In the 1930s it was New York’s famous art deco skyscraper, modeled after a 1929 Chrysler radiator cap. Complete with dazzling stainless-steel arches, a revolutionary spire, and gargoyles standing guard. It was a brilliant work of art and an impressive monument to automotive technology.

The classically inspired Beaux Arts design of The United States Supreme Court with its imposing Corinthian columns deliberately produces a sense of ceremony and tradition in this 1935 “temple to law and order” located in Washington, D.C.

The John Hancock Center soars 1,127 feet above the Chicago skyline. The tapered sides and exterior cross braces helps bear weight and wind loads of this 100 story mega-tower, erected in the 1960s.

The centerpiece of the 1962 Century 21 Exposition in Seattle, the Space Needle is a 607-foot tower that has become a familiar city landmark. Within its space-age design is a revolving saucer-shaped restaurant that appears to hover over the city like an alien spacecraft.

Not to be outdone, Chantilly, Virginia’s 1962 terminal captures the spirit of flight, with its sweep of glass and concrete. A triumph of modernistic design, it appears poised, ready for take off.

Reminiscent of an ancient pyramid, the 1972 Transamerica office building in San Francisco was designed to survive earthquakes. Safely swaying during tremors, the building’s walls are comprised of 3,000 individual concrete slabs attached to an interior frame.

©Lori S. Anton