Best Urban architecture in the US? Anyone interested in Urban design?

I found a site that has streetscapes from many cities, mainly the homes charecteristic to the city---The Baltimore Rowhouse, the Boston Triple Decker, the Cleveland Duplex

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/enter/index.html

which is your favorite city for residential architecture? Which city is the best designed?

Art Deco, Skyscrapers

I like rowhouses, I like ornate apartment buildings. I like Richardsonian Romanesque style particularly.

I also like craftsman style and colonial homes and Boston Triple Deckers

And there are a few buildings in Miami that were built in the 20s that are modeled after buildings in those cities. Here is one of my favorites in Miami. It's the Miami-Dade County Courthouse.

I like that style for office/government buildings

And it was the tallest building south of Washington DC for like 40 years.

This is why Holland reminds me of home



This is around the corner from where I grew up

Detroit really does have some great looking homes

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/detroit/det004.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/detroit/det010.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/detroit/det012.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/detroit/det018.html

All kinds of architecture

I also post there under my DU username.:) Sean Reynolds, another DUer, also posts there,

I just checked out that site. Who would have ever thought that five of the ten tallest buildings in the world are in China?

And only one thread was photos of my own. It was tough getting them from my digital camera to my computer. That thread is now buried in the archives, though.

Thanks for providing that link.

www.hundertwasserhaus.info

Where in Vienna is that? It's a beautiful city, I love the downtown area. But I don't remember seeing anything like that? (course, I was only there for three days :) )

but I've never been to that particular Hundertwasserhaus, but there's another Hundertwasser creation near the Zürich airport. I've long been a big fan of Hundertwasser's paintings. I'm glad you like the photo!

Cleveland Duplexes
http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/cleveland/4.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/cleveland/1.html

Boston has wonderful homes
http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/boston/bos54.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/boston/bos39.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/boston/bos27.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/streetscapes/streets/boston/bos69.html

Baltimore has some amazing rowhouses

http://herodotus.topcities.com/visionsofbaltimore/baltimore033.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/visionsofbaltimore/baltimore009.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/visionsofbaltimore/baltimore075.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/visionsofbaltimore/baltimore086.html

Chicago also has great homes

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/chi/chi009.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/chi/chi002.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/chi/chi045.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/chi/chi001.html

Pittsburg has a wide variety of neat houses

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/pittsburgh/e/Dscf0015_2.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/pittsburgh/e/Dscf0017.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/pittsburgh/s/Dscf0009_2.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/pittsburgh/n/Dscf0001.html

If you like Deco (as I do), it's worth a trip to Buffalo (go in Spring or Autumn).


This is the Larkin, by FL Wright (sadly demolished in 1950):

http://www.archinform.net/medien/00007403.htm?ID=oJudROHOI4WQHsTV


but here are some beautiful landmarks still standing:
another Wright home:
http://www.archinform.net/medien/00007420.htm?ID=oJudROHOI4WQHsTV

(this is the City Hall...notice the Egyptian column in the foreground!):
http://www.wcities.com/en/record/150,161304/300/record.html

Kleinhan's Music Hall (1940):
http://www.wgrz.com/storyfull.asp?id=16536

Guarantee Insurance Bldg:


Niagara Mowhawk Bldg. (looks like a wedding cake, up close):


Albright/Knox Gallery:


And my favourite, the Central Rail Terminal (hopefully being saved from demolition):





awesome recent photos and a sad history of the Terminal here:
http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/terminal/death/death.html

I've seen pictures of a lot of old buildings in detroit that they let go to hell. It's too bad.

There are a million things they could do with that---condos, stores, offices, government offices, a museum

To tear that down is a waste of one of the finest buildings and real estate opportunities ever.

Several people have tried to save and/or gentrify it, but it's a huge deal, as you can imagine.

Complicating the issue is the fact that it's in the heart of an extremely poor neighbourhood, and it's gang territory.

I went on an "unlawful" exploration of the Terminal in 1995. It's vast, and in very poor condition. Even still, you can see what it must have been like in its prime.

And, years of neglect have allowed the water which has flooded the basement levels to freeze and thaw, which causes unimaginable stress on the foundation... it's unclear if the building can be saved at all, even with enough capital. It may no longer be structurally sound.

But... it's now owned by a non-profit corporation which was formed to restore the building. They have been actively raising money and lobbying for State and Federal historical landmark grants. So it might be saved, if it can be.

http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org/ (and you can donate with PayPal...hint hint!).

Can you tell I'm a Buffalo Booster? I love that city.

I, too, went on an "unlawful" exploration of the terminal. It was in High School. I did a whole photo essay on it...went through something like three rolls of T-MAX. That was probably right around '94, '95.

...probably one of the stupider things I've ever done, looking back. To quote Egon Spengler: "The neighborhood is like a demilitarized zone."

Tons of fun (and they have a page on the CRT):

http://www.infiltration.org/

And the train terminal! I hope to hell that can be saved!





EDIT: note that we fly a Canadian flag, too. :)

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0055.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0079.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0037.html

I like these craftsman style houses:

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0031.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0002.html

Washington DC is partly know for it's collection of Richardsonian Romanesque Stuctures:

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/dc010.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0022.html


http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/dc028.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0068.html

Neat Tudor row houses:

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/dc010.html



But much of DC is built in this style:

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0022.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/dc016.html

http://herodotus.topcities.com/urban/washington/wdc0039.html

Period, no argument

this doesn't answer your question, but I thought I'd post his website anyway.

http://www.calatrava.com/

Have you been here to our museum?

and when I say favorite, it's based only on pictures. I need to see some of his buildings in person. From what I can tell, they are just so much more sensual than other architecture done today.

If you ever get the chance, come and see it. That art museum is amazing. I had the extreme pleasure of viewing the Splendor of Poland exhibit there including Leonardo's Lady With an Ermine.

Current exhibitions include Degas Sculptures... www.mam.org.

I plan to move back to Minnesota next year, so I won't be far then.

www.mam.org It is incredible.

And there are some really remarkable collections/exhibitions there, as well.


Check out the photo gallery there: http://mam.org/thebuilding/photo_gallery.htm

architecture in cities, from residential to downtown areas. Can't get enough.

I particularly love the grand row houses.

Best designed by far (of course, burning down and starting from scratch did give Chicago a leg up, as they say)

Best neigbhorhood/residential architecture too.

Actually, best city period!! But -- that's just my opinion ;-).

Boston is nice.

showcase architecture, you really do have to include New Orleans in the picture, as well as some other old southern towns like Charleston, St. Augustine, Alexandria (VA), as well as the Southwestern style of Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

I love New Orleans architecture. It's got such a European influence to it.

Give me the country any old day.

No streetscape ever matched watching a calf being born, cleaned by its momma, then taking that first try at standing.

But Chicago has some really great architecture, Washington DC as well.

And as much as I bash my home city, Richmond, Virginia has some of the best concentrations of Classical architecture on the east coast. It really is worth a visit for people that are interested in that sort of thing.

ETA: For Virginians who are interested, I thought I would add that the Branch House in Richmond is set to open in April as one of the only Architecture Museums in the Southeast. Looks pretty promising.