Modern and Post-modern Architecture
Kansas City had a building boom in the 1970s based on TWA's plans to use the city as the world hub for its new fleet of Boeing 747's and anticipated supersonic transports.
During this period Kansas City International Airport was built to TWA's specifications so that gates were within 100 feet (30 m) of the street. Hallmark Cards began construction of Crown Center. The city also built the Bartle Hall convention center. Architect Helmut Jahn's first major work was the revolutionary design for Kemper Arena which had no columns blocking sight lines and was built in 18 months in time to attract the 1976 Republican National Convention.
The optimism of this era came to a crashing end when the Kemper Arena roof collapsed during a storm in 1979 (although no one was injured) and when skybridges at the new Hyatt Regency in Crown Center collapsed in the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse on July 17, 1981 in the worst engineering disaster in recorded history in terms of human lives. Both buildings were repaired and remain in use.
In addition to these disasters, TWA asked the city to extensively rebuild the terminals at the newly opened Kansas City International Airport so that it could have central checkpoints. The airport renovations had already come in at $100 million over budget, so the city refused. As a result, TWA moved its hub to St. Louis. In 2006, the city finally announced plans for a $250 million overhaul of the terminals to accommodate the security issues.
In the 1980s, the nation moved from the "modern" style of architecture (as inspired by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe), building large, boxy structures, to a "postmodern" style. The two most noticeable postmodern buildings in the Kansas City skyline are the Town Pavilion (built in 1986) and One Kansas City Place (1988). One Kansas City Place is a taller, glass version of City Hall. The building rises 623 feet from its main entrance to the top of its spire and is Missouri's tallest office building.
Read more about this topic: Architecture Of Kansas City
Famous quotes containing the words modern and/or architecture:
“Whosoever, in writing a modern history, shall follow truth too near the heels, it may haply strike out his teeth.”
—Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618)
“They can do without architecture who have no olives nor wines in the cellar.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)