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Modern museum display of excavated Roman ruins featuring brick arches, stone foundations, and ancient walls. Visitors explore underground archaeological site with professional lighting and walkways preserving historical remains.
The Regency Theatre in San Juan Capistrano stands out with its blend of Spanish Colonial and Moorish architectural elements - arched façades, decorative tilework, and a classic marquee that glows warmly at night. A modern cinema wrapped in historic charm, it complements the character of the surrounding town.
October 17, 2024 - Columbus Landmarks Members Only Tour of Stonewall Columbus Community Center located at 1160 N High Street.
This elegant brownstone mansion on Washington, D.C.’s Embassy Row is home to the Dumbarton House Foundation, a cultural institution housed within a Gilded Age architectural gem. Its most defining feature is the dramatically patinated copper-clad oriel window, which projects over the main entrance like a sculpted lantern—an exquisite combination of texture, material, and craftsmanship.
Built in the late 19th century, the structure’s Romanesque Revival influences are evident in the rounded window arches, richly hued brickwork, and fortress-like presence. The oriel window's green copper surface, oxidized with time, features embossed medallions and framed windowpanes with diamond leaded glass—a motif that recurs throughout the facade. A deeply recessed oak door beneath a low brick arch welcomes visitors with understated grandeur, flanked by wrought-iron railings and lantern sconces.
Inside, the building functions as a museum and event space, often used for diplomatic receptions, lectures, and cultural programming. But even from the sidewalk, it commands respect—especially in the golden hour, when the copper glows softly and the brick radiates warmth.
Nestled among some of D.C.’s most prestigious addresses on Massachusetts Avenue NW, this building perfectly encapsulates the quiet strength and artisanal detail that defines the capital’s finest residences.
This captivating view of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco highlights the building’s most dramatic features: its soaring Romanesque bell tower, ornate rose window, and turreted corner capped with a slate conical roof and golden cross. Set against a moody sky, the rich red brick and cream stone detailing pop with storybook intensity—echoing the architectural grandeur of 19th-century Europe while remaining uniquely rooted in San Francisco’s Civic Center.
Completed in 1895 and designed by architect H. J. Brede, St. Mark’s is one of the city’s finest examples of Romanesque Revival ecclesiastical design. This composition reveals the tower’s symmetrical arcade of arched louvered windows, bracketed cornices, and decorative inset circles that add texture and depth to the brick facade. The rose window, set within a deep arched frame and flanked by ornate stonework, centers the composition and pulls the viewer’s gaze upward, where the sharply pitched gable and twin towers evoke stability and grace.
Unlike many churches lost to the 1906 earthquake and fire, St. Mark’s survived and has remained a consistent presence in a rapidly evolving neighborhood. Its warm masonry, turreted towers, and formal geometry stand in powerful contrast to the glass and concrete that surrounds it.
Whether you're drawn to its spiritual significance or its historic architecture, this view of St. Mark’s captures the strength, symmetry, and detail that make it one of San Francisco’s most photogenic churches.
A entrada monumental do anfiteatro romano de Mérida, construída em alvenaria de pedra e tijolo no século I d.C., servia para acolher os espectadores durante combates de gladiadores e outros espetáculos públicos. Integrado no conjunto arqueológico da antiga cidade de Augusta Emerita, que era a capital da província romana da Lusitânia, este vomitório permitia o acesso ao recinto, projetado para facilitar o fluxo de cerca de 15.000 pessoas. A estrutura mantém os seus elementos arquitetónicos essenciais, incluindo o pavimento original em lajes de pedra e os arcos em tijolo, sendo classificada como Património Mundial pela UNESCO desde 1993, refletindo o programa urbano promovido por Augusto na fundação da colónia.
The monumental entrance of the Roman amphitheater of Mérida, built in stone and brick masonry in the 1st century AD, served to welcome spectators during gladiator fights and other public spectacles. Integrated into the archaeological complex of the ancient city of Augusta Emerita, which was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, this vomitorium allowed access to the enclosure, designed to facilitate the flow of about 15,000 people. The structure maintains its essential architectural elements, including the original stone slab floor and brick arches, and has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993, reflecting the urban program promoted by Augustus at the foundation of the colony.
Nestled in San Francisco’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a stunning example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture—a style rarely seen on the West Coast. Completed in 1895 and designed by architect H. J. Brede, the church is a masterclass in red brick craftsmanship, featuring a striking rose window, arched entryways, and twin towers capped with conical turrets and stone finials.
The symmetrical facade is anchored by three grand arched doors, framed in decorative brick and terracotta detailing, which lead into a richly ornamented sanctuary. Above them, a soaring rose window radiates light into the nave and commands attention from the street. Flanking staircases with ornate iron railings lead visitors upward from the street, elevating the church both literally and symbolically. The thick masonry, clustered windows, and recessed portals give the building its unmistakable Romanesque character—fortified yet welcoming.
St. Mark’s plays an active role in the local community while maintaining its historic character, and it continues to serve as a powerful architectural and spiritual anchor in a city known for its diversity of faith and form. Situated among more modern structures, the church stands as a brick-and-stone sentinel of San Francisco’s 19th-century past—resilient, storied, and beautifully preserved.
Whether you’re a lover of sacred architecture, stained glass, or simply want to glimpse an urban cathedral that looks straight out of 19th-century Europe, St. Mark’s Lutheran is a must-visit gem.
Nestled in San Francisco’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a stunning example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture—a style rarely seen on the West Coast. Completed in 1895 and designed by architect H. J. Brede, the church is a masterclass in red brick craftsmanship, featuring a striking rose window, arched entryways, and twin towers capped with conical turrets and stone finials.
The symmetrical facade is anchored by three grand arched doors, framed in decorative brick and terracotta detailing, which lead into a richly ornamented sanctuary. Above them, a soaring rose window radiates light into the nave and commands attention from the street. Flanking staircases with ornate iron railings lead visitors upward from the street, elevating the church both literally and symbolically. The thick masonry, clustered windows, and recessed portals give the building its unmistakable Romanesque character—fortified yet welcoming.
St. Mark’s plays an active role in the local community while maintaining its historic character, and it continues to serve as a powerful architectural and spiritual anchor in a city known for its diversity of faith and form. Situated among more modern structures, the church stands as a brick-and-stone sentinel of San Francisco’s 19th-century past—resilient, storied, and beautifully preserved.
Whether you’re a lover of sacred architecture, stained glass, or simply want to glimpse an urban cathedral that looks straight out of 19th-century Europe, St. Mark’s Lutheran is a must-visit gem.
Nestled in San Francisco’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a stunning example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture—a style rarely seen on the West Coast. Completed in 1895 and designed by architect H. J. Brede, the church is a masterclass in red brick craftsmanship, featuring a striking rose window, arched entryways, and twin towers capped with conical turrets and stone finials.
The symmetrical facade is anchored by three grand arched doors, framed in decorative brick and terracotta detailing, which lead into a richly ornamented sanctuary. Above them, a soaring rose window radiates light into the nave and commands attention from the street. Flanking staircases with ornate iron railings lead visitors upward from the street, elevating the church both literally and symbolically. The thick masonry, clustered windows, and recessed portals give the building its unmistakable Romanesque character—fortified yet welcoming.
St. Mark’s plays an active role in the local community while maintaining its historic character, and it continues to serve as a powerful architectural and spiritual anchor in a city known for its diversity of faith and form. Situated among more modern structures, the church stands as a brick-and-stone sentinel of San Francisco’s 19th-century past—resilient, storied, and beautifully preserved.
Whether you’re a lover of sacred architecture, stained glass, or simply want to glimpse an urban cathedral that looks straight out of 19th-century Europe, St. Mark’s Lutheran is a must-visit gem.
Just outside Mons, Le Grand-Hornu is a former 19th-century coal mining site that has been transformed into a cultural center. Today, it focuses on contemporary art and design, and the exhibitions are definitely worth a visit. However, if you expect a dramatic industrial atmosphere or a gritty mining heritage, the setting might feel somewhat subdued.
Apart from a few aging arcades, the site resembles a neoclassical estate more than a coal mine. Is it interesting? Yes. Is it atmospheric? That depends on your expectations.
September 20, 2024 - Exploring Silverton, Colorado prior to our ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Durango.
September 20, 2024 - Exploring Silverton, Colorado prior to our ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Durango.
The artificial stone veneer at the bottom is comically distasteful and was installed later in the 20th century and I like it. In fact it would be alright with me if the artificial stone veneer covered the whole building.
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In downtown Ottumwa, Iowa, on October 27th, 2020, was the former Iowa Telephone Company building at 116 N Green St (built circa 1904; designed by George M. Kerns; later an office building; a "contributing property" in the Greater Second Street Historic District, 16000365 on the National Register of Historic Places) at the southeast corner of North Green Street and East 3rd Street.
According to PDF page 27 of the above-linked documentation, the building became an American Legion home after World War I. It was later an office building, identified in the 1957 Ottumwa city directory (at ancestrylibrary.com) as the Ottumwa Labor Temple.
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Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:
• Ottumwa (2035410)
• Wapello (county) (2000650)
Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:
• artificial stone (300010788)
• brickwork (works by material) (300015333)
• commercial buildings (300005147)
• historic buildings (300008063)
• historic districts (300000737)
• infills (filled lacunae areas) (300264840)
• keystones (300001183)
• office buildings (300007043)
• red brick (material) (300444202)
• remodeling (300135427)
• repurposing (300417716)
• semicircular arches (300001062)
• telephone exchanges (300005416)
• two-story (300163703)
• union halls (300375133)
• veneer (material) (300012855)
Wikidata items:
• 27 October 2020 (Q57396950)
• 1900s in architecture (Q16482507)
• 1904 in architecture (Q2811011)
• American Legion (Q468865)
• contributing property (Q76321820)
• National Register of Historic Places (Q3719)
• October 27 (Q2956)
• October 2020 (Q55281169)
• overcast (Q1055865)
• Sac and Fox Treaty of 1842 (Q96404765)
• stone veneer (Q2470272)
• veterans' organizations (Q5419137)
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
• Telephone stations (sh85133431)
Heading for Tooley Street.
A day trip to London to see new buildings & monuments since my last visit in 2002.
Heading for Tooley Street.
A day trip to London to see new buildings & monuments since my last visit in 2002.
July 30, 2024 - Visit to the Ohio State Fair on the grounds of the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio.
July 30, 2024 - "Spountain" by Barry Gunderson (1996) located in Central Park at the Ohio Expo Center. "An abstraction of a water jet, firing into the sky and curling back down. The mottled blue paint job gives off the appearance of a column of water, cresting and foaming as it gets higher. Tubular stainless steel accents act as interruptions in the water's skyward flow; one might even be considered its own jet.
Barry Gunderson is a professor of sculpture at Kenyon college. His interpretations of water and other everyday items, glint with a unique cartoonish style." Previous description: www.sculpturecenter.org/oosi/items/show/909
