The unexpectedly vibrant design selected last week for the new headquarters of the European Central Bank has critics almost giddy with delight. “What makes the design more than a superficial attempt to spice up the European Union’s image is its subtle relationship to 20th-century architectural history. Its bold forms nod to the idealism that was once embodied in International style Modernism but also critique it, expressing a more nuanced view of Europe’s role in the emerging global culture.”