150 Favorite American Structures; Empire State Building Tops the List
A survey of Americans' favorite 150 buildings and structures placed the Empire State Building
at the top spot, followed by the White House No. 2, the Golden Gate Bridge
No.5, the U.S. Capitol No.6 and Chrysler Building in New York No.9, reports
WSJ.
Apple's new
glass cube of a store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in New York also made to
the list at No.53.
The survey, commissioned by the American Institute of Architects in conjunction with its 150th anniversary, was conducted by Harris Interactive. For the survey, 2,000 ordinary Americans were shown photographs and asked to rate 247 buildings nominated by 2,500 architects in various categories.
Other than the Bellagio Hotel and Casino (ranked No.22, completed in 1998), no buildings from the last decade made it to the top 30.
Only two in the top 20 were built in the last 35 years: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (10) and the World Trade Center (19).
Americans preferred older buildings that evoke ancient architectural styles such as Gothic, Greek and Roman traditions.
Of the top 50, only 12 can be described as "modern-looking," with square angles and lots of glass and steel.
Full List of Americans' Favorite 150 Buildings at WSJ.com
