Can You Guess the Building? Series No. 15

Posted on December 12, 2019January 27, 2020 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

This National Historic Landmark was once the tallest building in the world, and was the tallest in its city for over 90 years. A taller building was built nearby in 1986, allegedly bringing a curse against the city’s professional sports teams.

Where is it?

Answer: Philadelphia City Hall. This 548-foot-tall masonry building was designed in the Second Empire style by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas U. Walter and was the tallest building in the world from 1894 to 1908. The 37-foot-tall statue of William Penn, sculpted by Alexander Milne Calder, is still the tallest statue atop a building in the world.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 14

Posted on July 29, 2019January 13, 2020 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 14:

This building was designed by a recently deceased icon in the architecture world, and at the time of writing is the tallest building in its city.

Where am I?

Answer: Green Building (Building 54), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Green Building is a 21-story concrete-frame structure designed by I.M. Pei & Associates and completed in 1964. The cast-in-place concrete is expressed on the exterior facades, with pre-cast units used at the window sills. It has been the tallest building in Cambridge for over 50 years.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 13

Posted on October 2, 2018October 2, 2018 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 13:

This church boasts a wealth of sculptural ornament, including dozens of life-sized saints and historical figures, as well as smaller details such as these depictions of tradespeople. The shield is a clue to its location. Where is it?

Answer: St. Thomas Church, New York, NY. Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson won a competition for the design of the church in 1906, and it was constructed between 1911 and 1913. The church was Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Goodhue’s final collaboration before Goodhue established his own practice. The principal facade on Fifth Avenue has an elaborately ornamented entrance with a spectacular rose window and sculptural grouping in the parapet above.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 12

Posted on June 22, 2018September 7, 2018 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 12:

This monumental cathedral – one of the largest churches in the world – has been under construction since 1892. Many delightful details can be found in its stone sculpture, along with a clue to its name. Where is it?

Answer: The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York, NY. The cathedral was originally designed by the firm of Heins & LaFarge in 1888 in a Byzantine-Romanesque style, and later modified by Ralph Adams Cram in the Gothic Revival style. In 1909 a “temporary” Guastavino tile dome was installed over the crossing; over 100 years later, the dome is still in place and is the largest Guastavino dome ever constructed. The cathedral opened from end-to-end for the first time in 1941, nearly 50 years after construction began. World War II halted building activity, which resumed in the 1970s and 80s, however the cathedral still has not been completed.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 11

Posted on January 30, 2018September 7, 2018 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 11:

The clues to this building’s use are in its marble and terra cotta ornament. It was designed by the firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, and completed in 1930. Where is it?

Answer: Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL. This indoor public aquarium was once the largest in the world, holding over five million gallons of water. The building’s Beaux Arts style complements neighboring buildings on the Museum Campus Chicago.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can You Guess This Building? Series No. 10

Posted on April 10, 2017August 23, 2017 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 10:

The clues to this building’s use are in its marble and terra cotta ornament. It was designed by the firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, and completed in 1930. Where is it?

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Photos by Vertical Access. Read more about our involvement with the Shedd Aquarium here.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 9

Posted on October 26, 2016March 23, 2017 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 9:

This challenge takes us to Canada. Originally built as a bank, this 12-story building’s upper floors are clad in terra cotta glazed to match the granite base. Perhaps you’ll recognize the iconic modern office tower in the background. Where is it?

Answer: One King Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Originally built as the Dominion Bank Building in 1914, this building was later converted to a hotel and condominiums. In the background of the first photo is Canada’s tallest building, First Canadian Place.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 8

Posted on July 14, 2016February 2, 2017 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 8:

This Romanesque Revival academic building was completed in 1893, by the Chicago firm of Patton & Fisher. It contrasts with the many (famous) modernist buildings nearby. Where is it?

Answer: Illinois Institute of Technology, Main Building, Chicago, Illinois. The Main Building was one of the earliest buildings constructed for the Armour Institute, a precursor to the Illinois Institute of Technology. It contrasts with the many nearby Modernist buildings by Mies van der Rohe. The entire main campus, including the Main Building, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 7

Posted on March 23, 2016February 2, 2017 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 7:

Gargoyles and turrets abound on this monumental government building, constructed just before the turn of the twentieth century to house several federal agencies under one roof. In which city on the shores of Lake Michigan is this building located?

Answer: U.S. Courthouse and Federal Office Building, Milwaukee, WI. This Romanesque Revival building was designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke, Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury. It originally housed a post office, courts and U.S. Customs office. Today, the only original remaining tenant is the United States District Court.

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Photos by Vertical Access.

Can you identify this building? – Series No. 6

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Vertical Access

Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts.

Series No. 6:

This 25-foot-tall beauty stands atop one of the largest government buildings in the world, a Beaux Arts masterpiece completed in 1914. She holds a five-sectioned mural crown in her left hand, and a shield and laurel branch in her right. Where is this “fame”-ous statue?

Answer: David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, New York, NY. Built to house an expanded city government following the consolidation of the five boroughs in 1898, it was the first skyscraper produced by the firm of McKim, Mead and White. The gilded copper statue atop its cupola is Civic Fame, by sculptor Adolph Weinman. The building was renamed for former Mayor David N. Dinkins in November 2015 in recognition of his decades of public service including a four-year term as mayor.

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Photos by Vertical Access.