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Architecture Is a Reason to TravelSightseeing in the U.S. Midwest Includes Remarkable Buildings
On every trip, there's a moment when architecture catches a traveler's eye, and the thought comes, "I wonder what that building is."
Here are a few unexpected U.S. locales with architectural eye candy. Sights in New Harmony, IndianaEntering New Harmony, a historic town born of utopian dreams, a passer-through is struck by the sight of a pure white, formally modern building set on gently rolling farmland above the river. The Atheneum was named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and the arts, and borne of internationally recognized architect Richard Meier’s imagination. The Roofless Churchin the center of town is interdenominational, designed by architect Philip Johnson as a reminder that only the sky is large enough to shelter people of all beliefs. Stepping through massive bronze gates, a visitor enters an interior courtyard filled with sculpture, including a domed altar that casts the shadow of a perfect rose. Other structures of interest: the Cathedral Labyrinth, Harmonist Labyrinth, Thrall’s Opera House and the Rapp-Owen Granary. Churchs in Columbus, IndianaRichard Meier also had a hand in making Columbus, Ind., a ranking city of architectural innovation, as did a father-son pair from Finland, Eliel and Eero Saarinen. The son, forever tied to the St. Louis, Missouri landscape as designer of the Gateway Arch, also made a large-scale formal sculpture functional with the North Christian Church, a hexagonal, spaceship-like structure that appears to hover above the ground: Its 192-foot needle-shaped spire lances the sky from the middle of the roof. In 1942, Eliel Saarinen designed another house of worship that reaches boldly into the thin blue above: the First Christian Church, the first modern structure in a town that is now home to dozens of modern masterpieces. A Dutch Village In Pella, IowaPella, Iowa — the City of Refuge — was settled more than 150 years ago. In its historic village, brick sidewalks and a courtyard connect more than 20 buildings designed with traditional Dutch aesthetics. The Vermeer Mill & Interpretive Center is a functioning windmill, originally built in Holland in the 1850s; the Molengracht Plaza features restaurants and shops that straddle a canal; and the Klokkenspel is a 147-bell musical town clock with several 4-foot figures in revolving motion. Adding pure eco-modernism is the Weller Center for Business and International Studies, on the campus of Central College. The building’s hard-lined geometry is paired with sustainable and recycled materials, a daylight-harvesting system and photovoltaic solar cells for energy efficiency. A Nautilus Shell Design In Independence, Mo. The hometown of the 33rd U.S. president, Harry S. Truman, is bursting with historical architectural value: the Truman Home,the Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library and the Vaile Mansion. But it’s the audacious world-headquarters temple of the Community of Christ denomination (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) that draws the awe of architecture enthusiasts. The temple is a nautilus laid on its side, its spiral facing the sky and most easily recognized in one of two ways: from a hot-air balloon in flight over the 300-foot stainless-steel spire or when standing within the main sanctuary. The design came from architect Gyo Obata’s pencil. The temple is open to visitors during the day and is an illuminated beacon at night.
The copyright of the article Architecture Is a Reason to Travel in Missouri Travel is owned by Adam Williams. Permission to republish Architecture Is a Reason to Travel in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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