Jump to content

Best Art Deco Skyscraper in your city?


Recommended Posts


  • Replies 38
  • Created
  • Last Reply

You're making me choose the best one? Well then, I've got a tough choice. Since I am forced to make a choice, I'll choose Detroit's Guardian Building.

Height: 489 feet

Floors: 40

Year: 1929

  • Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, the Guardian Building was designed by Wirt C. Rowland of the leading Detroit architecture firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls.

  • Termed a "cathedral of commerce" and "one of the most exuberant Art Deco skyscrapers built in America," the Guardian Building was built for what was at the time Detroit's leading financial institution.

  • The cathedral theme is emphasized on the exterior by the two towers at each end of the building connected by a somewhat lower navelike block. The theme is played out in the interior with the tall banking lobby designed as a nave with side aisles.

  • A specially formulated orange brick, known as Guardian brick, clads the steel frame. Brilliantly colored terra-cotta, glazed tile, and gold-stained glass and metal decorate it inside and out.

  • The Guardian Building was the world's tallest masonry structure when it was completed.

110110_G.jpg

114114_G.jpg

012012_G.jpg

GuardianBuilding_02.jpg

GuardianBuilding_04.jpg

GuardianBuilding_03.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In KC for me, it is a three way tie between the Power & Light Building, Fidelity Ntl. Bank Tower, and Oak Tower (before the architecture was cladded over in the 70s)

powerbldg.jpgbuilding_FidelityBankBuilding.jpg20000210.jpg

The last photo is when Oak Tower was only 14 floors, it was later raised to 28 floors, it kept it's beautiful architecture until the 1970s when they placed cladding over the beautiful art deco, and it now appears as a blocky structure in the skyline.

Here they appear in a skyline shot from approx. the 1940s

10011828_reg.jpg

(the tallest ones at the left, center, and oak tower is the closest to the center off the right side)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Winston-Salem it has to be the Reynolds American Tower. Built in 1929 and designed by Shereve Lamb and Harmon Associates of New York City. It won the AIA Building of the Year award in 1929, The 1965 AIA best preserved Art Deco skyscraper award, and the 1984 Art Deco Society of New York award for best restoration of an art deco skyscraper. It was also the model for highrise art deco and post modern skyscrapers in New York, Cleveland, Lynchburg, Charlotte and Durham. I think the buildings in those cities modeled after Reynolds American are the tallest in those cities.

33%3A695%3B923232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D676%3D836%3DXROQDF%3E232353852%3A282ot1lsi.jpg

161184thstreet301.jpg

161christmasrj1.jpg

There are also photos of it at this website:

http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com

http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com/RJR.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Seems to be monsoon....form is kind of similar.

Best in the world is N.Y.C.'s Chrysler of course. ;)

Best in Sydney??....ummmm.....we seemed to have had a boom for the Deco period - both the earlier Gothic and the later Egyptian/Greek/Aztec influenced.

These 3 in Sydney are great examples IMO....(not the tallest BTW).

The 1930 Gothic inspired Grace Building:

Grace%20Building%2006%20-%20medium%20-%2026072000.gif

photodb2928527921.jpg

The 1936 CML Building. It was the first aircon building in the city. I love the Aztec zig-zag :)

City%20Mutual%20Life%2003a%20-%20071199.GIF

Pic link 1: http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/rne_photodb/...e=P&indigenous=

Lost in the canyons, the 1940 Delfin House. It has a fantastic grand arched entrance (visible in link):

Delfin%20House%2001a%20-%20medium%20-%20071199.gif

Pic link 2: http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/rne_photodb/...e=P&indigenous=

...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also agree with Reynolds American for Winston-Salem. It was the model for the Empire State Building and both were designed by the same architects. When Winston-Salem's Reynolds American Tower won building of the year by the AIA; General Motors hired the same architects to design a taller version for NYC. That building became the Empire State Building and that is why Winston-Salem's tower looks like the Empire State Building. The Winston-Salem building is two years older. ;)

I found these drawings. It's so hard to photograph it since it has so many other tall buildings around it. These drawings are very cool!

161marchupdate.jpg

It looks like there is a little pedestrain in the drawing below.

161update1.jpg

I wish I could find a better photo of it and some photos of the art deco details. It has a lot of detail such as leaves and vines carved into its design. The ceiling is gold and sliver in the lobby and there are huge art deco murals and marble and etched glass walls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

mj,

wouldnt you include the Gulf Building in that mix, possibly the Grant Building and the Cathedral of Learning . . . maybe even UPMC presby and Allegheny General Tower.

what Pittsburgh lacks in quantity it makes up for in uniqueness!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I would say Reynolds American Tower in Winston-Salem is the best Art Deco skyscraper in the Southeast! It has the shape of the modern skyscraper of the 1920's and looks like it belongs in New York City. I see someone posted my model in this thread! I need to upload a new rendering of it, with the correct textures.

16170rjowf.jpg

If it's not too short for this list, I think Asheville's City Hall is an excellent Art Deco building and the best my city has to offer.

161cityhallphoto.jpg

Some of these buildings are "Neo-Gothic", not Art Deco. Atlanta's City Hall is Neo-Gothic. Neo-Gothic buildings look like old European Gothic cathedrals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.