Art Deco Architecture

[Scuffy]

So I jus got done watching the Buena Vista Social Club and I had no clue that so many of the older style buildings were still standing in Cuba- unlike up here. Are there any town/cities in the States that have the same feel and class?? I'm assuming it be quite a bit more south than Ohio. I'm just totally infatuated with that style of architecture! I'm looking to photograph it in B&W sometime.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

You'll want a copy of this:

Rediscovering Art Deco U.S.A.: A Nationwide Tour of Architectural Delights.

http://www.adsw.org/perspective/1998/RediscoveringArtDeco/index.html

It makes a good roadmap for finding area with Deco Architecture.


This might help too:

http://www.adsw.org/resource/websites.html

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I'm usually mad at what Houston developers are tearing down, but at least we still have our cool deco city hall, built in 1938. The inside is really nice too but I can't find any photos online. I'll have to go take some at lunch one day.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Surprised it hasn't been converted into lofts yet. Seems like every (surviving) Deco building here in L.A. is going down that route.


.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Are you following me?

 

[Absinthe_1900]

There are a few scattered original deco buildings still around town.

this will give you a few leads: http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/index.php?

There are a couple of original Streamline Moderne houses not too far from where I live, one was up for sale a couple of years ago, and I considered flipping my house for it, but it's right by a Jr. High School, and I don't want live that close to that many roaming teenagers. (I remember what I did when I went there)

I'm settling for redoing the inside of my 30's Bungalow here in Mc Mansion Hell. (West U.)

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Surprised it hasn't been converted into lofts yet. Seems like every (surviving) Deco building here in L.A. is going down that route..

Don't give Bill White, Bob Lanier, (and The Greater Houston Partnership) any ideas.:eusa_doh:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Are you following me?

T'was a coincidence.

Seriously, is this loft conversion going on in every North American city? I'm glad to see that Deco office buildings have a fighting chance to not be torn down, but I wonder how comfortable it is to live in a structure that was designed for, um, offices.

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

(A quick off-topic comment)

What astounds me is that, in L.A. at least, some tall glass office boxes built in the '60s and early '70s are being converted into lofts. Square pegs in round holes, I say.

.

 

[Raffles]

There's quite a lot of very nice deco buildings around Glasgow as well as some quite nice Mackintosh examples

Although sadly one of my favorite buildings in Glasgow, and my childhood local cinema recently closed in favour of a tin shed multiplex on the riverside.:cry:

fun fact tho - technically the same movie was the main feature when it Closed on January 7th, 2006 as when it Opened on December 31st 1934. Anyone guess what it was?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

KING KONG.

What do I win?


.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Seriously, is this loft conversion going on in every North American city? I'm glad to see that Deco office buildings have a fighting chance to not be torn down, but I wonder how comfortable it is to live in a structure that was designed for, um, offices.

There are a few here in AZ, done in an attempt to revitalize the city. Unfortunately, they are extremely expensive and therefore not worth it, in my opinion.

The most prominent one at the moment is this one; I’m glad they left the lobby alone: http://orpheumlofts.com/

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Think they'd let me live in that lobby?


.

 

[Raffles]

KING KONG.

What do I win?


.

Erm, a picture of a monkey?

and a lovely picture of another deco building in Glasgow.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

No fair, having to share my prize!

.

 

[Tomasso]

fftopic:

(A quick off-topic comment)

What astounds me is that, in L.A. at least, some tall glass office boxes built in the '60s and early '70s are being converted into lofts. Square pegs in round holes, I say.

.

Mies built these as apartments in the 50's.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I only wish that the L.A. office/loft boxes were designed by Mies. Alas, the L.A. ones are poor copies built a decade or more later


.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I live in Miami, so there's plenty of Art Deco...Boy, am I fortunate!

http://community.webshots.com/album/277563357GBrntB

Be sure to check out the great pick of The Carlyle...

 

[Wild Root]

There's quite a lot of very nice deco buildings around Glasgow as well as some quite nice Mackintosh examples

Although sadly one of my favorite buildings in Glasgow, and my childhood local cinema recently closed in favour of a tin shed multiplex on the riverside.:cry:

fun fact tho - technically the same movie was the main feature when it Closed on January 7th, 2006 as when it Opened on December 31st 1934. Anyone guess what it was?

That's a cool theater! My guess is the movie was "It Happened One Night" with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. King Kong was released in 1933, "It Happened One Night" was released in 1934.

So, do I win?

=R=

 

[Wild Root]

Sunset Tower.

This is truly the most Art Deco building in LA along with the Oviatt. The Hollywood Sunset Tower was built in 1929, it stands today as the most elegant structure on the Sunset strip. It has had scores of Hollywood legends stay there... it was restored in the 1980's and was known as the "Argyle" but, with in recent years, new ownership has done the unthinkable... and, the unforgivable! They changed the interiors from Art Deco to... well, who knows what but, it's a mortal sin! They're restricted to change the exterior because it is protected however, they can do what ever they want to the interior.

Right now they're selling off the Art Deco items on ebay that once graced the interior of this grand building.

=WR=