Top 5: Architectural Buildings in the United States
1. Walt Disney Concert Hall - Frank Gehry
Completed on October 23, 2003, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world. The structure’s distinct metallic surfaces reflecting the Los Angeles’s sun has since become associated with architect Frank Gehry’s signature style (who also built the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao).
Photo by Dominic Spohr on Unsplash
Inside, the hall boasts 2,265 seats which occupy the same space where the orchestra plays. Without balconies and boxes, which Ernest Fleischmann, former Executive Director of the LA Philharmonic, felt they reinforced social hierarchy, the hall provides audience members an intimate view of the musicians from any seat.
Past the stainless steel structure is a garden oasis open to the public. There, Gehry specially dedicated a rose fountain to Lillian Disney, Walt’s Disney’s wife who helped fund the building. Constructed from broken pieces of blue Delft China—which were a favorite of Lillian’s—the fountain was named “A Rose for Lilly.”
Built: 1999-2003
Location: Los Angeles, United States
2. Fallingwater House - Frank Lloyd Wright
Designed in 1935, Fallingwater House is a testament to American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s ability to harmoniously unite art and nature. This grand design of organic architecture was built for the Kaufmann family, owners of Pittsburgh’s largest department store.
Photo by Claudia Lorusso on Unsplash
Rising above the waterfall, Fallingwater is surrounded by 5,100 acres of land, streams, and trails known as the Bear Run Nature Reserve. Dubbed as the “best all-time work of American architecture” by the American Institute of Architects, Fallingwater was recorded into the World Heritage List by UNESCO on July 10, 2019. It is also designated as a National Historic Landmark and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Treasure.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater, detail with tree (Edgar J. Kaufmann House), 1937 (photo: Daderot, CC0 1.0)
True to his philosophy of organic architecture, Wright pays tribute to the surrounding lands by using sandstone and other materials from the property. Fallingwater is an invitation to let the outside in, as Wright bows to nature’s pre-existing claim on the land: a jutting rock incorporated into the living room’s central hearth and bent a trellis beam to avoid cutting down a tree in the way.
Wright once said, "Can you say, when your building is complete, that the landscape is more beautiful than it was before?”
Today, Fallingwater is owned and operated by the Conservancy and has been open to the public for tours since 1964.
Built: 1939
Location: Mill Run, Pennsylvania
3. M.H. de Young Museum - Herzog & de Meuron
The M.H. de Young Museum, though it seems to have always fit seamlessly into the landscape, actually sits above the original M.H. de Young Museum which was destroyed by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Completed in 2005, the new museum utilizes natural materials like copper, stone, wood, and glass to complement its natural surroundings.
Photo by Claudia Lorusso on Unsplash
The building’s copper facade is textured to mimic the dance of light and shadow under a tree canopy. Windows that wrap around the building further erase the boundaries between the manmade interior and the natural environment of the outside. Four public entrances seamlessly welcome visitors entering from the surrounding park’s pathways.
Rising above the tops of the trees, a tower rises 144 feet, twisting from the ground and reaching the sky. Boldly taking its place in San Francisco’s skyline, the tower is a design monument, both breathtaking up close and from afar. An observation floor at the top provides visitors with views of the neighborhoods below and the surrounding Bay area.
Inside, the museum houses artworks from various artists, and outside, a sculpture garden and terrace creates an organic connection between the structure and the natural landscape. Paying homage to its original counterpart, palm trees, the Pool of Enchantment, and sphinx structures have been maintained since the opening of the old museum in 19th century, and still stand along the grounds of the new museum.
Built: 2005
Location: San Francisco, United States
4. Guggenheim Museum - Frank Lloyd Wright
Built in 1943 and finished in 1959, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s last project. Opened to the public 6 months after his death, the Guggenheim museum is one of Wright’s longest and most popular projects.
Photo by Dennis Gecaj on Unsplash
The building’s organic curves stands out from Manhattan’s rigid concrete jungle. Inside, six stories coil around a 92ft atrium. Over a quarter of a mile long ramp connect the six stories, allowing the organic curves of the exterior to flow within. In addition to allowing visitors to interact with different levels of work simultaneously, the ramp creates a unique experience for visitors to enjoy the art as they ascend closer to the sky.
Photo by Nicholas Ceglia on Unsplash
Wright worked on over 700 sketches before his vision came to life. And in August 1990, the museum was designated an official New York City landmark.
The Guggenheim museum is itself a work of art, as much as the priceless frames that hang within it. However, the concave walls made it difficult for artists to display their work. Which then led to the addition in 1992 by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects of a 10-story tower that had flat walls.
Built: 1943 - 1959
Location: New York City, United States
5. The Oculus - Santiago Calatrava
The Oculus white, grand structure is hard to miss at the World Trade Center, just across the street from Ground Zero. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the building’s steel ribs jut diagonally out, elegantly symbolizing the move of a hand releasing a dove.
The project began right after the incidents of September 11, 2001, but only opened in February 2016. It took 14 years to build, taking almost twice as much time as originally planned, but Calatrava wanted to take his time to build a structure for the new generation of the city.
Photo by Matt Borsic on Unsplash
The structure’s ribs reveal more than a design choice. Serving as a reminder of the tragic terrorist attacks of 9/11, the building’s orientation align perfectly with the sun’s solar angles on September 11, from 8:46am (when the first plane struck the North Tower of the WTC) until 10:28 (when the North Tower collapsed).
Photo by Matt Borsic on Unsplash
Inside, the central skylight illuminates the building’s white interior, which is home to New York City’s new transportation hub, as well as retail stores and restaurants. Costing about $4 billion to build, the Oculus is the world’s most expensive train station in the world.
The Oculus stands today as a symbol of hope and as a testament to the city’s resilience to rise up from tragedy.
Built: 2016
Location: New York City, United States
