Favorite American Architecture
posted by Daniel Solove
The Wall Street Journal has the results of an interesting survey on people’s favorite architecture in America. The top 10:
1. Empire State Building, New York, NY 1931
2. The White House, Washington, DC 1792
3. Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC 1990
4. Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC 1943
5. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA 1937
6. US Capitol, Washington, DC 1865
7. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC 1922
8. Biltmore Estates/Vanderbilt Residence, Ashville, NC 1895
9. Chrysler Building, New York, NY 1930
10. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washingon, DC 1982
According to the survey results: “Other than the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, no building of the past decade made it in the top 30 in the poll of 2,000 people by Harris Interactive for the American Institute of Architects.”
I am also pleased that 6 out of the 10 come from Washington, DC, the city I live in.
The WSJ Law Blog notes: “Only three of the most beloved structures were law-related: The U.S. Supreme Court, which clocked in at #15, the University of Michigan Law Library at #94, and the federal courthouse in Islip, N.Y., at #97.”
February 7, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Posted in: Architecture
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Responses (3)
Matt - February 7, 2007 at 7:46 pm
I’ve come to like the DC buildings less and less over the years, especially as I’ve traveled more and seen more interesting buildings. As such, the pseudo-classical style has come to look more and more derivative and boring to me, like a style for a country that has no culture. Now, there are lots of good american buildings, some named above. But I hope that so many DC buildings are named because they are famous and people know them rather then that they really think they are so great.
ML - February 8, 2007 at 9:32 am
I, dare I say it, *concur* with Matt. With that said, I think the church at Catholic U. in D.C. is worthy of a spot on the list.
Eric Elerath - May 1, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Question:
Why does architecture not have first amendment recognition? Currently, the government appears to reserve the right to architectural expression to itself, as an administrative matter, while denying the same right of expression to individuals.
One leading (unnamed) constitional scholar recently said that that architecture “…lacks the capacity to convey ideas…” that other forms of art and entertainment – and he included pornography in this category of art and entertainment – do.
One other thought is that architecture affects property values and is therefore derived from the commerce clause. Racial property covenants also affect real estate values, but that does not mean that issues of race are commercial issues. In fact, we find the concept repugnant.
Is there anyone who posts in this category who has a more credible response? I’m posting this same question as a comment to several bloggers, and if it is slightly off topic to the post that it follows, that is because it is intended to address the larger issue.
Thanks in advance.
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