Architecture of Texas
Thearchitectureof the U.S. state ofTexascomes from a wide variety of sources. Many of the state's buildings reflect Texas'SpanishandMexicanroots; in addition, there is considerable influence from mostly theAmerican Southas well as theSouthwest.Rapid economic growth since the mid twentieth century has led to a wide variety of contemporary architectural buildings.
Traditional architecture
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The first European buildings in Texas were a series ofreligiousSpanishMissions established byCatholicDominicans,Jesuits,andFranciscansto spread theChristian doctrineamong the localNative Americans,and to give Spain a toehold in the frontier land. The missions introducedEuropeanlivestock,fruits,vegetables,andindustryinto theTexasregion. In addition to thepresidio(fort) andpueblo(town), themisiónwas one of the three major agencies employed by the Spanish crown to extend its borders and consolidate itscolonialterritories. In all, twenty-six missions were maintained for different lengths of time within the future boundaries of the state. TheSan Antonio de Valero Missionknown for theBattle of the Alamois a prime example of this kind of architecture.
Each Texas county has a distinct courthouse. These buildings reflect many different styles of architecture.
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Nicholas J. Clayton's "Old Red" built in 1891, is on the campus of theUniversity of Texas Medical BranchinGalvestonand is a registered Texas historic landmark.
Capitol building
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TheTexas State Capitol,located inAustin, Texas,is the fourth building to serve as the seat ofTexasgovernment. It houses the chambers of theTexas State Legislatureand the office of theGovernor of Texas.Originally designed byElijah E. Myers,it was constructed from 1882–88 under the direction of civil engineerLindsay Walker,and a $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1970 and recognized as aNational Historic Landmarkin 1986. It is the largestState Capitolbuilding, but smaller than theNational CapitolinWashington, D.C.[1]
Contemporary architecture
[edit]In addition to Texas's traditionalarchitecturethe state also has noteworthy contemporary buildings. Many world class architects andPritzker Prizewinners have left their enriching marks on Texan cities and landscapes.Frank Lloyd Wrighthad four buildings in Texas,[2]whileTadao Ando'sModern Art MuseumandLouis Kahn's famousKimbell Art Museumare permanent landmarks of the city ofFort Worth.Other super architects such asI.M. PeiandPhilip Johnsonhave numerous works across the state. Among their famous works one can mention theFort Worth Water Gardens,Amon Carter Museum,Chapel of St. Basil,Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center,andThanks-Giving Square.In Austin,Gordon Bunshaft'sLyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum(also aPritzker Prizewinner) is particularly noteworthy, whileSteven Holl,Robert A. M. Stern,Jaime Prize,andCésar Pelliare other architect legends who designed buildings that grace theDallasandHoustonareas.Sir Norman Foster'sDallas Center for the Performing Artsis the latest addition to such architectural landmarks in Texas.
Some facilities even harbor the marks of multiple architects. Houston'sMuseum of Fine Artsfor example, was designed byPritzker PrizewinnerRafael Moneo,landscape architect extraordinaireIsamu Noguchi,and the pioneering master ofModern ArchitectureMies van der Rohe.
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Philip Johnson's landscaping work: theFort Worth Water Gardens.
Skylines
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Texas is also home to some of thetallestskyscrapersin the United States. The Houston skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when ranked by breadth and height,[3]being the country's third-tallest skyline and one of the top 10 in the world;[4][5]however, because it is spread over a few miles, most pictures of the city show only the main downtown area. Houston has asystem of tunnels and skywalkslinking buildings in downtown. The tunnel system also includes shops, restaurants, and convenience stores.
- Images shown below are the eighttallest buildings in Texas.
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1.JPMorgan Chase Tower
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2.Wells Fargo Bank Plaza
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3.Bank of America Plaza
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5.Renaissance Tower
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6.Comerica Bank Tower
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7.Bank of America Center
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8.Heritage Plaza
Houston
See also
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References
[edit]- ^Texas CapitolArchived2013-10-18 at theWayback Machine.State Preservation Board, Caretakers of the Texas Capitol. Last accessed January 10, 2008.
- ^"Frank Lloyd Wright - Texas (All-Wright Site - Frank Lloyd Wright Building Guide)".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-28.
- ^The World's Best SkylinesArchivedFebruary 4, 2008, at theWayback MachineEgbert Gramsbergen and Paul Kazmierczak, 2006
- ^Calculated Average Height of the Ten Tallest (CAHTT)Archived2012-02-11 at theWayback MachineUltrapolisProject.com
- ^Tallest Cities of the World?SkyscraperPage Forum, August 30, 2006