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America is said to be “the great melting pot.” The United States’ cultural diversity is even apparent in its architecture. Thus, we present these varied examples of amazing architectural wonders in the US.
Top 10 Amazing Architectural Wonders in the US
1. The Empire State Building, New York
Named after one of New York’s nicknames, the iconic Empire State Building on famous 5th Avenue in Manhattan was designed by architect William Lamb of the Shreve, Lamb & Harmon firm. This 102-story building is 1,454 feet tall. Built in 1931, it was the world’s tallest building for almost four decades when that title was usurped by the World Trade Center’s North Tower back in 1970.
Today it is the 25th tallest building on the planet and the fifth tallest skyscraper in the USA.
2The San Xavier Del Bac Mission, Arizona
This historical attraction is situated nine miles from Tucson on West San Xavier Road. It was founded by a Catholic missionary named Father Eusebio Kino back in 1692. It features a Spanish Colonial style.
Construction began in 1783 and was not completed until 1797. They used traditional low-fire clay bricks and mortar. It’s the state’s oldest standing structure. The building also includes a traditional roof of old masonry vaults. At last count, almost 200,000 people come here each year. Admission is free.
3The White House, Washington D.C.
This is the official home and official workplace of the seated President of the United States. The American Institute of Architects notes that it’s the nation’s “second most loved building” on the “America’s Favorite Architecture list.” It was designed in the Neoclassical style by James Hoban.
Hoban was inspired by the design of the Irish Parliament, constructing the building of Aquia Creek sandstone which was painted white. They broke ground in 1792 and finished the job in 1800. Its first resident was President John Adams. Every succeeding US president has lived there.
4The Gateway Arch, Missouri
Located On Washington Avenue in St. Louis, the Gateway Arch is 630 feet high. It’s the tallest accessible building in the state and also the tallest man-made monument in the entire Western Hemisphere. Designed by Eero Saarinen as “an inverted weighted catenary arch,” construction ran from 1963 to 1965.
Made of 900 tons of stainless steel, its foundations are 60 feet deep. Strong and stable, it can withstand earthquakes and high winds. It will sway as far as 1.5 inches in 50-mile per hour winds to a maximum of 1.5 feet.
5Monticello, Virginia
Thomas Jefferson inherited a 5,000-acre tobacco and mixed crops plantation when his father died. It is located on Thomas Jefferson Parkway in the Piedmont region right outside Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson designed the main house using neoclassical design principles and named it Monticello.
He owned the property until some time in 1923 when he sold the estate to the TJT or Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Today it is a museum and a national historic landmark. Since 1987 it has also been an official UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jefferson’s body was interred in what’s now known as the Monticello Cemetery.
6The Golden Gate Bridge, California
This iconic suspension bridge is three miles long and one mile wide. The red-orange spans a total of 4,200 feet, connecting the famous San Francisco peninsula from the northern tip to popular Marin County just across the strait. Opened to the public on May 27, 1937, the week-long celebration witnessed more than 200,000 individuals crossing the bridge on foot or roller-skates before it was opened to vehicular traffic. It’s also one of the official “Wonders of the Modern World”, the second-longest bridge in the nation, and until 1964 was also the world’s longest.
7Hoover Dam, Arizona and Nevada
Once named Boulder Dam, this dam is located in the Black Canyon of the mighty Colorado River near Boulder City at the border of Nevada and Arizona. It is an arch-gravity structure made of concrete. Construction time ran from 1931 to 1936.
It involved unproven technologies and thousands of workers. One hundred men lost their lives but the dam was finished two years ahead of time. It was officially dedicated by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 30, 1935. The dam is a popular tourist stop. Roughly one million people visit it every year
8The Seattle Space Needle, Washington
Located in Seattle Center, this observation tower is an iconic landmark of the popular Pacific Northwest. Originally built for the 1962 World Fair, it is 138 feet in width and towers a full 605 feet into the sky. Here you can enjoy a meal 500 feet in the air at the well-known Sky City Restaurant. The observation deck 20 feet above it rotates to offer guests great panoramic views of the city, the mountains, and the nearby bay. It includes 25 individual lightning rods to keep it safe from lightning strikes too.
9Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Art, architecture, or both? You’ll find this sculpted monument near Keystone. This iconic memorial is carved into the actual granite exterior of now-famous Mount Rushmore. It features the 60-foot tall sculptures of four US presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
It spans an area of almost 1.279 acres and is 5,725 feet above sea level. This symbol of American leadership was conceived by SD historian Doane Robinson, who hoped to promote tourism there. Two million travelers visit this attraction as 13000 South Dakota 244 every year
10The Washington Monument, Washington D.C.
Situated on the National Mall, this monument is a tall, obelisk vaguely akin to ancient Egyptian pyramids. Built to honor the famous commander-in-chief of the well-known Continental Army and the very first president of the United States, George Washington. It is constructed of bluestone gneiss, granite, and marble.
It was designed by architect Robert Mills in the early 1840s. Construction began in 1848 and was completed in 1888. (Work was interrupted by the US Civil War.) It is 554 high and was the world’s tallest monument until the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889.
