Edition: Architectural Delights
Architectural Delights
Author: Beth Custer
St. Louis's urban landscape is chock-full of distinctive architectural designs. Reminders of the city's past as a fur trading post, departure point for pioneers heading west, and a center of 19th century manufacturing stand alongside the modern structures of a thriving 21st-century metropolis. Whether you're a connoisseur of form, space and volume, or simply an interested sight-seer, the city will inspire your artistic sensibilities with its varied building styles.
Before you being your tour of architectural gems, a stop at the American Institute of Architects Bookstore (911 Washington Ave., 314-231-4252) is in order. You'll find books that describe local buildings in detail, plus artwork, toys, and jewelry.
St. Louis Public Library
The beauty of our public library can inspire lofty thoughts on any subject. We're not the only ones who think so - recently it was selected as one of the 12 most beautiful and historical libraries in the world, and is featured on the 2005 Renaissance Library Calendar. The library's Maine granite exterior features relief carvings of notable authors and inspirational inscriptions, while the interior is a marvel of stained glass windows, Tennessee marble, and hand carved oak. Noteworthy features include the marble floor in the Grand hall, modeled on the floor of the Pantheon, and the periodical room's carved ceiling, based on Michelangelo's ceiling design for the Laurentian Library in Florence. The architectural library, decorated in 16th century English style with leaded glass windows and carved oak furniture, houses a collection of rare books on architecture and related arts. (1301 Olive St., 314-241-2288)
The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
Japanese architect Tadao Ando's design provides a contemplative space to view artworks. Its unusual shiny exterior is the result of extremely dense concrete poured into smooth, polished forms, which were created especially to achieve a flawless surface. The interior is light and airy; there is little to compete with the artwork. A water courtyard where light, wind, and water interact to create different reflections depending on the time of day is incorporated in the building's design. Galleries, a roof garden, and exterior plaza show and interrelationship between contemporary art, architecture, and design. (3716 Washington Blvd., 314-754-1848)
The Wainwright Building
Often called the most architecturally significant building in St. Louis, the Wainwright Building was one of the first skyscrapers in the United States. When it was built in 1892, it was considered extremely tall - 10 stories! Ironically, it's dwarfed now by its much taller neighbors. Designed in the style of the Chicago school by Louis Sullivan, it was built by the firm of Adler & Sullivan. The red sandstone composition is supported by a base of red Missouri granite; richly detailed ornamental spandrels decorate the facade with a different style for each floor of the building. (705 Chestnut St)
Christ Church Cathedral
Leopold Eidlitz built this cathedral in 14th Century Early English Gothic style. The highlight of the building is the carved cream-colored stone reredos behind the alter. The 35-feet-high masterpiece consists of religious figures and biblical scenes, and weighs 160 tons. The cathedral is noted for its stained glass windows and Aeolian-Skinner organ, and its bell tower is home to the largest bell in Missouri. The building has hosted sermons by both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Desmond Tutu. (1210 Locust St., 314-231-3454)
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Still called the New cathedral by many St. Louisans, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is easily recognized by its tiled dome and Romanesque exterior. It's the Byzantine interior, however, that generates the most interest. It is home to the world's largest collection of mosaics - hundreds of them, made up of more than 41 million pieces of glass tesserae in over 7000 colors. These works of art depict scenes from Hebrew and Christian scripture, and the story of the Catholic Church. (4431 Lindell Blvd., 314-373-8241)
The Old Courthouse
The original courthouse for St. Louis County was built in the Federal style in 1828. The city's population was booming at the time, and the courthouse was enlarged twice before local government offices were finally moved to a new building. while the current Italian Renaissance style dome was constructed, the federal government simultaneously constructed a larger version of the same dome for the capitol in Washington, D.C. The domes were the first of their kind in the United States. The Building's ornate rotunda is remarkable for its bright colors, gilt trimmings, and historical murals painted within lunettes. Tours of the Old Courthouse include a visit to the Competition Room, which houses the top five designs submitted for the 1947-1948 competition to build a monument on the riverfront. Eero Saarinen's design for the Arch was the winner. (11 N. Fourth St., 314-655-1700)
The Gateway Arch
No discussion of architecture in St. Louis would be complete without a mention of our city's most famous landmark, the Gateway Arch. THe monument to westward expansion was completed in 1967 when a crane lifted the final section of stainless steel 630 feet in the air to connect the north and south legs. A documentary film, shown several times daily in the Museum of Westward Expansion at the base of the Arch, gives a birds-eye view of construction workers fastening stainless steel sections together. (St. Louis Riverfront, 314-982-1410)
