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TomDot- Fantastic pics. Are they from the Mediaval Boston website? It's a shame that much of that doesn't exist anymore (Haymarket, Scollay Square, the entire West End, etc). That said, we're lucky to have what we do have still. I love looking at the old aerial and seeing the stuff that does exist still. I can't believe we have our current City Hall Plaza where Scollay used to be... it's a shame we lost that urbanity. Boston gets a nod in my book as one of the better architectural cities in the U.S.
While I think many highrises in Boston are eyesores and blights (1 Beacon... the Pru has grown on me), others are stunning contrasts and add to the character of the city. The old and new Hancock Towers, the courthouse on Post Office Square, the Verizon Building on Post Office Square, Exchange Place all add to the character of the city. There are some excellent proposals for new towers at the Government Center Garage site, an addition over Neiman Marcus at Copley Place, Russia Wharf, One Franklin (Filene's once back on track), etc that will be great once complete. In short, the highrises don't hurt the original cityscape of Boston, the land clearing and careless demolitions really do the damage that you see. Exchange Place, Russia Wharf and One Franklin preserve the original historic building while adding a highrise on top.
DeaconJ- I enjoy Atlanta very much. I think it's a beautiful city. However, many (but not all of) your pictures are poor architectural representations. Many PoMo skyscrapers from the 80s and 90s have become blights in Atlanta and other cities in the U.S. (including Boston). Other shots are of typical suburban style buildings found anywhere! I think Atlanta has some great architecture... both highrise and low, but I don't think those photos do it justice.
Most of the photos weren't structures simply of my opinion...but the opinion of the AIA. I guess I would go with the opinion of an architectural organization rather than your biased opinion - sorry.
MOST of the photos were not of suburban architecture - there was one building representing the suburbs, and that one was designed by I.M. Pei - and there were only a couple of highrises represented. Maybe you should go back and LOOK at the photos before criticizing them.
^Hey, relax bud. I'm not trashing Atlanta by any stretch. Like I said, I think it's a great city with some fantastic architecture. I just don't think many of your photos actually represent it too well.
As for being suburban, you can have a suburban style building in an urban area. Further more, "suburban" doesn't necessarily mean "bad" architecture.
The second to last photo of the wooden apartments, the Atlanta Gift House, the Centennial Tower, the Shakespeare Tavern (a knockoff of the Globe theater), 33 Midtown, 10 Peachtree, the Equitable Building, the Campanile, and yes, Pei's Wilwood Plaza are all, in my opinion mediocre and not exactly stellar representations of Atlanta's great architectural prowess.
In addition, aside from Wilwood, the Academy of Medicine, The Roosevelt, High Museum of Art, Campanile, Atlanta Women's Club, Wigwam apartments, Plaza Theater, Plexus on Ponce, 33 midtown, Telephone factory lofts, piedmont ave apartments, etc DESPITE where they may ACTUALLY be located could quite comfortably fit into an even more suburban environment. Now, does this take away from the architectural merit each may or may not have? No... it's merely an observation.
Architecture is a subjective matter. I happen to agree that Atlanta has some nice architecture I just disagree with the notion that some of the pictures you posted were representations of the best Atlanta has to offer. I have seen plenty of mediocre buildings in other cities win awards from the AIA which many times supports the mediocre trends of the week so I take their opinion with a grain of salt. If you choose to agree with everything they consider "satisfactory," go right ahead. I'll gladly disagree.
There is however, no need to get defensive. I've made clear I think Atlanta has some fantastic architecture... I just disagree with a few of the selections you chose to represent it.
Most of those buildings were built before the idea of "suburban" even came about. My point was - and it isn't being "defensive" - that these structures are recognized as having architectural importance by the AIA. That's why I posted photos of them. I hate that they don't live up to your standards, but they do live up to the standards of the AIA. I didn't choose them because they were MY choices.
Now...I could go into the reasons that you're WRONG, but I won't...the list is too long. Keep stating your little opinions if you want, but I don't need you to explain anything about architecture to me. I guarantee if these structures were located in a place that you deem worthy of note, your opinion would be different.
DeaconJ- I enjoy Atlanta very much. I think it's a beautiful city. However, many (but not all of) your pictures are poor architectural representations. Many PoMo skyscrapers from the 80s and 90s have become blights in Atlanta and other cities in the U.S. (including Boston). Other shots are of typical suburban style buildings found anywhere! I think Atlanta has some great architecture... both highrise and low, but I don't think those photos do it justice.
Well I have to say I really enjoyed the tour (as well as Tom Dot's pictures).
the thing with older architecture in the northern states is that it's beautiful, but it all kind of looks the same...blocks from nyc could be blocks from boston, philly, baltimore, dc, pittsburgh, or any major city in ohio. then modern/contemporary architecture looks the same no matter where it is (chicago, la, seattle, atlanta).
new orleans architecture is just so much more unique. it has hints of places like st. louis, charleston, and savannah, yet also has certain buildings and streets that couldn't be imitated in any other city.
the thing with older architecture in the northern states is that it's beautiful, but it all kind of looks the same...blocks from nyc could be blocks from boston, philly, baltimore, dc, pittsburgh, or any major city in ohio.
I have to starkly disagree with this statement. The Northeast shares a commonality in the row house, much a chaotic street layout, narrow urban roads; but the styles of each of these cities is quite unique and very unlike Ohio cities (though there are some commonalities to Cincinnati).
Allow me to elaborate in pictures:
Brownstone townhouses are a common scene in New York City. There is no other area in the U.S. that much of a brownstone presence.
Long chains of flat-faced two story row houses are very common in Baltimore:
Philadelphia is the row house capital of the U.S. and each neighborhood has interesting and, often times unique housing stock.
Very good point Ainulinale.
Its been many years since I was in kid visting Baltimore but I remember how different the brownstones/townhouses/rowhouses (whatever you want to call them) looked in Baltimore from the ones in Brooklyn. At the time I had no real knowledge of architecture but the difference in style and size was pretty apparent.
In any case at the time I thought the wooden houses and Victorians we had in Queens were much nicer than both!
Long chains of flat-faced two story row houses are very common in Baltimore:
i agree with you. Although A misconception about Baltimore may be this. The City actually has very very different types of row houses depending on the neighborhood and section of the city, much like Philadelphia. That photo posted is from Patterson Park. Some Parts of E Baltimore look like that but not most of the city.
i agree with you. Although A misconception about Baltimore may be this. The City actually has very very different types of row houses depending on the neighborhood and section of the city, much like Philadelphia. That photo posted is from Patterson Park. Some Parts of E Baltimore look like that but not most of the city.
Oh, undoubtedly. Baltimore has some of the nicest and most eclectic row house architecture (in fact, even Pittsburgh is rather eclectic as well and can mimic most row house cities). However, my point was simply that the basic styles of these cities, while similar, are undoubtedly unique. Pittsburgh has a lot of sideways stoops, Baltimore has lots of marble ones, NYC has brownstones, etc. Similar, but also very different.
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