I visited Washington D.C. a few years ago and went on a tour of the inside of the Capitol building.  In my opinion, this the most beautiful of all the governmental buildings in D.C.  It is a building that has stood a symbol of American Politics, it is a place where the greatest and most beloved of America’s Politicians have passed laws.

National Museum of the American Indian designed by Cass Gilbert, Douglas Cardinal, Johnpaul Jones, Donna House in the early 1990s in Washington D.C.  Out of the many museums I have travelled to this one is the coolest design of a museum.  This museum has a special place in my heart because I have a deep interest in learning about American Indian history and culture.

Jeanne Gang, a modern American architect, has been designing fantastic glass skyscrapers. This is really important in my opinion as a lot of modern glass towers look alike and are boring. Jeanne Gang uses the boring facade of a glass tower and turns it into something else.  Most of her tower works are actually still under construction but most should be completed by 2020. Gang also has designed quiet a few school buildings such as the entire campus of the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Definitely one of the architects to watch over the next few years.

The Waco Suspension Bridge is a very historical bridge in Waco that crosses over the Brazos River. It opened up in 1869, containing nearly 3 million bricks. I find the bridge to be very interesting in the way that it was built. It is not your typical looking bridge. Growing up it was always a game to go buy tortillas, stand on the bride, and fling the tortillas to try and get them to land on a platform further out in the River. It is actually extremely hard, but it makes for some really great memories. The Waco Suspension Bridge is definitely a place that I really enjoy going to. 

Arcosanti was built by Paolo Soleri in Yavasupai county, Arizona in the 1970s. My parents, who are architects, wanted to check out Arcosanti while we were on vacation in Arizona.  The architect had created this self-sustaining town, occupied by artisans, out in the middle of nowhere in Arizona.  While also learning that the architect was an advocate for designing and building architecture that would create less damage to the environment.  I found Paolo Soleri very inspiring in the fact that he did not want to conform to the traditional methods of designing and building a town that would be eco-friendly.

“Les Espaces d’Abraxes” – This stunning building was conceived by Ricardo Bofill in 1982. The building is separated into three parts, The Theatre, The Arc and The Palace. The Theatres is a gigantic arch, which holds 130 apartments. The arc is a smaller building that only holds 20 apartments. The Palace is made up of three separate buildings in a U-shaped formation. The buildings incredible appearance has caused it to be used for various films, such as The Hunger Games and Brazil.

The meaning of this building is pretty important if you’re from the Oklahoma City area or Oklahoma in general. This has become a staple among the Oklahoma skyline and has also added a bit more character to the city of OKC. When I first encountered this building years ago it was incredible. I had never seen something like this here in Oklahoma. The way the blue sky and clouds reflected off of the massive glasses panels that make up h thy e building was astounding. It made me feel proud to be from here.

“Meritxell Sanctuary” – Bofill and his firm were tasked with rebuilding the old Romanesque chapel of the Virgin of Meritxell in Andorra. The chapel had burnt down in a horrific fire. Rather than rebuild the sanctuary identically, Bofill decided to fuse old roman and modern styles to make something completely unique. He remained respectful of the original builidng, while still embarking on his own vision.

Health Camp is one of the most amazing restaurants you will ever go to. It is a very old-fashioned looking diner that was first opened in 1948. It really makes you feel like you are in a completely different decade. On top of that, they have the best burgers with amazing milkshakes. Not the healthiest option but it is completely worth it. It is just such an inviting building because it has the cutest vintage charm to it. If you are ever in Waco I highly recommend eating here. 

Going through the lists of architects Frank Gehry caught my eye immediately. The designs look like something out of a painting placed in real life. He seems to have two distinct styles from the massive wavy metal designs of his museums to buildings that would otherwise look normal if it were not for the bizarre kinks and edges like the one in the image above.  I think Frank Gehry probably has some of the most eye catching designs out there. Even if you don’t like his works you’ll still stare at them when you see them.