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Topic: Modern Architecture.
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 08-19-2007 07:18 PM
Many people have strong views on modern architecture. It's a subject which interests me. My father was an architect, though he didn't design anything that anybody here is likely to have seen; he worked for a paper company, and designed things like boiler houses. Anyway, let's have some nominations for what you consider to be some of the best modern buildings. Obviously, cinema buildings are likely to be included, but other types of buldings are welcome as well.
I'll start off with one in central London; The Royal Horticultural Society's New Hall, recently renamed the 'Lawrence Hall', by Easton and Robertson, 1928. From the outside it's a rather low, not terribly interesting building, though the frontage is quite pleasant. In the foyer there are some original turnstiles and light fittings, with stairs going down to something, cloakrooms maybe, I've never been down there. To each side there are stairs going up into the hall itself, and nothing can prepare you for what you see when you enter it for the first time. Photographs can't really do it justice, but that's all we've got here:
web page
Because of the way the arched roof steps back, the great height of the hall cannot be seen from outside. It really is quite stunning when you first walk into it.
If you click on the virtual tour link what you first see is an annexe to the main hall, above the entrance doors; this is reached by turning round when you enter the hall, and walking up a few more steps. Turn around in the virtual tour to see the hall itself. There's another picture of it, as used by the BBC, here: web page
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 08-20-2007 07:33 PM
Define "modern." Are we talking about buildings erected within the last decade, or perhaps the last 50 years or anything from the dawn of the 20th century up to now?
I think the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is pretty cool. Very curvy, metallic and abstract. However, enjoying Frank Gehry's work may be an acquired taste.
PPG Place in Pittburgh is a cool skyscraper that inserts style cues from a middle ages castle into a black tower shrouded in glass. I like it a lot more than the AT&T building in NY (another building Phillip Johnson and John Burgee dedicated in the same year).
One of the greatest aspects of living in New York City (or just visiting) is seeing all the ground-breaking architecture in person. You have classic towers like the Woolworth Building, Flatiron Building, Chrysler Building and, oh, the Empire State Building. The Brooklyn Bridge, George Washington Bridge and Verrazano Narrows Bridge are icons of engineering achievement.
Some of the modern buildings in New York are pretty cool. I like the Lipstick Building at 53rd and 3rd Ave. Citicorp Center may seem a bit plain from a distance, but it's anything but plain right there at ground level. The whole skyscraper seems to be suspended on stilts above a sunken plaza. I'm a little unsure about the whole Freedom Tower concept at the former World Trade Center site. But I'll withhold my judgment until the place opens.
Lots of great, modern architecture exists outside of New York City as well. Chicago is a truly great architectural showcase city in its own right. Atlanta, Houston and Dallas have a number of memorable skyscrapers. The Peachtree Center is an icon for Atlanta. The JP Morgan/Chase tower is my favorite skyscraper in Dallas (it's the one with the hole through the building). Central Houston has had an impressive skyline for decades, but a new skyscraper district is growing a few miles to the west along I-610. The Williams Tower is certainly a standout in that neighborhood.
Los Angeles has only become known for its skyscrapers within the last 20 years, and movies have certainly helped make the identities of certain buildings a lot more memorable. Everyone knows the Fox Building, often nicknaming it the "Die Hard Building." At 1018 feet, First Interstate Bank World Center is the tallest building on the West Coast. It was the first building the invading aliens destroyed in Independence Day.
Let's not leave out the fact that there has been seemingly much more activity in skyscraper and giant bridge building outside of the United States in the last couple decades.
I'd love to be able to visit Japan again just to see the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge. It's currently the longest suspension bridge in world (by length of its center span).
China, Taiwan and Indonesia all have significant super-tall skyscrapers. Taipei 101 is interesting. I also like the International Finance Center tower in Hong Kong. Recently, one of the largest ever digitally printed murals was installed on one side of the tower.
London has some odd looking modern buildings. I don't care for the Millenium Dome. But I do like the London Eye, which seems like a gigantic ferris wheel.
This topic is one area where I can, and have, literally burn up many hours looking through Google Earth. Many cities have pretty high resolution views where you can see lots of detail on important buildings and other structures. The Panoramio layer in Google Earth has lots of photos of just about any structure worthy of inviting a camera's aim.
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 08-21-2007 05:32 AM
I don't mind the Dome as a building, it's the event that it was designed for, and the cost of the whole thing that I object to.
My second nomination will be the Battery Maritime Building, in Manhattan. Walker and Morris, 1909.
web page
and another one.
It's described as being 'Beaux-Arts' style, but I'm not sure what that means, as the same term seems to be used to describe many, very different, buildings. It was largely derelict when I first saw it, but is now looking rather fine after a long, and very expensive, restoration. It was originally used as a terminal for ferries to brooklyn, and is next to the Whitehall terminal for the Staten Island ferry, which has recently been totally rebuilt.
The new terminal, and it's partner at St. George on Staten Island are a vast improvement on the previous ones, so I'll nominate those as well.
For my next building I'll choose another ferry terminal, at Hoboken Terminal, NJ, also disused, and also under restoration.
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