"America's Favorite Architecture " is a list of buildings and other structures identified as the most popular works of architecture in the United States .
In 2006 and 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) sponsored research to identify the most popular works of architecture in the United States. Harris Interactive conducted the study by first polling a sample of the AIA membership and later polling a sample of the public.[ 1]
In the first phase of the study, 2,448 AIA members were interviewed and asked to identify their "favorite" structures . Each was asked to name up to 20 structures in each of 15 defined categories. The 248 structures that were named by at least six of the AIA members were then included in a list of structures to be included in the next phase, a survey of the general public. The survey of the public involved a total of 2,214 people, each of whom rated many photographs of buildings and other structures drawn from the list of 248 structures that had been created by polling the architects. The public's preferences were ranked using a "likeability" scale developed for the study.[ 1] [ 2]
As part of the commemoration of the organization's 150th anniversary in 2007, the AIA announced the list of the 150 highest-ranked structures as "America's Favorite Architecture". New York City is the location of 32 structures on the list, more than any other place. Of the 10 top-ranked structures, 6 are in Washington, DC , which is the location of 17 of the 150 structures on the complete list.[ 2] Chicago has 16 structures on the list.
The 150 top-ranked structures are listed below.[ 3]
List of "America's Favorites"
Rank
Structure
City
State
Architect(s)
Built
Style
Picture
1
Empire State Building
New York
NY
William F. Lamb
1930–31
Art Deco
2
The White House
Washington
DC
James Hoban
1792–1800
Neoclassical
3
Washington National Cathedral
Washington
DC
George Frederick Bodley , Henry Vaughan and Philip H. Frohman
1906–88
Gothic Revival
4
Jefferson Memorial
Washington
DC
John Russell Pope
1939–43
Neoclassical
5
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco
CA
Irving F. Morrow and Gertrude C. Morrow
1933–37
Art Deco
6
United States Capitol
Washington
DC
William Thornton
1793–1962
Neoclassical
7
Lincoln Memorial
Washington
DC
Henry Bacon
1914–22
Greek Revival
8
Biltmore Estate
Asheville
NC
Richard Morris Hunt ; Frederick Law Olmsted
1889–95
Châteauesque
9
Chrysler Building
New York
NY
William Van Alen
1928–30
Art Deco
10
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington
DC
Maya Lin
1982
Modern
11
St. Patrick's Cathedral
New York
NY
James Renwick
1858–78
Gothic Revival
12
Washington Monument
Washington
DC
Robert Mills
1848–54
Egyptian Revival
13
Grand Central Terminal
New York
NY
Reed and Stem ; Warren and Wetmore
1903–13
Beaux-Arts
14
Gateway Arch
St. Louis
MO
Eero Saarinen
1963–65
Modern
15
Supreme Court of the United States
Washington
DC
Cass Gilbert
1932–35
Neoclassical
16
St. Regis
New York
NY
Trowbridge & Livingston
1904
Beaux-Arts
17
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York
NY
Calvert Vaux ; McKim, Mead & White ; Richard Morris Hunt ; Kevin Roche ; John Dinkeloo
1895– 2012
Beaux-Arts
18
Hotel Del Coronado
Coronado
CA
James W. Reid
1888
Victorian
19
World Trade Center (original towers)
New York
NY
Minoru Yamasaki
1966–75
Modern
20
Brooklyn Bridge
New York
NY
John Augustus Roebling
1869-83
Gothic Revival
21
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia
PA
John McArthur Jr.
1871–1901
Second Empire
22
Bellagio Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas
NV
Deruyter Butler ; Atlandia Design
1995–98
Italianate
23
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
New York
NY
Heins & La Farge ; Ralph Adams Cram
1892–1911
Gothic Revival
24
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia
PA
Horace Trumbauer , Zantzinger, Borie, and Medary
1919–28
Neoclassical
25
Trinity Church
Boston
MA
Henry Hobson Richardson
1872–77
Richardsonian Romanesque
26
Ahwahnee Hotel
Yosemite Valley
CA
Gilbert Stanley Underwood
1926–27
National Park Service Rustic
27
Monticello
Charlottesville
VA
Thomas Jefferson
1768–1826
Georgian
28
Library of Congress
Washington
DC
John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz
1890–97
Beaux-Arts
29
Fallingwater
Mill Run
PA
Frank Lloyd Wright
1936–39
Modern/Organic
30
Taliesin
Spring Green
WI
Frank Lloyd Wright
1911–59
Prairie School
31
Wrigley Field
Chicago
IL
Zachary Taylor Davis
1911–14
Jewel Box Stadium
32
Wanamaker's Department Store
Philadelphia
PA
Daniel Burnham
1876
Neo-Renaissance
33
Rose Center for Earth and Space
New York
NY
James Stewart Polshek
2000
Structural Expressionist / Postmodern
34
National Gallery of Art (West Building)
Washington
DC
John Russell Pope
1938–41
Neoclassical
35
Allegheny County Courthouse
Pittsburgh
PA
Henry Hobson Richardson
1883–88
Richardsonian Romanesque
36
Old Faithful Inn
Yellowstone National Park
WY
Robert Reamer
1903–27
National Park Service Rustic
37
Washington Union Station
Washington
DC
Daniel Burnham
1908–89
Beaux-Arts
38
Tribune Tower
Chicago
IL
John Mead Howells ; Raymond Hood
1923–25
Gothic Revival
39
Delano Hotel
Miami Beach
FL
Robert Swartburg ; Philippe Starck (interior)
1947–94
Art Deco
40
Union Station
St. Louis
MO
Theodore C. Link
1892
Romanesque
41
Hearst Residence
San Simeon
CA
Julia Morgan
1919–1947
Spanish Revival
42
Willis (formerly Sears) Tower
Chicago
IL
Fazlur Rahman Khan Bruce Graham
1970–74
Modern
43
Thomas Crane Public Library
Quincy
MA
Henry Hobson Richardson
1881–82
Richardsonian Romanesque
44
Woolworth Building
New York
NY
Cass Gilbert
1910–12
Gothic Revival
45
Cincinnati Union Terminal
Cincinnati
OH
Fellheimer & Wagner
1928–33
Art Deco
46
Waldorf Astoria
New York
NY
Schultze & Weaver
1929–31
Art Deco
47
New York Public Library
New York
NY
Carrère and Hastings
1897–1911
Beaux-Arts
48
Carnegie Hall
New York
NY
William B. Tuthill ; Richard Morris Hunt and Dankmar Adler , consulting architects
1890–91
Italianate
49
San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco
CA
Arthur Brown, Jr.
1913–16
Beaux-Arts
50
Virginia State Capitol
Richmond
VA
Thomas Jefferson
1785–88
Neoclassical
51
Cadet Chapel, Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs
CO
Walter Netsch
1959–62
Futurist
52
Field Museum of Natural History
Chicago
IL
Daniel Burnham and Graham, Anderson, Probst and White
1915–21
Neoclassical
53
Apple, 5th Avenue
New York
NY
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
2005–06
Structural Expressionist
54
Fisher Fine Arts Library
Philadelphia
PA
Frank Furness
1888–90
Victorian
55
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Kohala Coast
HI
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
1965
Modern
56
Rockefeller Center
New York
NY
Reinhard & Hofmeister , Corbett , Harrison & Macmurray, Raymond Hood , Godley & Fouilhoux
1930–39
Art Deco
57
Denver International Airport
Denver
CO
Fentress Bradburn Architects
1989–95
Postmodern
58
Ames Free Library
North Easton
MA
Henry Hobson Richardson
1877–79
Richardsonian Romanesque
59
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee
WI
Santiago Calatrava
1994–2001
Postmodern
60
Thorncrown Chapel
Eureka Springs
AR
E. Fay Jones
1980
Prairie School
61
Transamerica Pyramid
San Francisco
CA
William Pereira
1969–72
Modern
62
333 Wacker Drive
Chicago
IL
Kohn Pedersen Fox
1979–83
Modern
63
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Washington
DC
Gyo Obata
1972–76
Modern
64
Faneuil Hall
Boston
MA
Benjamin Thompson
1740–42
Georgian
65
Crystal Cathedral
Garden Grove
CA
Philip Johnson
1977–80
Structural Expressionist / Postmodern
66
Gamble House
Pasadena
CA
Greene and Greene
1908–09
American Craftsman
67
Nebraska State Capitol
Lincoln
NE
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue
1922–32
Art Deco / Neoclassical
68
New York Times Building
New York
NY
Renzo Piano
2003–07
Structural Expressionist
69
Salt Lake City Public Library
Salt Lake City
UT
Moshe Safdie
2000–03
Structural Expressionist / Postmodern
70
Walt Disney World Dolphin and Swan Hotels
Lake Buena Vista
FL
Michael Graves
1987–88
Postmodern
71
Hearst Tower
New York
NY
Norman Foster
2003–06
Structural Expressionist
72
Flatiron Building
New York
NY
Daniel Burnham
1902
Beaux-Arts / Chicago school
73
Lake Point Tower
Chicago
IL
Schipporeit and Heinrich
1965–68
Modern
74
Guggenheim Museum
New York
NY
Frank Lloyd Wright
1956–59
Modern
75
Union Station
Los Angeles
CA
The Parkinsons
1939
Spanish Revival
76
Willard Hotel
Washington
DC
Henry Janeway Hardenbergh
1901
Beaux-Arts
77
Sever Hall, Harvard University
Cambridge
MA
Henry Hobson Richardson
1878–80
Richardsonian Romanesque
78
Broadmoor Hotel
Colorado Springs
CO
Warren & Wetmore
1918
Spanish Revival
79
Ronald Reagan Building
Washington
DC
James Ingo Freed
1989–98
Postmodern , Neotraditional
80
Phillips Exeter Academy Library
Exeter
NH
Louis Kahn
1965–71
Modern
81
The Plaza Hotel
New York
NY
Henry J. Hardenbergh
1905–07
Beaux-Arts
82
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
Chicago
IL
Jean-Paul Viguier
2002
Postmodern
83
Glessner House
Chicago
IL
Henry Hobson Richardson
1886–87
Richardsonian Romanesque
84
Yankee Stadium (1923) (demolished)
New York
NY
Osborn Architects & Engineers
1922–23
Jewel Box Stadium
85
Harold Washington Library
Chicago
IL
Hammond, Beeby and Babka
1988–91
Postmodern / Neotraditional
86
Lincoln Center
New York
NY
Wallace Harrison , Philip Johnson and others
1955–69
Modern
87
The Dakota Apartments
New York
NY
Henry Janeway Hardenbergh
1880–84
Neo-Renaissance
88
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago
IL
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
1893
Beaux-Arts
89
Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco
CA
Reid & Reid
1907
Beaux-Arts
90
Boston Public Library
Boston
MA
Charles Follen McKim
1887–95
Renaissance Revival
91
Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles
CA
Lloyd Wright
1929–2004
Expressionist
92
Texas State Capitol
Austin
TX
Elijah E. Myers
1885–88
Neo-Renaissance
93
Fontainebleau
Miami Beach
FL
Morris Lapidus
1954
Modern
94
Legal Research Building , University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
MI
York and Sawyer
1924–33
Gothic Revival
95
Getty Center
Los Angeles
CA
Richard Meier
1989–97
Modern
96
High Museum
Atlanta
GA
Richard Meier
1980–83
Modern
97
Federal Building and United States Courthouse
Central Islip
NY
Richard Meier
1996–2000
Modern
98
Humana Building
Louisville
KY
Michael Graves
1982–85
Postmodern
99
Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles
CA
Frank Gehry
1999–2003
Postmodern / Deconstructivism
100
Radio City Music Hall
New York
NY
Edward Durell Stone
1931–32
Art Deco
101
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati
OH
NBBJ
1998–2000
Postmodern
102
United Airlines Terminal 1, O'Hare Airport
Chicago
IL
Helmut Jahn
1985–87
Postmodern
103
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Atlanta
GA
John C. Portman, Jr.
1967
Modern
104
Oracle Park
San Francisco
CA
Populous
1997–2000
Retro-classical / Neotraditional
105
Time Warner Center
New York
NY
David Childs
2000–03
Modern
106
Washington Metro
Washington
DC
Harry Weese
1969–76
Brutalist
107
IDS Center (IDS Tower)
Minneapolis
MN
Philip Johnson
1969–72
Modern
108
Seattle Central Library
Seattle
WA
Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus
2002–04
Structural Expressionist / Deconstructivism
109
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco
CA
Mario Botta
1992–95
Postmodern
110
Chicago Union Station
Chicago
IL
Daniel Burnham and Graham, Anderson, Probst and White
1913–25
Art Deco
111
United Nations Headquarters
New York
NY
Wallace Harrison and others
1948–52
Modern
112
National Building Museum
Washington
DC
Montgomery C. Meigs
1882–87
Renaissance Revival
113
Fenway Park
Boston
MA
James E. McLaughlin
1911–12
Jewel box ballpark
114
Dana–Thomas House
Springfield
IL
Frank Lloyd Wright
1902–04
Prairie School
115
TWA Flight Center , JFK Airport
New York
NY
Eero Saarinen
1959–62
Modern / Expressionist
116
The Athenaeum
New Harmony
IN
Richard Meier
1979
Modern
117
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis
MN
Edward Larrabee Barnes ; Herzog & de Meuron
1969–71, 2005
Minimalist
118
American Airlines Center
Dallas
TX
David M. Schwarz
1991–2001
Neotraditional
119
Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
Phoenix
AZ
Albert Chase McArthur with Frank Lloyd Wright consulting
1929
Art Deco
120
Richard J. Riordan Central Library
Los Angeles
CA
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue
1926
Art Deco , Mexican Baroque
121
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco
CA
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill , Del Campo and Maru Architects , Michael Willis Architects
1995–2000
Modern
122
Camden Yards
Baltimore
MD
Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum
1989–92
Retro-classical / Neotraditional
123
Taliesin West
Scottsdale
AZ
Frank Lloyd Wright
1937
Modern
124
United States Holocaust Museum
Washington
DC
James Ingo Freed , Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
1988–93
Neotraditional , Georgian , modern
125
Citicorp Center
New York
NY
Hugh Stubbins & Associates ; Emery Roth & Sons
1974–77
Postmodern
126
V. C. Morris Gift Shop
San Francisco
CA
Frank Lloyd Wright
1948
Organic
127
Union Station
Kansas City
MO
Jarvis Hunt
1914
Beaux-Arts architecture
128
Rookery Building
Chicago
IL
Burnham and Root
1888
Chicago school
129
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
Minneapolis
MN
Frank Gehry
1993
Postmodern / Deconstructivism
130
Douglas House
Harbor Springs
MI
Richard Meier
1965–67
Modern
131
Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House
Los Angeles
CA
Frank Lloyd Wright
1919–21
Mayan Revival
132
Pennzoil Place
Houston
TX
Philip Johnson
1976
Postmodern
133
Royalton Hotel
New York
NY
Rossiter & Wright ; Philippe Starck
1898, 1988
Neoclassical
134
Astrodome
Houston
TX
Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan, and Wilson, Morris, Crain and Anderson
1962–65
Postmodern
135
T-Mobile Park
Seattle
WA
1997–99
Retro-modern
136
Corning Museum of Glass
Corning
NY
Gunnar Birkerts
1976–1980
Modern
137
30th Street Station
Philadelphia
PA
Graham, Anderson, Probst and White
1927–33
Neoclassical
138
Robie House
Chicago
IL
Frank Lloyd Wright
1909–10
Prairie School
139
Williams (formerly Transco) Tower
Houston
TX
Philip Johnson
1981–83
Postmodern
140
Stahl House (Case Study House #22)
Los Angeles
CA
Pierre Koenig
1959–60
Mid-century modern
141
Apple, SoHo
New York
NY
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
2002
Modern
142
John Hancock Tower
Boston
MA
Henry N. Cobb
1968–76
Minimalist
143
Pennsylvania Station (demolished)
New York
NY
McKim, Mead & White
1904–10
Neoclassical
144
Hyatt Regency
San Francisco
CA
John Portman
1973
Postmodern
145
Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building
Chicago
IL
Louis Sullivan
1899
Chicago school
146
Museum of Modern Art
New York
NY
Philip Johnson
1939
International Style
147
Auditorium Building
Chicago
IL
Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan
1887–89
Chicago school
148
Brown Palace Hotel
Denver
CO
Frank Edbrooke
1892
Renaissance Revival
149
Ingalls Rink, Yale University
New Haven
CT
Eero Saarinen
1953–58
Modern
150
Battle Hall , UT Austin
Austin
TX
Cass Gilbert
1911
Spanish-Mediterranean Revival
Criticisms
When it was released, critics observed that the list of "favorites" did not reflect the judgments of architectural “experts”. Upon the list's release, AIA president R.K. Stewart acknowledged that the rankings did not represent architects' professional judgments, but instead reflected people's "emotional connections" to buildings.[ 4] Buildings named by critics as being some that architects consider to be highly significant, but that did not achieve top 150 ranking in the public survey, included the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California , designed by Louis Kahn ; the Inland Steel and John Hancock buildings in Chicago; Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia , designed by Eero Saarinen ; and the Seagram Building in New York City, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe .[ 4] [ 5] John King of the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out that in 1991 the AIA had named Eero Saarinen's design for Dulles Airport as one of ten "all-time works of American architects." King noted that the public's ratings were based on seeing just one photo of each building, and pointed out that "There's more to architecture than a picture can convey."[ 4]
Structures ranked below the top 150
The 98 buildings that were listed by architects as significant, but did not rank in the top 150 in the public vote, were:[ 4]
860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments – Chicago, Illinois
American Folk Art Museum – New York City
Art & Architecture Building – Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut
Baker House – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Beinecke Rare Book Library – Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Beth Sholom Synagogue – Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Boston City Hall – Boston, Massachusetts
Bradbury Building – Los Angeles, California
Burton Barr Library – Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix, Arizona
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts – Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – Los Angeles
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption – San Francisco
CBS Headquarters / Black Rock – New York City
Yale Center for British Art /Museum of British Art – Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Chapel/W15 – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Chapel of St. Ignatius – Seattle University , Seattle
Crown Hall – Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago
Dallas City Hall – Dallas, Texas
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – Dallas, Texas
M. H. de Young Memorial Museum – San Francisco
Denver Art Museum – Denver, Colorado
Denver Public Library – Denver, Colorado
Eames House – Pacific Palisades, California
Ennis House /Ennis-Brown House – Los Angeles
Esherick House – Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania
Experience Music Project – Seattle
Farnsworth House – Plano, Illinois
First Christian Church – Columbus, Indiana
First Church of Christ Scientist – Berkeley, California
First Unitarian Church of Rochester – Rochester, New York
Ford Foundation Building – New York City
Frank Gehry Residence – Santa Monica, California
Freer Gallery of Art – Washington, DC
Genzyme Center – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Gropius House – Lincoln, Massachusetts
Guaranty Building – Buffalo, New York
Horton Plaza – San Diego
IBM Building – Chicago
Inland Steel Building – Chicago
Jacobs Field – Cleveland, Ohio
John Deere World Headquarters – Moline, Illinois
John Hancock Center – Chicago
Johnson Wax Building – Racine, Wisconsin
Kaufmann Desert House – Palm Springs, California
Kimbell Art Museum – Fort Worth, Texas
Kings Road House – West Hollywood, California
Larkin Administration Building – Buffalo, New York
Lever House – New York City
Lovell Beach House – Newport Beach, California
R. H. Macy and Company Store (building) – New York City
Marin County Civic Center – San Rafael, California
Marshall Field and Company Building – Chicago
Menil Collection – Houston, Texas
Minneapolis Central Library – Minneapolis
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth – Fort Worth, Texas
Monadnock Building – Chicago
Morgan Library & Museum – New York City
Mount Angel Library – Mount Angel, Oregon
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Nasher Sculpture Center – Dallas
National Gallery of Art (East Wing) – Washington, DC
North Christian Church – Columbus, Indiana
Oakland Museum of California – Oakland, California
O'Hare International Airport – Chicago
Peabody Terrace – Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Petco Park (San Diego Padres ) – San Diego
Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building /PSFS – Philadelphia
Philip Johnson 's Glass House – New Canaan, Connecticut
Prada – Los Angeles
Prada – 575 Broadway, New York City
Price Tower – Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Rachofsky House – Dallas, Texas
REI Flagship Store, Seattle
Reliance Building – Chicago
Richards Medical Research Laboratories – Philadelphia
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – Arlington, Virginia
Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art – Cincinnati
Salk Institute – La Jolla, California
San Francisco Public Library – San Francisco
Sandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse – Phoenix, Arizona
Seagram's Building – New York City
Frederick J. Smith House – Darien, Connecticut
Soldier Field – Chicago
Sony Plaza (AT&T Corporate Headquarters) – New York City
Staples Center – Los Angeles
Superdome – New Orleans
Tiffany and Company Building – New York City
Unity Temple – Oak Park, Illinois
University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals Stadium) – Glendale, Arizona
Vanna Venturi House – Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania
Wainwright Building – St. Louis, Missouri
Washington Dulles International Airport – Chantilly, Virginia
Wexner Center for the Arts – Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio
Whitney Museum – New York City
William J. Clinton Presidential Library – Little Rock, Arkansas
See also
References
^ a b American Institute of Architects, "About this Exhibit", FavoriteArchitecture.org website Archived May 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
^ a b American Institute of Architects Releases Poll Showing "America's Favorite Architecture" Archived February 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , Building Online, March 15, 2007
^ American Institute of Architects, FavoriteArchitecture.org website Archived March 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
^ a b c d John King, When it comes to the tops in architecture, it's all about how it makes people feel , San Francisco Chronicle , February 13, 2007
^ Alex Frangos, Americans' Favorite Buildings , The Wall Street Journal , February 7, 2007
External links