Union Station, Framed
I caught this image of Union Station through a break in the old warehouses and office buildings of downtown.
Downtown
Posts about downtown St. Louis
Family Photos
I found some old pictures my family took from the Arch back in 1986-7; in the upper left, you can see the Cupples Warehouses sitting vacant. The first Kiener Plaza, now demolished, was just starting construction. The ash trees are… Continue Reading
Missouri Athletic Club, Revisited
Sitting at one of the most prominent intersections of the city, 4th and Washington, the Missouri Athletic Club is one of the most interesting buildings in downtown. Part banqueting hall, sports club, hotel and lounge, it is still a center… Continue Reading
Gateway Tower
Designed by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassebaum, the Gateway Tower opened in 1966.
The Leftorium
Maryland/Baltimore/Mark Twain Hotel, Revisited
It’s not the most famous building in downtown, but I still think it has some of the most creative terracotta in the whole city. Often shrouded in the shadows of its neighbors, the Mark Twain still shines in white and… Continue Reading
Arcade-Wright Building, Morning Sun
The block containing the Arcade-Wright and Paul Brown Buildings is the only block with completely preserved historic office buildings. The masterfully restored Arcade-Wright Building, with its distinctive shopping arcade, is one of the most important renovations in the last decade.
Security Building, Revisited
I caught the Security Building in the morning light and saw new details I had never noticed before. Take a look at this historic office building, finished just before the dawn of the new era with the completion of the… Continue Reading
William Stickney Cigar Building
This building, like many older office buildings in downtown St. Louis, received a Modernist slipcover in the 1950s or 60s, its owners now ashamed of its historic architecture. The slipcovers have started to come off these old buildings, revealing often… Continue Reading
Light Posts and Flag Poles, Central Library
A Beaux-Arts architect left nothing to chance, assiduously designing every aspect of a commission. Even the lamppost, such as the one above, received first class treatment, and was not purchased on-line from Home Depot. The flag pole, above and below,… Continue Reading