Introduction
In today’s blog, I will be highlighting six skyscrapers
from the mid-modern era. The mid-modern era is known for its innovation, and
this is well represented in its architecture. Everyone seems to love that
mid-century modern look, especially today. If you are unfamiliar with the
mid-century modern style, according to an HGTV article, “Midcentury homes are
characterized by minimal fuss and ornamentation, along with sleek lines
juxtaposed by organic shapes. Its look was a complete departure from the
century’s earlier ornate and extravagant design” (Colleen). As much as I love
the mid-century modern style, today I will be focusing on the skyscrapers from
the whole mid-modern era.
Transamerica Pyramid
The first skyscraper we are taking a look at is the
Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, California. Construction of the
Transamerica Pyramid began in 1969 and it was completed in 1972. This
skyscraper was designed by the architect William Pereira. This incredible
skyscraper towers over everything else around it. (Heritage, SF)
Lever House
The next skyscraper we are taking a look at is the
Lever House in New York. The Lever House began construction in 1950 and was
completed in 1952. The lead architects in charge of the Lever House were Gordon
Bunshaft and Natalie de Blois. (Agency, Wise Creative)
Canadian Pacific Plaza
The Canadian Pacific Plaza is a skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was built in 1959. According to the article “Minneapolis’s First Midcentury-Modern Skyscraper”, the Canadian Pacific Plaza “was designed by the Chicago firm Holabird, Root & Burgee, with the Minneapolis firm Thorshov & Cerny” (Hudson, Chris).
Seagram Building
The Seagram Building is located in New York. The
construction of this skyscraper began in 1954 and was completed in 1958. It was
designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. (Seagram Building)
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is located in Chicago,
Illinois. This amazing skyscraper’s construction was completed in 1969. This
piece of architecture “was designed by chief designer Bruce Graham and
structural engineer Fazlur Khan” (John Hancock Center).
Marina City
The last skyscraper we will be taking a look at is Marina City in Chicago, Illinois. Construction on this Skyscraper was completed in 1967 and the architect responsible is Bertrand Goldberg. This impressive piece of architecture consists of two towers. (Marina City)
Art Elements
In all of these incredibly impressive pieces of
architecture, we see the use of line, space, and three-dimensional form. Line
is an art element that plays a huge part in architecture especially seen in
these skyscrapers, adding to their strength and showing how big they are. We
see lines in these skyscrapers in many different ways, from horizontal and
vertical lines to lines showing some of the structural aspects, and even some
lines used for the design. Look at how the art element of space is used, most of
the space taken up by these skyscrapers is straight up. At the bases, we see
how not much space is taken up in comparison to how far they go up.
Discussion
There is a lot that can be said about these
skyscrapers, they are all impressive and it is amazing that a building can be
made so tall and some with small bases. It makes you feel for the architects,
engineers, and designers. They have such an important job making sure
everything is structurally safe and sound. If I had to choose a favorite
skyscraper from the mid-modern era, it would certainly be Marina City. The
design is incredible, and it makes this piece of architecture stand out from the rest.
Works Cited
Agency, Wise Creative. “Lever House: History,
Architecture, and Facts.” Buildings DB,
buildingsdb.com/NY/new-york/lever-house/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
Heritage, SF. “San Francisco’s Mid-Century Modern
Skyscraper Turns 50.” San Francisco Heritage, 2 May 2023,
www.sfheritage.org/news/san-franciscos-mid-century-modern-skyscraper-turns-50/.
Hudson, Chris. “Minneapolis’s First Midcentury-Modern
Skyscraper.” ENTER, ENTER, 14 Jan. 2024,
www.entermn.com/articles/minneapolis-first-midcentury-modern-skyscraper.
“John Hancock Center.” Architectuul,
architectuul.com/architecture/john-hancock-center. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
“Lever House.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,
15 July 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lever_House.
“Marina City.” Buildings of Chicago | Chicago
Architecture Center,
www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/marina-city/.
Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
“Seagram Building.” Architectuul,
architectuul.com/architecture/seagram-building. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
Sullivan, Colleen. “Midcentury Modern Style 101.” HGTV,
HGTV, 12 Jan. 2022,
www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/midcentury-modern-style-101.
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteTo start off, I want to thank you for sharing this post with me and the rest of the class. I would also like to complement you on the unique nature of this blog. I have seen few people highlight architecture, so this was an exciting change of pace. It is really impressive that all these were able to be completed to such standards well over 50 years ago. Projects of such caliber today are rarely attempted and even fewer completed. Your commentary was also on point making for a very enjoyable ready. Keep up the hard work!
Vaughan