Editing Paul Philippe Cret (section)

== National Work ==

Cret's practice extended well beyond Philadelphia, with major commissions across the nation. The Detroit Institute of Arts (1927) applied Beaux-Arts principles to museum design, creating galleries of appropriate scale and character for art display. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. (1932), housed collections in a building whose classical severity suited scholarly purpose. War memorials in France and America commemorated World War I sacrifice through architecture of restrained dignity. These projects demonstrated Cret's versatility and his ability to adapt classical principles to varied programs and contexts.<ref name="tatum"/>

Cret's bridge designs achieved particular distinction, showing how engineering structures could achieve architectural expression. The Delaware River Bridge (now Benjamin Franklin Bridge, 1926) required collaboration between architect and engineers to create a structure that served transportation function while achieving visual presence worthy of its prominent site. Other bridge commissions demonstrated Cret's ability to work with modern materials and structural systems while maintaining aesthetic standards.<ref name="grossman"/>