Culture of Buffalo, New York - Culture - Cityscape

Cityscape

The New York Times has declared that Buffalo is one of the top cities in America for architecture. Approximately 80 sites are included on the National Register of Historic Places. All of the major American architects of the 19th and early 20th century built masterpieces in Buffalo, most of which are still standing. They include:

The country's largest intact parks system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, including Delaware Park. Buffalo was the first city for which Olmsted designed (in 1869) an interconnected park and parkway system rather than stand-alone parks.

The Guaranty Building, by Louis Sullivan, was one of the first steel-supported, curtain-walled buildings in the world, and its 13 stories made it, at the time it was built (1895), the tallest building in Buffalo and one of the world's first true skyscrapers. It is a National Historic Landmark.

The Hotel Buffalo (originally the Statler Hotel) by August Esenwein and James A. Johnson was the first hotel in the world to feature a private bath in each room.

The H. H. Richardson Complex, originally the New York State Asylum for the Insane, is Richardsonian Romanesque in style and was the largest commission designed by prominent architect Henry Hobson Richardson. The grounds of this hospital were designed by Olmsted. Though currently in a state of disrepair, New York State has allocated funds to restore this treasure.

There are several buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright, including the Darwin D. Martin House, George Barton House, William R. Heath House, Walter V. Davidson House, The Graycliff Estate, as well as the now demolished Larkin Administration Building. Constructed in 2007 on Buffalo's Black Rock Canal is a Wright-designed boathouse originally intended, but never built, for the University of Wisconsin–Madison rowing team. Along as a tourist destination, it functionally serves many Buffalo-area rowing teams belonging to the West Side Rowing Club. Buffalo has more Frank Lloyd Wright buildings than any other city except Chicago.

The Buffalo City Hall building by George Dietel and John J. Wade is a spectacular art deco skyscraper and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other notable buildings:

• Buffalo Central Terminal, the massive Art Deco railroad station designed by Alfred T. Fellheimer and Steward Wagner.
• Lafayette High School, a stone, brick and terra-cotta structure in the French Renaissance Revival style by architects August Eisenwein and James A. Johnson, is the oldest public school in Buffalo that remains in its original building, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
• St. Adalbert's Basilica, St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Church, and Corpus Christi are all large, romanesque style, historic churches that can be found on the city's east side.
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery, a world-renowned repository of art, was designed by Edward Brodhead Green. The new modern art wing was designed by Gordon Bunshaft, a native Buffalonian and graduate of the above-noted Lafayette High School.
• Richard Upjohn designed St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral
• Eliel Saarinen and Eero Saarinen designed Kleinhans Music Hall
• Max Abramovitz designed Temple Beth Zion
• Alexander Phimister Proctor designed the Lions for the McKinley Monument
• Grain elevators were invented here in 1842. Buffalo's collection is the largest in the world.

• Buffalo City Hall building's art deco

• Darwin D. Martin House by Frank Lloyd Wright

• Kleinhans Music Hall by Eliel and Eero Saarinen

• Buffalo History Museum

• Prudential (Guaranty) Building

• Asbury Delaware Church

• Buffalo Central Terminal

• Electric Tower

• Erie County Hall