When Powell Symphony Hall reopened almost a year ago, we found an ultra-modern new building surrounding two sides of the old one. It adds a lot of space for the public, but also adequate dressing rooms for the musicians, especially the women, who now make up half of the players. They have a comfortable lounge. There are proper executive offices, a music library, instrument storage and a large public education room. Lots of the inside views are pretty good, too.
Five of the elegant townhouses along Lafayette Square. They are architecturally identical with different decorative details. You might be able to see it if you enlarge the image, but all but the left building have unusual scroll decor on the top floor dormer windows. Two of the five have identical filigree fencing on the top. The one on the left appears to be for sale if you are interested.
By the time this post goes up, we expect to be in a big snow and ice storm. I’ll get out with a camera but probably not further than our door.
A beautiful but derelict building in midtown St. Louis. As with many buildings its age, it has lovely architectural ornaments in danger of ruin. This one, though, is going to make it back. The banner says that redevelopment is sponsored by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. It is a wonderful organization that has restored a swath of our midtown area for the visual and performing arts, including the St. Louis Fringe Festival, with which I am very involved.
Sure, there was a picture a couple of days ago with the Arch in it, but this one is all about architecture and geometry. The building shows a pediment on the south wing of the Old Courthouse.
I have not gotten back out on the street since we returned from our travels. There is a lot going on over the coming weekend to fill my memory cards but for now we remain in Italy. Bologna has a unique feature in the old city center, block after block after block of sidewalks covered with porticos. Some are arched, some are flat but, besides the beautiful sight lines, they offer protection for rain and sun when out about your business. No enclosed shopping malls needed.
Kingshighway is a major north-south street in the City of St. Louis proper. Part of it runs along Forest Park, the largest urban park in the United States. That stretch contains expensive apartment and condo buildings as well as the enormous Washington University Medical Center. The architectural contrasts are stark.
Another view from the roof of the city museum. Only one of the buildings seen here is less than 50 years old. It's the one with the blue-green glass, the St. Louis University School of Law. The design of the cornice in the foreground is interesting. It is a unique design and could not be easily seen from the street.
Tower Grove Park may look simple at first view, but there are many interesting and unusual details. The small building is at one of the automobile entrances. The official park map describes it only as Well House with no further explanation. A page on the website of the excellent local photo-historian, Chris Naffziger, calls it the South Entrance Lodge. https://stlouispatina.com/37889-2/ . He has a bit to say about the architecture but mentions that little else is known about the building. It is quite small but has a certain elegance.
Decoration from a building facade, well over a century old. The plaque on the left describes the origin but I didn't make a note of it. It's a shame that we have not preserved more buildings like the one this came from. At least the City Museum has restored some details like these dozing angels for us to enjoy.
The opposite side of the large reading room at Central Library Branch, behind where I was standing for yesterday's post. There are people reading or on their laptops at the tables. The woman in the entry, the man in the pink shirt and the one in the yellow shirt on the floor are participants in the photography workshop.
This is the main reading room of the restored St. Louis Central Library, giving a sense of its architectural grace. The low light and warmth of the honey-colored stone makes it feel quieter than the usual library hush. The view is from the middle of the room. Behind me are a number of dark heavy oak tables and chairs. The library often has special exhibits that are set up in this open area.
You probably didn't know that there is an International Photography Hall of Fame. It's even more unlikely that you know it's located here. From time to time IPHF and excellent local photographer Richard Sprengler put on workshops in architectural photography, concentrating on our local building heritage.
One such program was held yesterday at the St. Louis Public Library's Central Branch. It opened in 1912 and became worn over the decades. A massive restoration and addition of a new wing led to its reopening in 2012. It's gorgeous inside and we will head there next.
Like other big, prosperous American cities, Boston seems to have tall, shiny buildings going up all over the place. We've seen it in New York, Seattle and parts of LA. When they cluster together they can create patterns that look almost cubist. (Note: you do not see this happening in St. Louis.)
Change of subject. Whether you knew it or not, there is such a thing as the International Photography Hall of Fame, and it happens to be located here. Besides exhibits, they do educational programs and workshops. There was one last Saturday about architectural photography, including two hours to shoot inside our totally over-the-top Fox Theatre.
It styles itself The Fabulous Fox. It opened as an enormous movie theater in 1929, closed in 1978, then rehabbed and reopened for stage shows in 1982. It has a twin in Detroit and seats about 4,400 in its present configuration. The decor is - what? - Greco-Roman-Byzantine-Hindu-Muslim madness but everybody loves its excess. More detail to come. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Theatre_(St._Louis)
The central hall of the St. Louis Art Museum. The main building was constructed as the Palace of Fine Art for our 1904 World's Fair (and we had the Olympics the same year - we used to be somebody) and then became SLAM. The architect, Cass Gilbert, was inspired by the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.
This was off to the right of the frame in Tuesday's picture of the lock and dam visitor's center. Not sure why a wall was needed other than for architectural balance. The circular openings are there, well, because.
I am so out of materials and ideas. We have had some pretty spring weather but the same old daisies and magnolias aren't doing much for me. After a couple of hours in my office yesterday I picked up a camera and walked around the secondary streets of downtown trolling for images. Anything.
We have some handsome old architecture, some of it preserved, some not. Many years ago this was the headquarters of the natural gas utility (methane mixed with some other stuff), from the days when it was used to light homes and businesses. In time it became mostly used for heat and industrial applications. Then the business became just the Laclede Gas Company and moved to one of our first steel frame, curtain wall high rises, built in 1966. Several years ago, like some other corporations, it changed its name from something meaningful to something meaningless and is now Spire. The current location is in an odd Philip Johnson-designed building, once occupied by an insurance company that went under in the Great Recession.
So like many others, the old building is now apartments. As you can see, the ground floor retail space is vacant. Still, the structure retains its charm and dignity.
