Tuesday 27 November 2012

America’s Architectural Obliviousness

Americans don’t dislike architecture. They’re oblivious to it. I first recognized this about twenty years ago when I was Greyhounding around to look at Louis Sullivan’s Midwest banks, those architectural gems he called his “jewel boxes.” I was the only passenger on the early morning schedule from Dayton to Sidney so I asked the bus driver as we pulled into the New England-like town square if I could have a few extra minutes stop. I wanted to take a good look at the bank with the splendid signature “THRIFT” scrawled Art Nouveau-gishly across its façade. He said sure, he had to take a smoke.

In fifteen minutes he picked me up as agreed in front of the bank, and remarked, “You know I must have driven past that bank hundreds of times and I never even noticed it. It’s really pretty, isn’t it?” You got that right, my epiphinated Greyhound bus driver, and how I wish I could quicken the eyes of your fellow compatriots so that they could see the rich visual heritage they are wasting when they’re so oblivious to the realities of American architecture. 

I am researching what I hope will become one small catalyst in this necessary awakening: “100 Great North American Spaces.” I say Spaces because I want people to realize that the Ezra Stoller Syndrome deadens us to the architectural verities when it photographs empty (i.e. people-less) buildings isolated from their surroundings. A building is a sight for sore eyes when it is sited properly in local spaces. I say North American because I want a sort of architectural NAFTA, an opening up, say, to the lively differences between Luis Barragan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Douglas Cardinal. 

I need your help in narrowing down the 100 Greats. There should be diversity as to genre, era, and region. Will you nominate your “must chooses?” A postcard to me would be fine. Or a FAX. Opinionated communications even more valued. To give you the idea, I hereby prime your pump.

ERA
GENRE
BUILDING
ARCHITECT
REGION
1980s
Church
Thorncrown Chapel
E. Fay Jones
AK
1930s
House
Fallingwater
F.L. Wright
PA
1800s
Plantation
Monticello
T. Jefferson
VA
1960s
High Rise
Marina Towers
B. Goldberg
IL
1980s
Museum
Canadian M Civ
D. Cardinal
Ont
1870s
Church
Trinity, Copley Sq
H.H. Richardson
MA
1910s
Bank
Owatonna Farmer’s
Louis Sullivan
MN
1960s
Museum
Oakland Museum
Kevin Roche
CA
1950s
Mass Housing
National Homes
Charles Goodman
IN
1950s
Memorial
Gateway Arch
Eero Saarinen
MO
1980s
Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Maya Lin
DC
1930s
Skyscraper
PSFS Building
Howe/Lescaze
PA
1940s
High Rise
Medical Dental/SF
Timothy Pfleuger
CA
1880s
Bridge
Brooklyn
The Roeblings
NY
1890s
Estate
Biltmore, Asheville
R.M. Hunt
NC
1970s
Hotel
Peachtree Plaza
John Portman
GA
1930s
Hotels
Miami Beach
Various
FL
1980s
Museum
MOCA/LA
A. Isosaki
CA
1980s
Utopia
Arcosanti
P. Soleri
AZ
1930s
Dam
Hoover
WPA
NV
1100s
Habitation
Mesa Verde
Anasazi
NM
1910s
Artist’s Colony
Taos
Diverse
NM
1910s
State Capital
Lincoln
B. Goodhue
NE
1860s
Public Park
Central/NYC
F. Olmsted
NY
1940s
Commissions
Columbus, IN
Diverse
IN
1980s
Public Park
Mud Island/Memphis
R. Harrover
TN
1850s
Observatory
Barnard’s/Ole Miss
F. Barnard
MS
1980s
Conservatory
San Antonio
E. Ambasz
TX

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