An iconic building is the calling card and symbol of a city, and as soon as you see it, you can think of the city where it is located and even the entire country. If you want to understand the history of a country, you must first understand the architecture of the country. How much do you know about American architecture?
This article will introduce the following American landmarks.
1. Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most complex engineering feats in modern history. With a total length of 1,834 meters, the bridge body is suspended from the water surface by tens of thousands of steel cables 41 meters.
The bridge was officially put into use in 1883 and was hailed as one of the seven epoch-making architectural engineering miracles in the world during the Industrial Revolution era.
2. Independence Hall, Philadelphia
One of the most important buildings in American history, Philadelphia's Independence Hall is where the United States' Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America were signed. Completed in 1753, the Georgian building predates American independence and was originally the site of the Liberty Bell.
3. Washington Monument
The Washington Monument, the tallest obelisk in the world, is a 169-meter-tall stone structure erected in the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
There are 50 layers of iron ladders in the monument, as well as a high-speed elevator that takes 70 seconds to reach the top. After reaching the top, visitors can see the panoramic view of Washington through a small window.
4. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building in New York is one of the most recognizable supertall buildings in the world, built in the late 1920s with 102 floors. While the Empire State Building is no longer the tallest building in the United States, it remains one of the most distinctive, attracting some 4 million visitors each year.
5. St. Louis Arc Arch
The St. Louis Arc Arch sits on the banks of the Mississippi River and was built to commemorate the western expansion of the United States. St. Louis is known as the gate to the west, so this arch is also known as the "gate to the west". At 192 meters high, the arch is the tallest arch in the world and the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere.
6. Statue of Liberty
This 46-meter-high bronze statue was a gift from France to the 100th anniversary of American independence in 1876, and is a symbol of freedom. The base of the Statue of Liberty was built with $100,000 raised from a fundraiser launched by famed capitalist Joseph Pulitzer, which attracted more than 120,000 donors.
7. Willis Tower
The Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago, formerly known as the Sears Tower. It was built in 1970 by Sears and Roebuck, the world's largest retailer at the time. At The building is the second tallest building in the United States with 108 floors, after One World Trade Center in New York City.
8. Biltmore Estate in Asheville
Located on the outskirts of Asheville, North Carolina, the estate is modeled after the French Palace of Versailles, with a steeply sloped, slatted roof. The estate covers 3,237 hectares and has 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 3 kitchens, as well as 65 fireplaces.
9. Walt Disney Concert Hall
Located in downtown Los Angeles, Walt Disney Concert Hall is the masterpiece of renowned architect Frank Gehry. The style of the roof is a unique corrugated stainless steel-coated structure, similar to that of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
