Greatest & Most Diverse Architectural Gem of the Sunbelt: Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta or Miami? (better, place)

[Rwarky]

The Sunbelt region has an arrary of cities with great architectural beauty, everthything from high-rises (skyscrapers) to low-rise buildings (malls and shopping centers, museums, public buildings such as libraries, homes, etc). Of the following cities listed, Los Angeles (California), Houston and Dallas (Texas), Atlanta (Georgia), and Miami (Florida), which city fufills the description as the greatest and most diverse architectural gem?

[DANNYY]

10 years = a life time of skyscrapers for Miami.

That is why I voted for it.

[Rwarky]

Los Angeles definitely beats out the other cities because the variety of buildings it has.

[Rwarky]

Originally Posted by OmShahi

10 years = a life time of skyscrapers for Miami.

That is why I voted for it.

The thread is about all kinds of buildings, and not just skyscrapers.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by Rwarky

The thread is about all kinds of buildings, and not just skyscrapers.

You have to keep in mind, when you talk about Miami, that's what consists of majority of it's buildings. It's a listed option that anyone can vote for here on this thread, so i just thought I could justify why I picked it.

That is pretty much why I would have to go with it. "Manhattanization" for better or worse would be the correct term describing Miami's building infrastructure.

The other's I feel are a bit too similar to each other, with Houston and Dallas being similar and Los Angeles having more diversity among it's buildings but still being more over the same as other sunbelt cities than different.

But yes, LA does have diverse buildings.

But I stand firm with why I picked Miami.

[Akhenaton06]

LA all day. It's the King of the Sunbelt.

[blkgiraffe]

Houston. One moment you can feel like your in LA, than next you feel like your in Atlanta, than next Dallas, and than even Miami just based off the wide variety of architectural designs.

[Trae713]

Los Angeles.

[EndersDrift]

Los Angeles and here are a few good reasons why:
1. Frank Gehry.... worked and based there
2. Rem Koolhaas worked there

Do I really need to say any more? None of the other options have buildings by both of them and they are the most influential contemporary architects. Rem Koolhaas was one of TIME Magazine's World's Most Influential People in 2008. Fine want more:

3. Studioworks
4. Richard Meier
5. Renzo Piano
6. Perkins + Will
7. Louis Kahn (technically this is in La Jolla but its worth noting, its freakin' beautiful)

Miami would be a distant second and Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta are far behind that.

[grindin]

LA all the way

Some of the most important architecture of the 20th century outside of Chicago and NYC got their start in Los Angeles. It was the first major city that was truly automobile-oriented, and there was a great deal of architecture that was designed for the purpose of grabbing your attention from an automobile. Googie architecture, the classic California Ranch House, and Novelty Architecture (such as the Randy's Donuts sign) all got their start or were perfected in Southern California during this time.

There is a huge variety of homes in Beverly Hills and Hollywood Hills, reflecting a multitude of periods and eras.

As for shopping centers, there is a variety of architecture with them in SoCal because many of them were outdoors because the weather is so great there for much of the year. Santa Monica Place was a truly innovative piece of architecture too (too bad the mall itself sucked).

LA wasn't the most innovative in terms of skyscrapers though. I will say that Houston and Miami's skyscrapers were a lot more creative to me, but for overall architecture, LA for the win.