Although not actually twins, the towers were built in 1984. The taller of the two, the D. R. Horton Tower, stands as the second tallest building in Fort Worth at 547 ft. The second is the Wells Fargo Tower which stands at 477 ft. If you look down at the towers, they are supposed to resemble pinwheels, however they are not true twins.
Built in 1967, this building held public offices such as the DMV and courthouse. As you can see, it follows Rudolph’s style to a tee. Widespread use of concrete in complex floorplans. It is located in Orange County, New York. Parts of it have since been demolished against the will of architectural preservationists. The building was always split between those who appreciated it and those who called it a “monstrosity.” The picture above is during demolition.
This is what the building looked like before being torn down.
This tower is located in the large city of Jakarta, Indonesia. The 26 stories are made of squares that turn on themselves to acquire the cruciform shape. The alternating balconies and terraces pipeline let in natural light and provide good ventilation. Because of local building codes, concrete is not allowed to be exposed. To combat this, the entire building is covered in a white ceramic. Due to the typically hot and humid climate, all windows were built with sloping overhangs to protect from direct sunlight and create shade and breezes.
Completed in 1988, the Lippo Center consists of two towers, one of 44 stories and the other 48. It is located in Hong Kong, China. Rudolph’s intent was to give the building “presence” when seen at any distance. He also intended the buildings to become “dematerialized” by reflecting the ever changing light and “inhabit” the sky.
This is the Yale Art and Architecture building. It is named Rudolph Hall after its designer and chair of the Architecture department. It was completed in 1963 and its design was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Administration Building and Le Corbusier buildings. It consists of over thirty floor levels in its seven stories. It is one of the earliest and best known examples of Brutalist architecture, which is the style of using “raw concrete.”
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Paul Rudolph was an American architect. He was born in October 1918 in Kentucky and died in August of 1997. He is best known for being the chair of Yale University’s Department of Architecture. His most famous work is the architecture building at Yale. He uses concrete and highly complex floor plans.
All Texans know the San Jacinto Monument. It is the tallest column monument in the world. It is topped by a 220 ton, 34 foot tall Lone Star. This monument celebrates the surrender of Santa Anna, ending the Texas Revolution. This commemorates the birth of what was, and what still is, the greatest country in the world, Texas. It represents the great pride Native Texans have in our state. I love Texas, I love this monument, and I will never forget being there.
Built in downtown Austin, the symbol of the great State of Texas. The dome is taller than the US Capital building and when it was first constructed, it was considered the 7th largest building in the world. The view you get when driving up Congress Ave is awesome.
The inside is just as incredible as the outside. The large arches and high ceiling create an interesting atmosphere. The government chambers show the pride of the people of Texas. The building and grounds itself were originally paid for with 3 million acres of ranch land in the panhandle.
Union Station was dedicated in 1911 and served as the main train hub for the city of Houston. It is listed on the National register of historic places. When the Astros were ready to move out of the Astrodome, the lot behind this building was selected as its replacement. Instead of demolishing it or building around it, they decided to use the building. Minute Maid Park now uses the building as its main entrance. Every home game, thousands of people walk through her historic lobby.
I always enjoy when a city embraces its history instead of wiping it out for something better. It doesn’t matter how many times I have been, I always enjoy seeing the building.
One of the benefits of growing up near Houston is I got to attend events at the Astrodome. From Astros games to Steve Miller at the Houston Rodeo, this building has hosted more memories than I can count. Nicknamed the “8th Wonder of the World,” the dome was the first domed stadium in the world when it opened in 1965. It also was the worlds first venue to feature artificial turf, known as Astroturf.
The dome is 712 ft in diameter and 208 ft above the playing surface. It was originally supposed to be more hemispherical, but engineering problems forced it to be built more flat. Because an enclosed venue of this size had never been built, the air conditioning system had to be specially designed to keep the 48,000 seat stadium a comfortable 74 in Houston’s 100 degree heat.
The dome is no longer in use. The last event to be held under her dome was the Houston Rodeo. She sits next to NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, as a reminder of where we started. The city has debated for years on what to do with it. Some have mentioned demolishing it to save on maintenance costs, while others want to remodel for modern use. The latest idea is to turn the dome into an indoor entertainment venue with 9-hole golf course, shopping, and hotels.
