What's the most wonderful building you ever laid your eyes on?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

Gaudi's church in Barcelona...
http://deanoman.com/eur0340.htm

[swimboy]

1. Wells Cathedral

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

2. Laid eyes on? Or actually went into?

St. Paul's Cathedral. Tower of London. Windsor Castle.

But especially, home after a long trip away!

[bicentennial_baby]

3. Notre Dame, or the Louvre

Although, I'm going to Versailles the day after tommorrow, so that may change :)

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

7. What the heck are you doing??

Of course, if I were overseas, I'd be finding Internet cafes, too - can't live without DU!

[bicentennial_baby]

8. I do a lot during the day, it's nighttime here now

I hit the internet 2x a day, to DU and stay in touch with my family...also, it's where I upload all my pics! :)

[Bossy Monkey]

56. Go to Sainte-Chapelle if you possibly can

As I recall, it was more the windows than the building itself that were impressive. On the other hand, I still remember lo these almost 30 years later.

Looked it up and... Fuckity fuck fuck-- quite a memory on the old guy:
http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Sainte.Chapelle/

[I Have A Dream]

88. Yes, it is as though you're sitting inside a jewel. Such color & light!

It's very small and very surprising since it's not very impressive from the outside.

Absolutely amazing! I almost didn't go in because I wasn't impressed by the outside.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rabrrrrrr]

45. Geez - what kind of asshole gets a deleted message in a beautiful building

thread?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

51. Some guy posted "My - - - - -."

I thought it was (kinda) funny
but somebody obviously didn't.

[terrya]

5. The Chrysler Building.

The first time I saw it, I thought and still think it's a work of art.

[arwalden]

86. OMG... That's My Favorite Building Too!!

For the exact same reasons!

[merh]

6. My house after a hurricane ...

and after the stupid local announcer had been announcing all night that the street that joins mine was experiencing flooding. I was sure mine was given their close proximity.

[Brotherjohn]

9. I like this one by Gaudi better. I think it's Casa Batlló .

[hobo_baggins]

11. I imagine an elf living in that building

[A-Schwarzenegger]

16. welcome hobo

[A-Schwarzenegger]

13. Wow. The balconies look like out of Star Wars.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

78. I took this pic

on top of La Pedera. That's my fav of Gaudi's

[StClone]

10. I used to bank at this Bank

[LiberalEsto]

12. The US Capitol n/t

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

14. Yes, that's a good one too

So much majesty (and so much tragedy and travesty).

[LiberalEsto]

23. The first time I saw the Capitol

it was shining like a beacon on a November night in 1969, as I arrived in DC with friends for my first major protest against the Vietnam war.

[LastKnight]

15. Preservation hall

home of the jazz band with the same name. so much history and excellent music echo through its small enclosure.

no so much for the building itself, but for whats in it, and what it has been over the years.

[Corgigal]

17. World Trade Center

Ok, it wasn't when I saw it. Like most NY'ers I thought it was butt ugly. Now I miss it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. The scene in "Trading Places" when Aykrod and Murphy are about to

go in the futures market now makes my heart heavy.

[WCGreen]

18. My home..... Growing up......

No longer there but it was simply the place I felt most at home in and the place I will always remember as home.....


Pretty Fucking Corny Hey

[TlalocW]

19. Teotihuacan, The Pyramid of the Sun

TlalocW

[Shoeempress]

20. Eiffel Tower, although not really a building more like a monument

[alarcojon]

21. That one's easy

[enigmatic]

22. Terminal Tower

It always will have a special place in my heart..

[BOSSHOG]

24. THORNCROWN CHAPEL - Eureka Springs, Arkansas

All wood and glass and totally beautiful. Made by the famed architect Fay Jones.

Extremely honorable mention to Saint Louis Cathedral - New Orleans.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

[barb162]

39. what's that like inside?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

42. Haven't the foggiest.

Never been within a thousand miles of Moscow. I always felt that building is so beautiful it doesn't HAVE to have an inside.

[barb162]

44. I want to go there and also St. Petersburg; a relative is visiting there

right now and I am pretty jealous about it and happy for them at the same time.

[Brotherjohn]

26. The Burj Al-Arab is pretty impressive, though I've never seen it in person

Sorry, edited to get a smaller photo.

[hyphenate]

83. Yup--that's the one

I was thinking of in my post below. :)

[tonekat]

27. Fallingwater

[Richardo]

30. That was my thought too

Love to go there one day, before it falls into the creek.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

33. Hi, Richardo!

Seems to me that I recently read that this wonderful home has undergone some much needed structural upgrades...

It is now much more stable, and no longer in imminent danger of falling into the creek below...

Frank Lloyd Wright was one hell of an architect, but a lousy engineer....

:hi:

[Richardo]

35. hey CP!

Thanks for that info - next time I go to Pittsburgh I'd love to go there. :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

40. You are so very welcome, my dear Richardo!

Sorry I don't have a link for this....but I know I read about it...

I'd love to see it also...magnificent building!


:hug:

[tonekat]

50. It's repaired now

Thanks to the efforts of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Those steel trusses that were set up under the lowest cantilever are no longer necessary.

Sometimes, you can get a tour from someone whose grandfather was a mason on the project, or, as happened to us one time, someone who was a childhood friend of Edgar Jr.

And if you're in the neighborhood, you've got to make the drive just about 5 miles away to see Kentuck Knob, now part of the collection of architectural masterpieces belonging to Lord Peter Palumbo, who lives on the farm you can see from the bluff.

Many people see Kentuck Knob and exclaim "now I could live here" after seeing Fallingwater, which was built with the intent to be a summer house, with small bedrooms.

I try to get up there once a year.

[NV Whino]

79. The deterioration of Falling Water

was due more to the materials available at the time of construction rather than any lack Wright may have had personally. Remember also, it was never intended for millions of people traipsing in and out.

One of Wright's "lacks," by the way, was a degree in architecture... or engineering for that matter.

[NV Whino]

77. I'll second that.

Fell in love with Falling Water the first time I saw it. It was even better when I finally got there in person.

[I Have A Dream]

90. I'm ashamed to say that I've lived less than 2 hrs. away from it...

for over 20 years, and I've never gone to see it. I think that it's time that I remedy that situation.

[Susang]

29. I haven't seen the most wonderful building yet

But I'm looking forward to it.

[malta blue]

31. The Library of Congress

The inside is adorned with hundreds of great quotations and is beautifully painted...I wish I could find a picture, but can't right now. If ever in DC, you should visit.

[bertha katzenengel]

32. Four-way tie for me:

My sister's house

My other sister's house

Angels Stadium

My house

[barb162]

38. love it!!!!!!!!

[XNASA]

34. The Biltmore House in Asheville

Beautiful, inside and out.

[barb162]

41. Oh yes and the grounds are wonderful too and it's

such a beautiful setting. I wonder what it was like to have that as just one of your homes.

[barb162]

36. Chartres, Westminster Abbey, Sainte Chappelle

[CaliforniaPeggy]

37. My home.............

[u4ic]

43. The Chateau at Versailles

just...unbelievable...

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. Neuschwanstein

[Celeborn Skywalker]

67. Oh, wow.

That really is beautiful.

[rug]

81. Disney used it as a model for the castle at Fantasyland.

From the side it has the shape of a swan.

[NewJeffCT]

47. Maybe the Temple of Heaven in Beijing

The Summer Palace in Beijing is pretty impressive, too, but you really have to see it in person to appreciate how much work it is/was.

[Xithras]

48. The California Library & Courts building (big images)

I don't get off the west coast much so I haven't seen the Louvre or anything like that, but one of the more beautiful buildings I've actually visited is the Library & Courts building in Sacramento. It was the home to the original state Library AND the original state courthouse. Though both functions have expanded into other buildings alongside it, the original building is still used for both of those purposes and it's widely regarded as one of the most beautiful government buildings in the US. The main courtroom consistently ranks among the top 5 most beautiful in the country.

Interestingly, very few people even know it's there.

Outside:



Entrance Hall:



The courtroom:


The library mural (part of it anyway):


The next time you find yourself bored in Sacramento, take a quick tour. It's a beautiful building and is worth the 30 or so minutes it takes to get through it.

[Shell Beau]

49. The St. Louis Arch isn't the most beautiful,

but it is awesome how they built it.

[scarlet_owl]

52. I was going to say the Arch. When I see it, I know I'm going

home.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

53. And moving up on the inside ... Crawford Peace House.

I cant find no pics??

[Viking12]

54. Chapel in the Hills

Near Rapid City SD.

[Bossy Monkey]

55. That's what I was going to say, but is it a building if it isn't finished

yet? Otherwise I'd go with Durham or Lincoln's cathedrals or maybe York Minster. Wells is awful darn nice, too.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

57. Real buildings don't get finished ... Simon Rodia's Watts Towers...

http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/watts/tower2.html

[Bossy Monkey]

60. If you dig spires, and it appears that you do...

St Boniface Catholic Church, Quincy IL:

I forget whether GIFs show up on DU; if not, the picture is here:
http://www.quincynet.com/explore/worship/ch102.htm
It looks much better in real life, not nearly so much like a post office with spire envy. Unfortunately my photos of it are not digitized.

[Dora]

58. My home, every day when I pull in the driveway.

It's not much, but it's home.

[Momgonepostal]

59. Piazza Venezia in Rome

Not sure what the building itself is called but I love it.

[Modem Butterfly]

61. The Forbidden City in Beijing

[Spider Jerusalem]

62. More than one.

Gothic: Rheims Cathedral



Classical: The Pantheon, in Rome (amazing just for the building technique; largest unsupported dome anywhere for eighteen centuries, unsurpassed until within the last 100 yearsand using ancient techniques)




Most of the others I'd list have been mentioned (Fallingwater, Chrysler Building, etc)

[Ron Mexico]

63. My military outprocessing center.

Not much in terms of architecture, but it was a temple of joy for me.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

65. I never quite thought of Fort Dix that way

but I certainly see what you mean.

[Wapsie B]

64. The interior

of the St.Paul Cathedral. It's beautiful. I haven't done any world traveling but would love to see more notable structures across the globe.

[elehhhhna]

66. my house after a vacation.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

68. The ancient walled city of Carcassonne

Located in southwestern France, it dates back to about 100 A.D. when the Romans built a fort on a hilltop. Construction was continued under the Visigoths. The Frankish Kings in the 700s made most of the final construction. This is one of the most startling sites you will ever see, as the walled city, with ramparts, moats, an interior castle and the rest are extremly well-preserved. Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, but the city is so huge that it's hard to find a photo that accurately conveys its appearance.

[Dastard Stepchild]

69. Ohhhh... the Edinburgh Castle...

It is such a gorgeous city. And they hold the Military Tattoo there every year. I really loved Edinburgh. I don't know if I can find a picture that does it justice - you really have to see it against the backdrop of the city.

This is the castle itself:


And this is how it is part of the city... sort of (it's off to the far right):

[I Have A Dream]

91. Edinburgh really is beautiful. I was in Edinburgh one day, and then...

I went to Glasgow the next. What a difference! (Not a knock to Glasgow, but it's a working class city whereas Edinburgh has some really beautiful buildings in it. The energy's really different, in my opinion.)

The big thing that I remember about Edinburgh is walking through a small park that was available to anyone, and there was no graffiti or vandalism of the beauty that was in the park. I kept thinking that we could never keep a park like this in the US -- it would be ripped apart in a week. I'm generalizing and maybe things have changed since I was last in Europe (1998), but Europeans really seem to not vandalize their countries' national treasures. It made me happy for them and sad for Americans.

Long story short: I also really liked Edinburgh Castle and Edinburgh.

[Dastard Stepchild]

92. oh yes... I loved it there...

We also made a separate trip for the Fringe, which is phenomenal.
http://www.edfringe.com/

I want to go back! :cry:

[sakabatou]

70. There's one in Quebec that stands on a hill, it's pretty famous

[NMMNG]

71. The Guggenheim Museum

The Sydney Opera House is also quite lovely

[Clintmax]

72. This one is right up there...

Most of the buildings in Rome are unbelieveable!

[liberalitch]

73. US Archives..... the truth is in there.

[Canadian Socialist]

74. Manitoba Legislative Building

I think it's the most beautiful one in Canada.


Winnipeg is the capital city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. The Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, where the unicameral legislative assembly sits, was built in a neoclassical style from Manitoba’s famous Tyndall limestone.

[yellowdogintexas]

75. Alhambra Palace in Granada,

and some of the others already mentioned here.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

76. Two...........

One I've been to:

Köln Cathedral

One I'd love to see:

Angkor

[Twillig]

80. Pillsbury Hall U of Minn.

My first year at the U this building was a big lump of black coal with a nice shape.

They finally cleaned it up and it looked like so:



It's a really neat building and I took one class there once.

http://www.tholt.com/pillsh.html

Neuschwanstein was ok i guess. :-)

[hyphenate]

82. I remember someone posted some time back

a picture of a hotel, I think, in some country in the Far East, I believe that was magnificant. It was on a small peninsula or island, with a short causeway, and the structure was reminiscent of a sail on a sailboat. I thought I had a link to it, but I can't find it. Anyone know which one I'm thinking about?

[nykiera]

84. Brumback Public Library

Van Wert, OH




http://www.brumbacklib.com/

[nytemare]

85. St Paul's Cathedral, Salzburg Cathedral, Hohensalzburg fortress

Konigsee Church


St Bartholomew's Cathedral, Frankfurt

[blondeatlast]

87. San Xavier del Bac north of Tucson, Arizona. At sunset, it literally

glows.

Still used for services every Sunday after over 200 years.

When I see it, I can imagine the feelings of tired travelers in the desert spying it for the first time.

Sadly, they built a parking lot directly in front of it, but as I say, it's still used for services.

Just breathtaking, as are ll the Sonoran area missions.

[I Have A Dream]

89. Some of the thatched roof cottages in rural England.

I've seen so many beautiful buildings, but I think that these are the buildings that have impressed me the most. Absolutely gorgeous with the gardens around them!