Pelican Parts Forums - Round Buildings

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Round Buildings - They Just Look Cool

how does that joke go, about pissing in the corner?

I agree. Growing up in LA, as a kid I was always fascinated by this as we drove by it on the freeway:

http://www.perfectperspective.com/images/11.jpg

Chi-town roundness (and great album & cover!):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210124415.jpg

Every time I go into the city I think about how cool it would be to live in that building.

When I was a kid, I wanted a multi-story house that was cylindrical (round)....with spiral staircase looping around.

Fast forward today: I was told by architects that round structures waste a lot of space. Plus, 99% of all inventions (TVs, chairs, bookcases, etc.) are square. Try fitting square and round together!!!!!!

Now you're speakin' my language!!!

First, a few classics:

Pantheon, Roma:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210124644.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210124658.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210124710.jpg

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (not Constantinople):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210124743.jpg

- - - - -

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! :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210124972.jpg

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:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125006.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125460.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125557.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab83_750 (Post 3928022)

Try fitting square and round together!!!!!!

Works pretty good here:

http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/mac6/Ni...l%20office.jpg

Ford House under construction - the concept was inspired in part by the Quonset huts used by native Americans:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125650.jpg

My personal favorite of the Ford House (geez, I forgot I even had this one - used to be my windows desktop). From Professor Robinson's personal archives (you won't find this one anywhere else kids):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125714.jpg

International Tower (here in Long Beach - the same one referred to in "Gone in 60 Seconds"). It's literally about a 5 minute walk from me:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125937.jpg

Encounter (LAX):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210125991.jpg

Another of the Guggenheim (NYC):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210126095.jpg

Oh man, I could go on here for hours. . .

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab83_750 (Post 3928022)

Fast forward today: I was told by architects that round structures waste a lot of space. Plus, 99% of all inventions (TVs, chairs, bookcases, etc.) are square. Try fitting square and round together!!!!!!

http://www.architypes.net/files/imag...-round-bed.jpg