Architectural Elements

Maritime Hotel, Chelsea

2011-08-10T07:35:00.000-05:00

I saw this a month ago and had no idea what it was from the front, but then I saw the sign on the side where the restaurant is. It was originally designed in the 60's for the National Maritime Union.

9th Avenue & 16th Street

Native Americans in Seattle

2011-04-30T09:58:00.001-05:00

I totally forgot to post these when I got home from Seattle because I was so busy.

These faces are on the Cobb Building which is now remodeled apartments. The building is on 4th Street, but I took the pictures from right outside the Rock Bottom Brewery on 5th. (That's the same location I photographed, and filmed this building sitting over top of me a couple of years ago.)

Do You Want Your Building to Look Like a Dinner Plate?

2011-04-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

If I remember correctly this is the model and plans for a Mercedes headquarter building in Germany. I think it's really interesting that it's essentially based on a dinner plate.

MoMA

Don't Stick Your Tongue Out At Me...

2011-04-26T11:36:00.000-05:00

Look at these faces!

These are on the south side of 27th street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

New York City Official Door Knob

2011-04-24T08:43:00.001-05:00

;)

Another Crappy Phone Picture

2011-04-23T19:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I like these faces though. This is somewhere on my walk between Lexington and 8th Avenue on 34th Street.

NYU Element?

2011-04-22T08:26:00.001-05:00

This looks like the NYU torch to me, but I don't know that this is an NYU building. It's right across the street from the Armory on Lexington near 25th Street. (I know the quality is not very good. I took the pics with my phone.)

Staten Island Ferry

2011-04-21T11:25:00.000-05:00

Finally after living here for 10 years I went down there.

Hotel Bar and Grill

2011-03-16T21:04:00.001-05:00

This sign caught my attention after getting off the train in Hoboken, NJ.

There are so many little architectural details in Hoboken that are interesting I should go explore more. For the last five years usually I have only gone there after dark to go out to eat, or have been driving through, so I do not have many pictures.

Painted Harlem vs. Unpainted Harlem

2011-03-14T19:46:00.003-05:00

I'm not a big fan of painting brick. See the nice raw brick next door? But I did find it interesting that they took care to paint some of the details separately. This is a building they have fixed up on 134th street between Frederick Douglass and Adam Clayton Powell.

Here's the building next door that looks quite similar, but has more neutral colors. They're working on it now. I hope they don't paint the brick and details.

Favorite Architectural Element of All Time

2011-03-13T07:12:00.001-05:00

I am going back to Seattle this week, so I have been going through old pictures and have been reminded of the Walrus, which is still my favorite element after all these years!

I Heart Peeling Paint!

2011-03-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

...except when it's in my house and it has lead in it.

This is at Kirigin Cellars along with the barrel-door.

50's Signage

2011-03-01T18:56:00.001-05:00

I love old signs, and I saw a bunch in the Central Valley of California last week when I was visiting. I have no proof that this sign is from the 50's, but I think the font and the fading looks like it is from about that time period. It looks a bit art deco-y, which is why it caught my eye.

This is in Escalon, CA, which is right by Modesto.

Wine and Cheese in Architecture

2011-02-27T13:34:00.003-05:00

I love when form and function are unified seamlessly in architecture and design, but it's also fun to see when concept and function are played with. I don't even mind the cheesiness, (and the wine was pretty good.)

Here, in the Santa Clara Valley, at Kirigin Cellars the doorway to the wine tasting room is a large oaky barrel.

Tolley Hall, Syracuse University

2011-02-26T22:14:00.000-05:00

This building was designed in 1889. It has nice little details.

This guy looks very Romanesque~In art history class my friends and I created some mnemonic devices to remember these things. Grotesque Romanesque. And look, I remember it 13 years later! Have I really been out of college that long?

Syracuse Mosaic

2011-02-25T15:02:00.001-05:00

Syracuse University has an impressive amount of art on campus. Here is the one that grabbed my attention the most.

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me more about the artist/artwork here, or any of the artworks all over Syracuse's campus. Our tour guide gave me a very general answer. I was less than impressed.

More Syracuse University

2011-02-24T10:53:00.001-05:00

Very Classic: Nice red brick with Corinthian Columns. The frieze is a bit boring, but I like the eagle's feathers and his little legs sticking out of his "feather bellbottoms."

Variety of Old and New

2011-02-23T12:51:00.000-05:00

Syracuse University has quite a combination of old and new buildings. Their oldest buildings are all in the center of campus and then the surrounding buildings are from all different decades with the newest building being LEED Certified.

University of Michigan

2011-02-18T16:52:00.001-05:00

Here are pictures of two U of M buildings in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Artwork from the Phillips Collection

2011-02-17T17:47:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of the pieces I liked while visiting the Phillips Collection.

Phillips Collection Stained Glass

2011-02-16T08:27:00.001-05:00

It's very simple, but nicely symmetrical.

Delft Tiles?

2011-02-15T18:11:00.003-05:00

Each fireplace in the Phillips Collection museum building is different, but the tiles on this one caught my eye. This section of the museum appears to be part of the newer section. I wonder if this fireplace was moved here from the older house, or if it is just one piece in the collection of artworks.

Rothko Room! :(

2011-02-14T18:30:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to arrive to the Phillips Collection and find that they had a Rothko Room! Rothko is one of my favorite artists, and I love sitting and enjoying his artwork for long periods of time. It was a wonderfully small room with a bench right in the middle for pondering the bleeding, layering, and movement of Rothko's paintings up close.

I was disappointed by two things: the lack of light in the room, and the loud creaky bench. I couldn't really see the undulating movement I normally look for in Rothko's work because it was just too dark. And every time I moved or adjusted my weight on the bench or someone came in to sit down to join me the bench made an awful, loud sound destroying my reverie.

Wooden Stair Pattern

2011-02-13T11:01:00.004-05:00

More Phillips Collection architectural elements: I like the contrast of the dark wood molding with the light wood floor.

And I love this circle pattern!

Duncan Phillips Georgian Revival House

2011-02-12T15:01:00.003-05:00

The Phillips Art Collection is housed in the home of the founder in the Dupont Circle area of D.C. There are definitely some rich architectural details around the house in addition to the artwork.

Simpson Street Stained Glass

2011-02-07T21:03:00.001-05:00

This is part of a stained glass window at the Simpson Street 2 5 train station in the Bronx.

Face With Bird

2011-02-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

More MoMA Model Fun4

2011-01-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

Last, but not least.

More MoMA Model Fun3

2011-01-06T22:44:00.002-05:00

For some reason I love this view from above!

More MoMA Model Fun2

2011-01-04T20:42:00.001-05:00

Tram Stop Model

2011-01-03T17:37:00.007-05:00

How can you get up a hill? A ski-lift style tram of course. Here are the models and photo for this idea.

More MoMA Model Fun

2011-01-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

Architecture for Social Engagment 3

2010-12-08T17:47:00.001-05:00

Some architectural sketches. I love it!

Architecture for Social Engagement 2

2010-12-07T19:21:00.002-05:00

The photograph is of L.A. The white complex in the foreground shows the placement of the buildings shown in the model I posted yesterday.

Architecture for Social Engagement 1

2010-12-06T18:03:00.004-05:00

I LOVE looking at architectural models. Over the next couple of days I will include pictures of models, drawings and photographs that are in the MoMA exhibit Small Scale Big Change: New Architecture of Social Engagement. It's all about local needs in underserved communities. This is of a school or arts organization in L.A.

D.C. Faces

2010-12-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

I thought these were interesting faces, but I forgot to write down where I saw them. Some German Institute? I have no idea.

Interesting Balcony Patterns

2010-10-16T08:41:00.001-05:00

The building to the front right caught my attention because of the white outline, but then I also like the pattern of the balconies.

I liked the look of these balconies and windows from the side too, but then noticed the new art deco details, which made me like it even more.

I like the railings.

Architecture As Plaid Shirt

2010-10-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

This looks like a midwesterner's plaid shirt.

Formerly Known As...

2010-10-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

Apparently this very tall building is no longer called the Sears Tower...who knew?

More Circular "Futuristic" Goodness

2010-10-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

There's Lake Michigan in the distance. What is that down to the left, more Bertrand Goldberg?

I had no idea what this building was. It looked like a Bertrand Goldberg building...

I did a bit of research and found this: Prentice Women's Hospital.

River City

2010-10-10T21:49:00.005-05:00

I do not think it looks like a river, but it does look like a mini city.

I actually like Bertrand Goldberg's buildings, but I also like curvy/circular shapes. I found this design more appealing, probably because it's more organic. Our tour-guide told us this group of buildings is not as well maintained as Marina City.

Corn Cobs

2010-10-09T09:41:00.006-05:00

Marina City: well-known corn cob buildings by Bertrand Goldberg (right.)
There are really two towers. I just got a picture of this one.

Chicago Architectural Variety

2010-10-07T19:31:00.001-05:00

Look at all those differences!

Facades As Beautiful As Water

2010-10-05T19:10:00.002-05:00

Wrigley Field

2010-10-03T08:45:00.001-05:00

Wrigley Field is quite unremarkable from the outside.

This is what is known about the outside of the field.

I sent a picture like this to my brother during the game and he replied, "Where's the ivy? That's not Wrigley Field."

Here's the ivy and the old-school scoreboard.

Crappy plastic seats, but they were cheap for row 10!

Old-school cub. The style of the bear looks old even if the font doesn't.

The Cubbies won too, which was fun.

Chicago Architecture Adventure

2010-09-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

So begins my Chicago architecture adventure. I hope you enjoy my pictures over the next couple of weeks.

Eagle With a Chicken Body

2010-09-05T08:18:00.000-05:00

I love this little gem on Broadway. It looks like it is supposed to be an eagle, but if you look closely the body looks more like a chicken.

Windows Like a Waterfall

2010-08-20T17:53:00.002-05:00

I love the windows on this building. They look like they are cascading down rocks, like a waterfall. I do not know what this building is, but it's right next to Washington Square Park.

I also feel bad for all those rooms that do not have windows. Look at all that brown wall space.

The Weight of the World

2010-08-16T19:23:00.019-05:00

This little face has a lot of visual weight on his small head. He looks so serious. I love that concentration!

He looks like he's made of limestone too, so he has seen his better days. He's a bit weathered.

This building is on 17th Street in Washington D.C.

Faces Lurking in the Shadows

2010-08-11T07:57:00.001-05:00

These are on the North side of 54th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

Owls and Bats in Central Park

2010-08-08T12:51:00.002-05:00

These are right across the way from the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, which is near 72nd street. (I <3 bats!)

Leafy Face on the Lower East Side

2010-08-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

This is on Clinton Street just south of Houston.

My Favorite Windows

2010-07-31T09:01:00.000-05:00

Look at the windows painted on Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I love them!

Rams' Heads in Chelsea

2010-07-28T08:56:00.004-05:00

I only had my phone as I was walking around Manhattan this week. I will have to go back to capture a better look at the golden rams.

Let Sleeping Lions Lie

2010-07-07T08:21:00.002-05:00

This is a bit strange. Most lions on buildings are on guard. This one looks like it's sleeping.

He's actually not sleeping. His eyes are open, but he has quite a passive pose like he's lounging around in the heat.

Scary Little Men

2010-05-26T15:59:00.002-05:00

I believe this building is on 110th near Amsterdam...the guys are quite cartoony and grotesque.

Brooklyn Doorknob

2010-05-15T14:51:00.005-05:00

It's a small doorknob, with such interesting detail.

Most people would never see this walking by, and I'm not saying this to point out how perceptive I am. I only noticed it because I had to enter the door...

138 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

Creative Signage

2010-05-11T21:47:00.000-05:00

I wonder what kind of clothing they sell here?

I love it! Signs signifying items for sale without saying a word.

This is somewhere down in SoHo.

More Graffiti

2010-05-08T08:50:00.004-05:00

This is in the East Village...Do not park your car here to take a picture of the graffiti. It will get broken into in 2 minutes flat. Bleah...

I have seen better graffiti. I like the shapes in the green word on the left. The shapes make me think of a dragon, or forest. I have no clue what the word says so functionally it stinks, but it looks cool. Now that I look at the picture, I wish I had gotten more of the word on the right. I like the shapes there too, with the ovals and teardrop shapes. I'll have to go back, but next time I'm taking the subway.

Mural or Graffiti?

2010-04-23T18:41:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure it's a mural, but what is the difference? (One guess what Street this is on.)

Clinton Street in Manhattan just south of Houston.

Here is a former student's tag I just found at a train station. This definitely isn't a mural, but it definitely is graffiti. It's not art, but some of the other tag-work he has done is...it's sad when he just defaces surfaces with crap.

I'll take a cheesy mural any day.

Mmmmmm Signage!

2010-04-18T21:30:00.001-05:00

My favorite fast food place!

I'm glad there are none of these in the east or I would weigh a lot more than I already do.

Manteca, CA

Topography Without Topography

2010-04-13T19:19:00.000-05:00

I ♥ topographical maps, and this was right under my feet as I was walking down the street.

Bond Street between Lafayette and Bowery in Manhattan.

Decorative Architectural Lace

2010-04-09T18:06:00.001-05:00

I wouldn't call it beautiful, but it did catch my attention because it is unique.

This is on Bond Street in Manhattan between Lafayette and Bowery.

Elephant Bar Door Handles

2010-04-06T17:58:00.004-05:00

Need I say more?

One doesn't often find architectural elements of note at chain restaurants (now that I said that I will,) but I thought these door handles were fun.

Elephant Bar
Modesto, CA

The Architecturally Rough Side of Harlem

2010-03-28T10:28:00.000-05:00

Harlem has such beautiful and historically interesting architecture...and it also has boarded up buildings, and buildings that are falling down. The sign on the overhang caught my eye, but I must go back to take another picture because it did not show up very well in the picture. I Still think the picture is interesting, so I'm posting it.

I think I was on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. somewhere north of 135th and south of 144th

Beautiful Bronx

2010-03-21T10:18:00.004-05:00

Just some snapshots from the car window of my commute. These pictures are interesting in their own way, but my goal is someday to walk around the Bronx to get some interesting architectural pics.

Wow Check Out This Office

2010-02-19T16:19:00.002-05:00

Wow check out this office in Spain! (Posted on Arch Daily which has a lot of fun buildings/plans on it.)

2010-02-07T09:47:00.001-05:00

Something draws me to this sign...I think because it hearkens back to days past, and it may be my whole thing with decay and imagining what things may have been like in their heyday.

Horse Heads in Harlem

2010-01-30T08:44:00.004-05:00

These horse heads are on a parking garage...I just wonder if the building used to be used for something else.

Beautiful Borderland

2009-12-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

There are so many gems in Harlem. This is probably a bit north of the Upper Harlem border, but I guess I'm not sure what this area is called. The borderland between "Old Sugar Hill" in Harlem and Washington Heights?

This is on 158th between Riverside and Broadway on the North side of the street.

Judson Memorial Church

2009-11-12T06:45:00.000-05:00

The building overall looks very Italian in style (I did not take a picture of the whole thing however.) The details of the circles make the building interesting and unique up close and from a distance.

It's on the South side of Washington Square in Manhattan, which is where NYU's campus is.

Small Rectangles of Texture

2009-11-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

From a distance this element looks like one on the Capitol building in D.C., but really this one is chunkier. The one in D.C. is more elegant. This is from downtown St. Louis.

Repetition in St. Louis

2009-11-01T22:41:00.004-05:00

Repetition of flowers, leaves, wreaths, and shields in downtown St. Louis, MO.

Architecture at the MoMA

2009-10-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

I love topographical maps, and these models make me topographically happy.

This is a great drawing too, but the picture is crappy. I couldn't use the flash in the museum, and had my old little point and shoot camera.

This model is so clever! Suburbia shown with one model and mirrors!

Land Architecture

2009-10-22T20:05:00.001-05:00

I think Maya Lin is amazing. This article and video from the New York Times actually started my greater appreciation for her work. Then going to see her smaller sculptures in the museum building at Storm King Art Center made me LOVE her work. These images are of her large scale Wavefield which is at Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY. Now I want to go to Michigan and California to see her other two related works.

Asian Dragons in Our Nation's Capitol?

2009-10-19T19:37:00.001-05:00

This face looks like an Asian Dragon.

I have no idea where this was in Washington D.C., or what the building is. A hotel maybe? I got the photo quickly as I was marching in D.C., so I didn't jot down any information. That's also why the picture is a bit blurry; I didn't stop walking when I took it.

Is An Eagle/Star Fence Patriotic?

2009-10-18T19:18:00.003-05:00

There is a bit of an unappealing chunkiness to this, but I think it's more interesting than many of the boring, same old, same old iron-work fences I have seen.

I just think it was patriotic because I saw it in downtown Washington D.C. I wonder if I would have thought the same thing if I saw it in Jersey City, NJ?

Equal Love

2009-09-28T09:57:00.001-05:00

I love baseball, and I love the prices and availability of Mets tickets. I do not love the team as much as my Tiggies, and Yanks, but I love baseball enough to be an equal opportunity attender.

I love the exterior of CitiField because it has the Camden Yard look (read: classic brick elements,) but there is something I miss about Shea. However, the first time I went to CitiField I sat in left field and could not see half of the outfield. Isn't calculating site lines an important part of being an architect in a venue such as this? I would think so, and whoever was in charge of that here dropped the routine fly ball. I had only ever sat in the good seats at Shea, and I have never sat in the same area of any other ball park either, so maybe I shouldn't long for an ugly blue and orange corrugated iron building.

What We See Everyday

2009-09-27T08:17:00.005-05:00

My three month hiatus has been filled by moving, and adjusting to a new job. I thought I would begin my new architectural adventures by posting a picture of New Yankee Stadium because now I see it everyday on my way to work. I had season tickets for two years in Old Yankee Stadium several years ago. I have been to two games so far at New Yankee Stadium. The amenities are nice, but the prices are not. A very positive thing about the design is that they lowered the walkways in the front, so there are not the terribly obstructed views that they had previously on the lower level.

I look forward to fighting traffic deep into October because that means they will be in the World Series. Let's Go Yanks!

Neon Face

2009-06-11T07:25:00.001-05:00

I have no idea who this is, and the colors look very 90's, but it is interesting nonetheless. It is on a building in downtown St. Louis.

St. Louis Lion Building

2009-06-04T15:15:00.005-05:00

This building apparently needs protection because it is plastered with lions. I like it and them!
It is right in downtown St. Louis.

Non-Architecture Structure

2009-05-27T20:56:00.002-05:00

I have been to the D.C. area many times, but this is the first time I have been to this memorial. It is an appropriate Memorial Day post, even though it is a bit late.

D.C. Dome

2009-05-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

I Like Circles...

2009-05-21T07:27:00.004-05:00

therefore, I like this building.

This is in D.C. about one block from the mall. I didn't get closer than this, so I really don't know what the building is.

More Library of Congress Pictures

2009-05-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

What can I say? It's an interesting building!

Exterior of the L.O.C.

2009-05-15T08:36:00.004-05:00

The Library of Congress has some interesting elements on the exterior as well as the interior.

The Afterglow of Architecture

2009-05-08T07:26:00.000-05:00

Images from DC around the WWII Memorial.

Library of Congress

2009-05-04T07:34:00.002-05:00

Who would be interested in going to a place with the name, Library of Congress? I wasn't interested, but I got roped into it. Now I want to go spend some time researching there. It is a beautiful building. There are so many interesting resources and artifacts here, as well as books of course.

Ford's Theatre Interior

2009-04-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

The newly renovated Ford's Theatre. We saw Civil War, the musical.

My partial view seat...behind a column, and the balcony overhang. I couldn't see the whole show.

Ceiling painting.

President Lincoln's box

Wooden Window Elements

2009-04-28T15:23:00.000-05:00

Wooden window elements and some roof accents on a building right by Ford's Theatre.

Ford's Theatre

2009-04-27T12:46:00.003-05:00

Across the street from Ford's Theatre is the house where President Lincoln died. Architecturally unremarkable, but historically significant.

This is the new entryway to Ford's Theatre. It has just reopened after renovations.

Some exterior building details.

Look At Those Acanthus Leaves!

2009-04-24T11:37:00.000-05:00

These acanthus leaves are definitely in the Roman style, but who would expect anything else from Washington D.C.?

These Corinthian Columns are on the pavilion in Arlington Cemetery. This structure is up by the tomb of the unknown soldier where the changing of the guard takes place.

The Architecture & Sculpture of Remembrance

2009-04-23T21:29:00.001-05:00

More Pics of the Capitol Building

2009-04-21T07:29:00.000-05:00

Different views of the Capitol Building and the light posts around it.

Capitol Hill Design

2009-04-19T07:12:00.004-05:00

This is very simple, but I really like circles. It was up by the Capitol building in Washington D.C.

One Of The Most Famous

2009-04-15T20:09:00.004-05:00

No blog about architecture would be complete without the Flatiron Building. I would say this is one of the three most famous buildings in New York.

It's at 5th Avenue and 23rd Street.

Gotta Have a Gehry

2009-04-13T09:20:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the quality of this photo. I took it with my cell phone while driving by. I drive by it at least once a week and never stop, and never find myself walking around that area, so I decided finally to post this picture until I get a better one.

New York City had been waiting for a work of architecture by Frank Gehry for some time. It finally got one here in 2007 as the IAC building on the West Side Highway in Chelsea. The shape of the glass panels gives the overall building a unique look, but the use of the fritted glass creates visually interesting bands especially at sunset when the golden light is reflected from the building. There were a little over 1,400 panels of glass used in the construction of this building.

When you go by, there are also bands of light and colors that emerge from the ground level. They have a video wall running across the ground floor facing the Westside Highway.

Check out IAC's website here. There is a lot of interesting information on the building.

Architecture As Power

2009-04-11T09:04:00.006-05:00

This time it's not the ideological power of the architecture I'm talking about, it's electrical power. I just think this is a visually interesting area in Ann Arbor Michigan.

The Contrast Makes All the Difference

2009-04-07T15:25:00.001-05:00

I think I just like the reflective blue of this building next to the matte black buildings behind. It creates a striking contrast. The white memorial stones in the park make the reflective building even more interesting.

This grouping of buildings is down in the Financial District by Battery Park at the Southern Tip of Manhattan.

Bench At the MoMA

2009-04-06T07:25:00.001-05:00

This is not architecture per se, but is part of the world that is a mesh of art and design. I love the cleverness of this. It really makes you want to sit on it, and makes you think of the origin of leather since that is what it is made from. Designed in 2004 by Julia Lohmann it is entitled Waltraud Cow-Bench.

There are many excellent works showing functional design in the MoMA, but this is what struck my fancy the last time I visited.

Museum of Modern Art, New York
11 West 53rd Street (between 5th & 6th Aves.)