10 buildings to admire

4. Hotel del Coronado in San Diego (1887)

This emblematic hotel was built in 1887, a piece of the history of the USA. At the end of the 19th century, the city of San Diego experienced a real estate boom and it was thought that it would be a good idea to build a special resort-type accommodation in the Victorian style. Wood had to be brought from other parts of the state of California to be able to raise it and Chinese labor was also needed.

Since 1977, it has been part of the National Historic Landmark and famous films such as “Some Like It Hot” have been filmed there. Nowadays it has been reformed several times to update it and expand its services.

5. Alamo Square of San Francisco (1870-1929)

Between the end of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth century, a whole set of emblematic buildings of Victorian style was built in the city of San Francisco, which have become a symbol of the city. Built for the merchant bourgeoisie, they keep a uniformity that has made them unique: they are wooden buildings, pastel shades, small, very ornate, and residential. Today we can see the “Painted Ladies” in a large number of movies and television series and are one of the typical images of the Californian city.

6. Buildings of the Chicago School (from about 1880)

The skyscraper as we know it today is an architectural typology typical of the United States. It was a clear consequence of industrial development and was due to the creation of elevators and the improvement of metal structures.

In the year 1871, the fire devastated the city of Chicago. The misfortune gave rise to the creation of endless skyscrapers in the framework of the so-called Chicago School. The Home Life Insurance Building of Le Baron Jenny was the first building with a steel structure. This (which no longer exists) was followed by many others that we can admire today in one of the most interesting cities in terms of architecture in the United States.

7. Chrysler Building in New York (1930)

Of all the “classic” skyscrapers in New York, this Chrysler Building is a favorite. It innovates in terms of materials but not in forms. A good example is this wonderful skyscraper that follows the trends “Art-Decó”. The design, by William van Alen, was modified little by little to fit the budget available, and its most characteristic sign is the semicircular shapes that finish it, decorated with triangles and in a staggered way. The gargoyles that seem to be willing to fly were inspired by the designs of the Chrysler cars. The decoration of the hall and the elevators in fine marquetry is also done in the delicate modernist style of the whole building.