of location or the age in which it was built, each civic center has a purpose — which is aspirational — and a function — which is fundamental. Purpose is rooted in and unique to a given community; it is uncovered through engagement and derived through town hall meetings, design charettes, surveys, the sharing of oral histories, visualization exercises, and more. In terms of function, these facilities are often intended to meet a somewhat similar range of local business and community needs.