So the sadly ugly Plaza Square Apartments are now considered ‘historic’ (note: I believe some Mid-Century Modern buildings are worth of historic designation). Designed by the architectural firm of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassebaum, the six…
Tagged By Modernism
Saint Louis University Law School
I tried to control myself and not comment on this building, but its recent renovation really is lipstick on a pig. At least it’s occupied. A bland, mediocre building with some Post-Modernist additions that do…
Town Square, Fairfield, Iowa
The vibrant, fully occupied town square in Fairfield raises an interesting quandary; many of its buildings no longer possess their historic fronts, but they still house operating businesses. Is architectural uniformity and beauty more important…
Jewish Home for the Aged and Hyde Park at the Turn of the Century
Thanks to help from a reader, Mark Baker, I gained access to this wonderful postcard view of the College Park/Hyde Park at what looks to be the turn of the Twentieth Century, which illuminated additional…
Northwest Plaza Demolition Continuing
The demolition of Northwest Plaza, once the queen of the shopping malls of St. Louis, continues. As the ill-fated, and revealed by the demolition of the cheaply built enclosure of the mall in the late…
Gateway Arch, From Old Courthouse Steps
Jewish Orthodox Old Home, In Transition
Thanks to a tip from a reader, I was alerted to the removal of all of the windows and the painting over of graffiti at the old Jewish Orthodox Old Home. What is happening? I…
Third Street, Burlington, Iowa
Starting at the top of Third Street in downtown Burlington, Iowa, I walked down the hill into the heart of the city’s business district. Like most Iowa towns along the Mississippi River, there are steep…
Downtown Collinsville, Illinois
While looking at the Miner’s Institute, I wandered up and down the streets of downtown Collinsville. It is a beautiful, well-preserved and occupied area, and points to Collinsville’s history as a major town in the…
Granite City Steel Building, Revisited
Surrounded by abandoned buildings and parking lots, the Granite City Steel Building was cutting edge when it opened in 1958 to the designs of Sverdrup and Parcel, and is largely preserved in its original…
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Image by Jennifer Silverberg
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