The Sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of late modern architecture by Jørn Utzon that pushed architecture and engineering to new limits, and which has had an enduring influence on late 20th century architecture and beyond. The design represents an extraordinary interpretation and response to the setting in Sydney Harbor. Image circa 1987.
Sydney Opera House
Japanese architecture has traditionally been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, traditionally; chairs and high tables were not widely used until the 20th century.
Image circa 1985.
Traditional Japanese Architecture
Walking the brick lined streets of Casco Viejo, Panama City surrounded by colorful buildings of Spanish and French architecture …..
Walking the Streets
Casco Viejo’s (Panama City) buildings feature an unusual blend of architectural styles, most notably rows of ornate Spanish and French colonial houses but also a smattering of art deco and neoclassical buildings.
Old Town Architecture
A mesmerizing experience as this unique architecture draws you in at the Milwaukee Museum of Art
Drawing You In
Lakulish Yoga University near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India has a unique, striking, lotus-shaped architecture design
A Lotus Inspired Design
Traditional architecture and intricate carvings grace this Shiva temple in Kayavarohan.
Temple Carvings
A close-up of the carving of Nataraja – a depiction of the Hindu God Shiva as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance (called Tandavam) to destroy a weary universe and prepare for its renewal,
Dancing Shiva
Glass windows on a modern Asheville building reflect a building with old-styled architecture, blue sky, and clouds ….
Asheville Building Reflections
Looking up from inside at a shopping mall in San Francisco
Symmetrical Designs
Light creates beautiful shadow designs at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN
Architectural Designs and Shadows
Colorful architecture in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston – Rainbow Alley View
One normally looks on or at the bridge, but there is a different perspective under the bridge …
Under the Bridge
A façade over building windows offers a variety of designs
Designs within Designs
Ironwork is so associated with New Orleans that it may come as a surprise to some that wrought iron (worked by hand) and later cast iron are Victorian additions and not original to the oldest masonry townhouses. Previous to the mid-1800s in New Orleans history, balconies and porches were bounded by tall wooden columns. Decorative ironwork, derived from Spanish architecture, mimicked another famous Spanish product: lace, and offered an ornate visual contrast to otherwise sober, handsome fronts.
Louisiana – New Orleans Old Style Architecture
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré – or the “Quarter” to locals, sits on a crescent in the Mississippi River on some of the highest ground in New Orleans.
French Quarter architecture is a mix of Spanish, French, Creole and American styles. Plastered walls and single chimneys reflect laws enacted after fire virtually destroyed the city in 1788 and 1794. Walled courtyards, perfect for French Quarter parties, are a gift of the Spanish influence. Cast iron balconies were added to many masonry buildings after 1850,
Louisiana – New Orleans French Quarter
A scene capturing the blending of architectural styles – the old and the modern in Galveston, Texas
Texas – Galveston – The Old and the New
It is only 45 miles down the Gulf Freeway from the glittery metropolis that is the new Houston to old Galveston, but it might as well be on another planet. The causeway that leads across Galveston Bay to the long narrow barrier island is like a time machine transporting the visitor into a 19th-century world of light and airy Victorian, Gothic and Greek Revival buildings and homes. Galveston Island has more surviving Victorian houses than any other old houses and historic architecture especially from the Victorian era.
Texas – The Old Exists in Galveston
The Gerald D. Hines Water Wall Park is 2.77 acres and features a 64-foot semi-circular architectural fountain that re-circulates 11,000 gallons of water per minute as it cascades down the structure’s inner and outer walls. Water cascades in vast channeled sheets from the narrower top rim of the circle to the wider base below, both on the convex side and on the rear side.
The cascading water together with stone creations when viewed from different perspectives creates captivating designs …
Texas – Houston – Water Wall
The Swaminarayan Temple in Houston is the first traditional Hindu temple of its kind in North America. It is a masterpiece of intricate design and workmanship, replete with its 5 towering white pinnacles, 12 smooth domes and glittering 136 marble pillars. Over 33,000 pieces of Italian marble and Turkish limestone were hand-carved by skilled craftsmen and assembled by volunteers in just 16 months. Ancient Indian arts, traditions and philosophy have been encompassed in this house of devotion and worship that is a testimony to human commitment.
Texas – A Temple with Intricate Designs
Shadows and Reflections
Colorful Spanish architecture in Santa Barbara with shadows of the balcony and reflections on the window