hauntedheadnc, the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga looks like an intriguing complex!

Bode Museum in Berlin is really impressive.

http://www.geo.de/reisen/community/b...ode-Museum.jpg

http://www.figaro-im-bode.de/images/bode.jpg

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets...rance_hall.jpg

http://www.reuterschoger.de/wp-conte...emuseum-02.jpg

MisterFreeman87, yes Bode Museum in Berlin is certainly a commanding and grand edifice! I was in Berlin in 1995 but did not go in to this building, I wish I had! Although I did go to the Pergamonmuseum (sp?).

Museum: California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Location: San Francisco, California
Architect: George Applegarth (original), Edward Larrabee Barnes and Mark Cavagnero (restoration and underground addition)
Completed: 1924 (original), 1995 (restoration and underground addition)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/s5CU1M.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/gtoykO.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/mLerOf.jpg

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https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/4C83D5.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/gzADOH.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/N9AGxF.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/tF2GO4.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/Rl7xMD.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/w3j7wa.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/9SKZmT.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/Snqqnb.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/4cAaCg.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

St. Louis Science Center (1991, E. Verner Johnson & Associates):

http://members.explorestlouis.com/im...e%20Center.jpg
link to image source

http://www.slfp.com/100111/STLScienceCenter_0143.png
link to image source

McDonnell Planetarium (1963, Gyo Obata):

http://members.explorestlouis.com/im...etExterior.jpg
link to image source

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...arium_slsc.jpg
link to image source

St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum (2003, Allied Works Architecture):

http://www.stevenbeckerfd.com/images...mage%20(3).jpg
link to image source

(St. Louis) Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts (2001, Tadao Ando):

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/p...m/47493867.jpg
link to image source

http://www.architectureweek.com/2001...85_image_2.jpg
link to image source

http://blogs.artinfo.com/modernartno.../SerraJoe2.jpg
link to image source

http://www.pulitzerarts.org/includes...chors/blog.jpg
link to image source

http://blog.coloradocollege.edu/idea...watercourt.jpg
link to image source

St. Louis University Art Museum (1899, Friedlander & Dillon with Lawrence Ewald):

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/...9e5f2a0779.jpg
link to image source

(St. Louis) Museum of Westward Expansion at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (1965, Eero Saarinen):

http://www.haunsgowest.com/wp-conten...un-800x533.jpg
link to image source

http://www.haunsgowest.com/wp-conten...un-800x533.jpg
link to image source

(St. Louis) Old Courthouse (1828, Lavielle and Morton):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...MultExpCDR.jpg
link to image source

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3583/...d37d8b6b19.jpg
link to image source

Museum: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Location: San Francisco, California
Architect: Mario Botta
Completed: 1995

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/jWxXGM.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/bX3QGy.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/5I268X.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/HBvS44.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/tpOYmL.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/IJooOu.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

Detroit Institute of Arts Museum
Built in 1927 with the architect Paul Philippe Cret
Expanded in 2007
It's about 658,000 square feet with 65,000 pieces ranging from biblical and tribal pieces to contemporary and modern exhibits.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9255/76598vmc.jpg
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...-76598%5D76598

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3...re1x0y0sws.jpg
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...ND-4%5D40761_4

My own photos
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/8...e90d7c44_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8032/8...35772c19_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8...454a76e0_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8...06fa8cec_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/8...287e72da_b.jpg

animatedmartian, I have not seen that one before but it looks promising, I need to go to Detroit area!

Eli & Edyth Broad Art Museum - East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Completed: 2012

Use: Modern Art Museum

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8...68f2f986_b.jpg
Broad Art Museum by rexp2, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8342/8...221741e1_b.jpg
Broad Art Museum #82 by full frame, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8197/8...f1452ed9_b.jpg
Broad Art Museum #83 by full frame, on Flickr

Man, I'd love to go to East Lansing to see that in person. *starts counting gas money*


It's one of the definite finer gems of the city. :tup:

Museum: Fort Pitt Museum
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: ?
Completed: 1969

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/r5HGr0.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/6WUj0o.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/zixAMM.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/eTKYUN.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

Museum: Senator John Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum (housed in former Chautauqua Lake Ice Building and modern addition)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: ?
Completed: 1996 (original part opened in historic building), 2004 (addition)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/Hmvtmb.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/jhP9P4.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/7L3OGP.jpg

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/fr7i3U.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/R7Pk7X.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

Museum: Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial (built as Allegheny County Soldiers Memorial)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: Henry Hornbostel
Completed:1910

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/iHAPlY.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/O02tQv.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/70w8ge.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/i5Q2ZQ.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/WgChm8.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

Museum: Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Museum of Art (original building)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: ?
Completed: 1907 (multiple gallery renovations since then, including recent enclosure of courtyard for 'Dinosaurs In Their Time' Exhibit)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/E0nQeF.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/OmhUds.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/z7jB61.jpg

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https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/Xt93Gj.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/f1mtXU.jpg

Museum: Carnegie Museum of Art (Scaife Gallery addition)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: Edward Larrabee Barnes
Completed: 1974

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/ff6Afy.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/GV8fmr.jpg

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/4JVjM7.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

Museum: Children's Museum of Pittsburgh (housed in former Allegheny Post Office, former Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, and modern Lantern Building)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: ? (Allegheny Post Office), Ingham & Boyd (Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science), Koning Eizenberg Architecture (Lantern Building)
Completed: 1897 (Allegheny Post Office), 1939 (Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science), 2004 (Lantern Building)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/BvlSZG.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/C5QIFo.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/hLpJmD.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/rpcjKb.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/CVX4jm.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

Museum: Carnegie Science Center
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architect: ? (original building), Renaissance 3 Architects (SportsWorks building)
Completed: 1991 (original building), 2010 (SportsWorks building)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/JhpeKP.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/jSHOGN.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/UhoBmG.jpg

All photos taken by geomorph in 2012.

When it comes to fine art and antiquities, is it better to have a plain building that contrasts the masterpieces on display, or is it better to have an ornate building that helps the artwork to create a full sensory experience? It seems to me that an ornate building might distract from the artworks, but at the same time, a plain building is a plain building, and we should build better things for our cultural treasures than bunkers that look like middle schools, prisons, or both.