Architecture in the United States is an amazing mix of different eras and a variety of styles that are in harmony with each other. Famous and top architects have created many masterpieces that remain some of the most outstanding and memorable through the ages.

Top 5 popular American landmarks:

1. Statue of Liberty. The full name of the statue is “Freedom Illuminating the World.” The monument was erected by the French to a design by Spanish sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The author’s design was inspired by the victory of anti-slavery forces in the American Civil War. Copper, steel structures and a concrete base were used for the construction. The height of the monument is 107 meters. The sculpture looks like a woman dressed in long robes. The statue holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left hand, with the date of the declaration of independence (July 4, 1776) inscribed, and at her feet are broken slave chains. The face of the statue, according to several versions, belonged to the author’s mother or to the sitter Isabella Boyer. The project was financed by the Franco-American Union. The statue was completed in 1884 in France, but only arrived in New York two years later and was installed on Liberty Island. The inauguration of the sculpture took place on October 28, 1886. The statue is a symbol of freedom and democracy for past, present and future generations. Over the centuries, the monument has been restored and repaired several times. Visitors walk 365 steps to the crown of the Statue of Liberty or 192 steps to the top of the pedestal. The statue is a U.S. national monument and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. The Empire State Building is a 381-meter tall skyscraper with over 6,500 windows! Earthwork on the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction was completed 410 days later. The project was financed by entrepreneur John Rockefeller Jr. At the time, the 102-story building was the tallest in New York City and the first building in the world with more than 100 stories! The official grand opening of the skyscraper took place on May 1, 1391, when U.S. President Herbert Hoover turned on the lights in the building, and a year later the newly elected leader of the country, Franklin Roosevelt, came here. For the first few years, the project was unprofitable because of the global economic crisis. It wasn’t until ten years later that all the office space was rented out! In 1694, a floodlighting system was installed and turned on on special days (holidays, movie premieres, a visit from the Queen of Great Britain, etc.). Since 1986 the Empire State Building is an architectural monument of national importance, and the floors can be visited by tourists for a fee. Inside, visitors can see several interesting rooms: the Guinness Hall of Records, the New York Skyride, etc. The imposing skyscraper has been portrayed in computer games and movies: “King Kong”, “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Armageddon”, “Life After People”, etc. There is a wonderful panoramic view through the large windows, more than 100 kilometers over four neighboring states.

3. Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) and his creations. The American architect worked in a unique prairie style: the use of environmental materials, asymmetrical protruding sections and unique designs. Buildings in this style are characterized by a large number of glazed surfaces, as well as open interiors that do not include partitions between the kitchen and living room. Another difference is the unity with nature. The houses are not located in cities with skyscrapers, but in unique and beautiful places and fit perfectly into the local landscape. The author has realized more than 120 projects, including: the Guggenheim Museum in New York, a house over the waterfall in Pennsylvania, the Robie House in Chicago and the Ennison House, which has appeared more than once in the movies (“The Ghost of House on the Hill”, “The Thirteenth Floor”, “Razor Blade Runner” and others). The architect created innovative building projects for businessmen and their families who wanted to live in houses with unusual interiors. After the owners died and were resold, the buildings became national monuments of American culture and are open to tourists.

4. The Los Angeles Chorus Temple is one of the oldest buildings, founded in 1867 but not finally designed until 1932. The architects of the project were Edward and David-Clark Ellison, who designed the building in the Gothic style. Four towers, massive concrete structures – the object became a historical and cultural monument in 2002. Shows and movies have been filmed here many times. In the temple is the largest church organ by Skinner, built in 1931. Today about 20,000 trumpets with five manuals are played, although the number is growing all the time. People of all faiths are welcome to join the choir.

Museums and Galleries

It’s not just 20th-century and late 20th-century architecture in the United States that can interest travelers. There are more than 35,000 museums and quite a few art galleries. The museums belong to different historical periods and themes: fine art, observatory, certain subjects, etc.

Here are just a few of the sites worth visiting:

• Madame Tussauds Museum;
• Woolworth Walk and Britto Central galleries;
• Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, etc.

Conclusion

Cultural heritage sites are an element of cultural tourism.

Architecture in the U.S. continues to be actively developed, and there are restorations and renovations to restore and preserve historic sites.

Come to America to see building masterpieces with your own eyes!

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Washington, D.C., today, is the main political center of America. It is home to the judicial, executive and legislative branches of government, 174 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the largest banks and foreign exchange funds and most importantly, the presidential residence, or White House. Washington itself is governed by the mayor, but the highest authority is Congress, which can amend laws approved by the City Council and oversee the administration of the city. The Congressional seat, the Capitol, is located in the heart of the U.S. capital and is one of America’s major landmarks. You could say that the Capitol in Washington is a worthy monument on a pedestal of honor.

The Capitol is one of the tallest buildings in the city. Its height is 88 meters. The top floor, accessible by elevator, offers a stunning view of the Washington skyline.
History of the Washington Capitol
The snow-white Capitol stands on the hill of the same name, which in turn was named after one of the seven ancient Roman towers. The history of the Capitol is quite impressive. This abode of city officials was built by more than one generation of architects, each of whom seemed to face insurmountable difficulties.

It all began in the spring of 1792, when President George Washington announced a competition among architects for the best construction design for a government building after the city’s extravagant designer, P. S. Lanfant, was dismissed from his duties. The judges of the competition, however, were greatly disappointed when they were presented with just over a dozen worthless designs. At the very last moment, another work was submitted very late – its author was a 33-year-old Scotsman William Thornton.

Already at the very beginning of the Capitol construction problems arose: the material was supplied slowly, with great interruptions, there was an eternal shortage of money and manpower. Because of this, the building’s foundations alone took as long as three years to build. Exactly ten years after construction began, the government provided about $50,000 for the project, and Thornton was replaced by Henry Latrobe, who by that time had established himself as the best architect in Philadelphia. He did a fine job: in 1800, Congress met for the first time in the unfinished Capitol.

In 1813 Latrobe had to freeze construction because of the war with Great Britain, and exactly one year later the unfinished Capitol was burned by the British. Virtually everything was destroyed. Twenty years of hard work became a pile of ashes and a pile of rubble. Nevertheless, Latrobe began to restore the building he had grown fond of. However, trying to make his brainchild even more beautiful than before, the architect got carried away and began spending exorbitant amounts of money on building materials. The best is the enemy of the good: Latrobe was excommunicated from the management of the project.

In 1818, James Monroe, then president of the United States, appointed Charles Bulfinch, widely known in Boston, as chief architect of the Capitol. This man was much less sensual and lacked at all the design taste and flair of the brilliant Latrobe. Nevertheless, by 1823 the conservative Bulfinch, who had redesigned his predecessor, had completely rebuilt the central part of the Capitol for $12,000.

In the mid-19th century, Thomas Walter, a famous engineer from Philadelphia, was commissioned to “enlarge” the newfound Congressional building. Nine years later, the architect proposed replacing Bulfinch’s wooden structure with a large cast-iron dome more proportionate to the size of the Capitol. Walter executes it in the style of the architecture of European cathedrals. Also at this time he completes the north, south, and west terraces in white marble. In 1863 a momentous event occurred: the 6-meter statue of Liberty, created by T. Crawford, was placed on the roof of the Capitol. Abraham Lincoln himself, the 16th president of the United States, was present at this historic moment. By 1865, the north and south wings of the government abode had been completed by Walter, thereby doubling in size.

Visiting the Capitol
About 4.5 million tourists visit the famous congressional building each year. There are 540 rooms in total in the Capitol, but tourists will only be able to tour two rooms. The first and second floors are the Congressional offices, while the third floor is occupied by the House of Representatives, Rotunda and Senate. Tours of the Capitol are absolutely free.

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What to see
All the exterior walls are decorated with carvings and sculpture. Beneath the roof of the central tower are 10 bells and a carillon which chimes the time. There is a spiral staircase with 333 stairs and no elevator, but it is well worth the climb as you can see all of Washington from up here.

A semi-circular bas-relief above the entrance portal depicts the creation of the world. At the bottom is Adam, his eyes closed, his body still partially in stone; to the left are allegorical figures of Day, to the right, of Night.
St. Peter at the foot of the north tower looks like a simple stern fisherman with a net on his shoulder, St. Paul is depicted at the moment of meeting Christ, his face frozen in amazement and delight. In the center of the facade shines the rose window; in the middle is the Savior in the hand of God the Father; out to the sides come the rays with the images of the apostles and evangelists.

Among the 112 monster gargoyles covering the gutters is the head of Darth Vader; it was put there after the results of a children’s drawing contest on the theme “The Baddest Villain”.
The interior of the cathedral is opulent, and the stained-glass windows catch the eye immediately. One of them depicts Jesus in the Last Judgment, with Hell opened beneath his feet and the heavens above his head. The theme of the glass mosaic in the second window is the landing on the moon. Along the walls are statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King. Services are accompanied by the music of a magnificent organ.

Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prices for guided tours are 12 USD for adults, 8 USD for seniors, students and schoolchildren, free for children under 5 years old. Prices on the page are for July 2021.

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The museum is named after the man who created it. The twelfth (of thirteen) child in the family, Joseph Hirschhorn was born in Latvian Mitava in 1899. He emigrated with his widowed mother to America when he was six years old. He began his incredible career at age fourteen on Wall Street as a delivery boy. Three years later he became a stockbroker and made $168,000 in his first year. Hirshhorn had an uncanny knack for it: two months before the 1929 stock crash, he sold all his stocks for $4 million. The entrepreneur made his fortune on minerals, oil, and gold. In the thirties, Hirshhorn made another visionary move: he focused on Canadian uranium. Thirty years later he sold uranium assets that had skyrocketed in value for fabulous money.

Joseph Hearhorn was a controversial figure. He was twice deported from Canada for securities fraud. At the same time, having become rich, the businessman began to collect works of art. He did it himself, making decisions quickly: “If you have to look at a picture a dozen times before you buy it, then there’s something wrong with you or the picture.

In 1966, Hirshhorn bequeathed most of his collection to the Smithsonian Institution. He also donated funds for the construction of the museum building. Construction began in 1969 and was completed five years later. Architect Gordon Bunshaft designed the cylindrical structure, known in Washington as the “bunker” or “gas tank.”

The main collection of paintings and sculptures is housed on the second and third floors of the museum – there are works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, Franz Kline, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein and many other artists. The sculpture garden exhibits works by Auguste Rodin, Emile Antoine Bourdelle, David Smith, Alexander Calder, and Jeff Koons.

Perhaps the garden’s most eye-catching exhibit is Auguste Rodin’s famous sculptural group Citizens of Calais. It is dedicated to a heroic episode of the Hundred Years’ War. English King Edward III for a year besieged the city of Calais, hunger forced the defenders to surrender. The king promised to spare the inhabitants if six noble citizens would come out in trenchcoats and with ropes around their necks to accept execution for all. The first to volunteer to die was the richest man in Calais, Eustache de Saint-Pierre. When the six volunteers came out to meet the king, Edward’s pregnant wife begged her husband to spare the heroes for the sake of their unborn child. The original sculptural group is in Calais itself, with a cast on display at the Hirschhorn Museum.

The second most famous exhibit is the “wish tree,” an installation by John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono. The idea is based on the Japanese tradition of tying notes with prayers to the branches. Visitors hang leaves with their wishes on the tree.

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