posted on January 2, 2001 05:08:08 AM new
In my lifetime I have been fortunate in as much that I have travelled to many parts of the globe.
Sadly, I have never been to America. One day soon I hope to rectify that.
One thing that I have always enjoyed in my travels, apart from the natural wonders of the world, are some of the awe inspiring buildings that man has created. Among my favourites are some of the great gothic cathedrals of Europe, the Taj Mahal in India and the ancient monuments and Pyramids in Egypt.
What, particularly in America, do you find to be personally inspiring buildings? Where are they? Your opinions may well help me to plan my next big trip some time soon.
Itchy feet again!
posted on January 2, 2001 07:20:46 AM new
Since America is a relatively young country I don't think we have too much architecture which is truly awe-inspiring, nothing like the Hagia Sophia or the Taj Mahal. Part of the charm of buildings like that is their historical significance and the style in which they were built. Modern architecture just isn't comparable, which I've always found to be unfortunate.
That said, some impressive structures over here include:
- The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
- The Mormon temple in Salt Lake City
- The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, if you like the "ultra-modern"
San Francisco has some exceptionally beautiful architecture as far as everyday structures like houses and other buildings. There area also beautiful cathedrals all over the country, though I'm sure they don't compare to the likes of Chartres.
posted on January 2, 2001 07:43:47 AM new
I forgot, until RainyBear reminded me-the chapel at the air Force academy IS truly awe inspiring-regardless of it's age! A beautiful place.
But Rainy is right-what man has built is not what is so impressive about North America. Go see the Rocky Mountains-if you ever doubted there is a God, they will remove that doubt. Nothing like the Rockies could have occurred by accident. Or Monument Valley. Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite.
I also forgot the pueblos in Mesa Verde-amazing that a 'primitive' society could have built those!
posted on January 2, 2001 07:52:54 AM new
It really is the NATURAL beauty of the States that is so amazing. From Niagara Falls in the east to the Grand Canyon in the west, the variety is unbelievable.
As for architecture, try some of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Lots around Chicago. Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania is outstanding. It was the home of the Kaufmann's, the department store owner, and it was built OVER a waterfall on a heavily wooded property. In the spring, wild rhododendrons abound and it is gorgeous. The Kaufmann son was a student/friend of Wright and he was the impetus to his parents selecting Wright to design the house. Even the furnishings were designed by him.
posted on January 2, 2001 08:52:09 AM new
Hmm....let's just take Boston:
Trinity Church H.H. Richardson's masterpiece - stunning frescoes and stonework
South End - the largest intact Victorian neighborhood in the world which makes San Francisco's "painted ladies" look like cardboard boxes
Lower Commonwealth Avenue - spectacular 19th century townhouses - walk down this street at night when you can see into the stunning interiors of the private clubs
Beacon Hill - carefully preserved early 19th-century neighborhood - a number of restored buildings open to the public, including one of the earliest synagogues in the US and several private homes
Christian Science Mother Church complex - dazzzling "brutalist" design by IM Pei includes a mammoth reflecting pool, several gorgeous administrative buildings and the "Mapparium", a huge stained-glass globe of Earth that you walk through on the inside.
Boston Public Library - oldest free library in the US, recently restored, has many frescoes by John Singer Sargent and a remarkable Medieval-styled paneled and frescoed room depicting the search for the Holy Grail; many fine bronzes inside and out. Wonderful example of late 19th century "public" architecture with modern addition by IM Pei.
Wang Center Auditorium - 3000+ Beaux-Arts style seat theatre built in the late '20s, fully restored. If you saw "Witches of Eastwick," the room in Nicholson's house where the women all flew around is just the lobby of this place!
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - Venetian-style palazzo with fabulous indoor garden. This was the home of Mrs. Gardner (patron to Whistler and Sargent, among others) for many years. She built it with the intention of making it a museum after her death, and it is JAMMED with remarkable finds, from Rembrandts to a huge collection of antique lace, all arranged with her own hands.
Symphony Hall - This is where you see the Boston Pops concerts. Unusual 19th-century design that provides warm, perfect acoustics no matter where you sit. BU has another completely-wooden concert hall whose name I can't remember, recently restored and with even more beautiful acoustics.
Part Street Subway Station - first subway station in the US. On the Historic Register, modernization left enough intact that you can still see what it looked like when it was first opened.
All these are within easy walking distance of each other, and all but the Gardner Museum and a couple Beacon Street museums are free.
posted on January 2, 2001 09:09:29 AM new
The Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building. I love the ceilings and wonderful paneling and marble. But, I also love what is in it....miles of books, newspapers and manuscripts that may not exist anywhere else now. I love the tunnels underneath the three buildings too. I find the rooms in the TJ building to be cozy, even when large. The main reading room is wonderful. The other two buildings rooms...ugh.
I find tiny European villages with their original buildings awe inspiring. They have kept so many buildings/homes intact, while we work to keep just a few at a time from the wrecking balls. How wonderful for them.
posted on January 2, 2001 10:26:36 AM new
The Anasazi ruins along the Colorado/Utah border (an ancient civilization that disappeared a couple of hundred years before Europeans arrived)
America's roadside architecture. These are buildings from the 20's through the 50's & are a lot of fun to look at. Buildings in the shape of dinosaurs, hotdogs, coffee pots, ducks, you name it.
The Watts Towers
The Getty Museum in L.A. (the building itself--then go in to see the art )
Not architecture, but go see the La Brea Tar Pits in L.A. There is also an attached museum where you can see them cleaning bones that are found in the pits.
The Garden of the Gods: natural "architecture." It's in the southern part of Colorado and features spectacular geological formations.
posted on January 2, 2001 10:31:08 AM new
For a little bit of *everything* visit Las Vegas. They've recreated Venice, ancient Egypt, Roman, ancient Persia, Paris, New York, etc. etc. etc. You can watch volcanoes explode, take part in a Star Trek mission, and see a battle between pirates and the British navy in which a ship is sunk. You don't have to gamble to have fun there...
posted on January 2, 2001 11:26:34 AM new
Fallingwater - be still my heart. What an incredible building! I have finally convinced my hubby to take me there for my birthday.
Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. You can see how America was in colonial times. While there you can also stop at Busch Gardens, voted one of the best amusement parks in the world. Its beauty is breathtaking!
Philadelphia's Independence Hall. You can almost hear the colonists talking ... history comes alive the moment you walk into the building.
The Castle and mineral springs in Berkley Springs, West Virginia. The castle is beautiful - and haunted. You can actually feel her presence in the building!
But, as someone has said, just driving along the highways you will see wonderful sights and make sure to stop along the way - you'll meet alot of great people!
posted on January 2, 2001 11:42:45 AM new
The NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at The Kennedy Space Center in Florida I found awesome when I was there. With 129,428,000 cubic feet of space it is one of the largest buildings in the world. For more information visit;
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/vab.html
I have to agree with bearmom about The Cadet Chapel at The Air Force Academy in Colorado.
However, For me the most Awe Inspiring Building is the house I grew up in. An old carriage house that was converted to a home. It was unique. I loved that place...
Barry (now home is where the apartment is......) Barris
posted on January 2, 2001 12:46:55 PM new
RainyBear,
I have lived in upstate New York all my life, about 120 miles north of New York City, and I enjoy it here.
I was a member of the Civil Air Patrol for many years (squadron commander for 5 years). C.A.P. is an auxiliary of the United States Air Force. Several Cadets I have known through C.A.P. have gone on to attend the Air Force Academy. Thus my connection. Your brother must have a great job working with those kids, I take my hat off to him...
posted on January 2, 2001 01:56:36 PM new
County courthouse buildings in small-town America, the ones on the town square. Some of the State capital buildings, like the one in Iowa with it's five gold domes(I believe it's Colorado with a similar Capital building).
The round barns, the beautifully laid-out Kentucky horse farms, the autumn foliage of New England.
posted on January 2, 2001 02:13:19 PM new
Keeping it to buildings.
Charleston, SC -first because of the sheer number of homes that have survived.
The plantations of SW Louisiana.
The remains of Fort Morgan, Mobile Ala.
Palace of Fine Arts SF
Strawberry Banke Portsmouth,NH
The Castle Kittery,ME
Fallingwater
PPG(Glass) Center Pittsburgh, Pa.
The World Trade Center, N.Y. for the view.
posted on January 2, 2001 03:45:46 PM new
Yes in America you have a lot of interesting small buildings. Nothing on the order of the Taj Mahal but each area has it's own syles and periods of homes and public buildings.
The Library of Congress is an interesting building. They just issued a postage stamp featuring the ceilings.
I suppose the Mormans Temple is worthy of compare to some european churchs but I have never been a fan of big buildings.
Have you ever seen a street car style diner? They have preserved one inside The Henry Ford Museam.
The barns in Pennsylvania with the Hex signs are a wonder. They will tell you the are just decoration if you are a tourist, but when they make a new one they will ask the powwow lady or man to "put the power in them"
The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde can haunt your thoughts for years. I was fortunate enough to have been able to see them years ago when you could still go in anytime unrestricted and have the wonder of sitting there all by yourself with no other people or sound and
feeling like the owners had just stepped out for a few minutes and might be right back through the door.
posted on January 2, 2001 04:58:57 PM new
I am lucky enough to live in Western PA where some old time metal diners still exist. There is also a wonderful small one in North Tonawanda, NY just outside of Niagara Falls.
Good news, folks. Remember the coffee pot diner? It is about to be taken over by a historical society so it can be repaired and saved.
Fo those who love diners there is an incredible set of videos out that visit alot of them in this area.
BE CAREFUL - people who have come to America to visit don't always want to go back home!
posted on January 2, 2001 06:42:22 PM new
I would probably say the most awe inspiring building for me, would be standing in the Lincoln memorial. You are able to see the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the Capitol (fortunately you usually don't see any of the politicians).
As to most awe inspiring place, probably either flying over the active volcano in Hawaii (in a helicopter) or sitting on a cruise ship about 100 yards away from a glacier in Alaska.
posted on January 2, 2001 06:57:20 PM new
The Ansonia Hotel in NYC on 73rd and Broadway. It's a beautiful pre-war building with a lot of French influence on the architecture.
posted on January 2, 2001 07:25:35 PM new
Taos! Everything there is wonderful-the scenery, the architecture, the people!
The Crystal Cathedral, The cathedral on Jackson sq. in New Orleans (I forget the name), Grand Central Station (if it was clean), the Tarrant Co courthouse in Fort Worth, the Teepee shaped motel rooms in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The pyramids in Mexico!
The seals off San Diego's coast. The whales in Oregon. Sequoia Park-you can't drive through the tree anymore, but they are incredible. the balloon festival in Albuquerque every October is worth seeing-a sky full of gorgeous balloons!
The administration building of Southwestern University, the bell tower at Texas Tech.
If you come to America, you really need to see some of the caverns in Texas and Carlsbad. Truly awe inspiring, and overpowering to those of us with claustrophobia!
Come to think of it, I enjoy most places I see, for one reason or another..every one is unique for it's own heritage and people. Everyplace I go in the US, I am glad I got to visit!
posted on January 2, 2001 08:43:36 PM new
I guess architecture would impress me a lot more if buildings worked. I liked what Heinlien said that architects copy each others mistakes and call it art.
Right now there are six heavy snow falls unmelted on the ground outside and it is very apparent that the architects who designed most of the buildings and placement in this climate made no provision for space to plow the snow out of the way. A major portion of the parking area which did not have enough spaces for the occupancy to start with is covered with snow and the trucks were unable to empty the trash dumpsters because there was snow piled in front of them. Everywhere I go there are overhangs that drip onto the walks at the exact worst place to create an ice hazard to slip and fall.
There are several Frank Lyodd Wright homes near here I have visited and they can be pleasing to the eye but they are not comfortable to live in. The local ones are a real hot box with no good ventilation in hot weather. And they have really excessive maintenance problems. You really need to keep his specially designed stark small furniture in place. Not because it is sacred to his design and memory but but because comfortable replacement pieces don't fit in the space available. I am sure this will get me hate mail from those who regard him as a God of architecture.
Our local University has punished all their architects by putting them in a building that looks like Superman's Fortress of solitude with floor to ceiling arrow slit windows that
are too small to escape through and don't open. The air conditioning does not work and the heating can be 15 degrees different in neighboring rooms. Justice almost.
posted on January 2, 2001 09:03:13 PM new
The Vanderbilt Mansion (Biltmore House in Asheville, NC...WAY ahead of its time,and is still the largest privately owned residence in the US.[url]http://www.biltmore.com/
[\url]
and the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD...the "World's Only"...it looks kinda cheesy, but when you examine the huge murals on the walls made only of crops, it becomes rather amazing. [url]http://geogweb.berkeley.edu/GeoImages/Starrs/CORNPAL.html[\url]
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on January 2, 2001 10:22:48 PM new
In the Ozarks there is a place called Thorncrown Chapel. Built into a beautiful wooded valley is is built sorta like the Airforce chapel - but is all glassed and feels like it is just part of the forest.
No particular denomination - it was built and opened by a private couple for all to visit for free. It is an amazing place to be when the redbuds and the dogwoods are in bloom in the spring and you feel this "inside/outside with all of nature" feeling.
If nutspec was to get married (which seems unlikely as he falls further and further into dreary bachelorhood) he would pick this beautiful place as the location.
now you've done it - I'm homesick for the Ozarks now.
Nutspec
[ edited by nutspec on Jan 2, 2001 10:25 PM ]
posted on January 5, 2001 01:25:27 AM new
I was fascinated by the City Hall building in downtown Salt Lake City. Then again, it did have gargoyles on it Here's a couple of my pictures of it:
posted on January 5, 2001 08:31:33 AM new
The Crysler Building has a elegant look to it, very unique and a true landmark.
The Brooklyn Bridge has no equal as far as bridges go, the lacework of supports make it by far the most beautiful bridge to me. For some interesting reading you should read what a fantastic feat of engineering the Brooklyn bridge was to complete. It is a facinating accomplishment.
...) Barris
