Round Buildings - They Just Look Cool

[Palum6o]

I used to see this on the way towards Harrisburg. Its sort of round...

[kstar]

Originally Posted by Palumbo

I used to see this on the way towards Harrisburg. Its sort of round...

Owner:

[mattdavis11]

One of my former offices.



The trip to the top is interesting.

[rick-l]

[kach22i]

Great thread.

http://unusuallife.com/2007/08/24/round-house/


Now at Greenfield Village / Henry Ford Museum
http://www.wichitaphotos.org/searchresults.asp?txtinput=Residences&offset=100


http://www.artistsdomain.com/dev/eere/web/1927.html

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

Works pretty good here:

Great photo. There must be a interesting before my time story there. The body language is awesome.

[craigster59]

[Zeke]

A converted water tower in Sunset Beach CA.

[Zeke]

[QUOTE=Danny_Ocean;3928041]Works pretty good here:

[/QUOTE

How many can you recognize that are seated? I'll start with H.R. Haldeman on the far right.

[Jim727]

McNamara in the sweater.

You can almost hear Kissinger saying "WTF is wrong with you people??"

[JKelley]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Now you're speakin' my language!!!

First, a few classics:

Pantheon, Roma:







Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (not Constantinople):



- - - - -

And my personal favorite, by Bruce Goff - Ford House in Aurora Illinois. Actually owned by one Sidney Robinson (former architecture professor of mine). Extremely interesting building incorporating odd materials like rope, coal slag, cast glass chunks, bent wide-flange beams, etc. Awesome space inside. He actually bought the lot behind it too just to demo. the house that stood on it and plant 6' high prairie grass to fit the original setting of the building. Expensive way to plant an unmowed lawn!



I could talk for hours about this building but here's a podcast about it by Prof. Robinson:

http://www.prairiemod.typepad.com/prairiemod/2007/10/prairiemod-podc.html#more

I read that he's retiring this year (sad). I hope to sit in on another lecture of his one day!

More Ford House pics:

Porsche-O-Phile,

I drove past the Ford house for many years when I lived in Aurora Il (I grew up about 2 miles from this house) I never knew the story behind this unique home, thanks for the link I enjoyed the info.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

If you're ever there, stop by and knock on the door. Sydney Robinson is a very pleasant, gentlemanly guy who loves to discuss the place. I imagine you don't buy a house like that and NOT want to talk about it. He's had busloads of tourists show up unannounced and if he has the time, he always goes out of his way to try and accommodate them and talk architecture a bit.

When you think about it, it's actually very smart. For a guy who has dedicated his life to architectural education, what better way to promote interest than having some crazy place that people love to drop in and ask about? I imagine for him it's more chances to do what he loves (talk about design and theory).

I spent a few afternoons there. Wish I'd spent more. If I find myself back that way I'll definitely pay a visit again. He's probably the most intellectually engaging architecture professor I've ever had. Very bright, great ideas and a straight-shooter (i.e. he doesn't get hung up in a lot of "archi-babble" like so many other academics). To this day I STILL find myself trying to incorporate the lessons of his design studios into my own thinking.

[Jim727]

Pisa -

Leaning tower interior near the top:


Baptistry:

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Another one I've always liked - Three Rivers Stadium - this one seems to capture the trend in circular footprint stadia from the 1970s in the U.S. (Cincinatti Riverfront, St. Louis Busch, San Diego, etc.)

Now this has fallen out of vogue in favor of more rectangular-shaped layouts to accommodate (I suspect) more high revenue luxury boxes.



Another large-scale one with somewhat less auspicious beginnings (and history!) They used to call this one the "StupidDome" when it was under construction, now it's become a monument to the less-than-savory days of post-Katrina New Orleans. . .

[Jim727]

Decidedly smaller, but still round. A couple of WWII pillboxes on the Cinque Terra coast:

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by milt

A converted water tower in Sunset Beach CA.

I remember that being for sale a few years ago... ah if I were a rich man!

Do you think it is really a converted water tower or a cleverly designed house made to look like a water tower? I have driven by it many times and parts of it look like it was purpose built as a house.

I may be wrong though... wouldn't be the first time!

This is round...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Is that the one in Boston near the Children's Museum?

Funny - if so, I used to work in the building more-or-less across from it (old converted fire station).

[Aerkuld]

Originally Posted by kstarnes

Owner:

I've heard she has so many children she doesn't know what to do. Is that the same woman?

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Is that the one in Boston near the Children's Museum?

Funny - if so, I used to work in the building more-or-less across from it (old converted fire station).

Yes, I was in Boston installing a show at their museum.

[Zeke]

Scottman, it's a water tower and is a landmark. However, the thing has all but been totally rebuilt from the legs to the actual water tank. I believe as much wood as possible was recycled back into the structure. The county building dept. wanted a bunch of seismic stuff done. It has an elevator as well. Today, they wouldn't have been able to build it, or convert it, as it were.