San Antonio's city hall used to be cool.

Before:

http://www.littlecolonel.com/Places/...tyHall1908.jpg
http://www.littlecolonel.com/Places/...tyHall1908.jpg

After:

http://www.constableri.com/City%20Hall.jpg
http://www.constableri.com/City%20Hall.jpg

Yuck.

Adding a fourth floor was such a short sighted move. The city has since moved into several adjacent buildings. The City Council chambers now reside in the former frost bank building:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/...95b2a1.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/...95b2a1.jpg?v=0

It's a neat building on it's own, but where it really wins points is in the contrast of the sacred/secular with San Fernando Cathedral(to the left). I can't find a picture of both side by side, but this picture gives you the general idea of the placement of the two structures:

*Image removed*

I was about to post some pics! But I figured someone else would have eventually, but oh well I'll have a go at it.

Pasadena, CA a suburb of LA. Completed in 1927 its a significant example of the City Beautiful movement of the 1920s. The building had to be vacated between 2004 - 2007 to be retrofitted.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/...aa2348cd_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blacksage69/2067004858/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/...7f2bc27e_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/winniezazu/2640061291

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1311/...ae29eb06_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14176959@N05/1444701690

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/...69657137_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattlogelin/1517952420

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/...e3148f58_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_s_etc/2847861826

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2189/...c7459e0d_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grockpilot/2402039623

The Beverly Hills City Hall, completed in 1932.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1137/...1d0e353f_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xdisone/723449892

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/...2ea69770_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceekay/623717622

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1103/...460f2ef8_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itookpictures/990243035

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2234/...1f63f569_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylersandrews/2375971280

I BEG to differ. What is awkward about it? GRACELESS? That building bleeds grace, and I've only seen it in pictures. You also think that the säynätsalo town hall is beautiful. WHAT?! It's as far from beauty and originality as you can get. I've seen CAR WASHES that are more attractive. I'm a fan of modern architecture, but the neo-classical design is a BIG soft spot for me. I do NOT, however, aprreciate the brutalism style that you promote. God willing, it will become illegal in America. Brutalist structures are SO hideous and detrimental to a city's essence.


BTW, The Pasadena and Beverly Hills halls are very attractive. Also, Am I the only person on here that can see that the old LA city hall drips with masonic symbolism?

Honestly, I would have never even noticed that the 4th floor was an add-on - it blends in so well. I think the newer version actually looks better than the old on, in my opinion.

A standard.

The Marin County Civic Center

http://www.marin.ca.gov/depts/CU/Mai...icCenterSa.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marin_County_Civic_Center

Personally, I think the Dallas city hall is awful (and Pei is incredibly overrated). It has zero feel of being an important civic building, and it's completely unremarkable aside from that slanted side, which I don't even find to be interesting or appealing. In addition, it's got a huge barren plaza like most modernist civic orifices, which I've never seen being used apart from days when there are things like press conferences and the like. Oh, and the library across the plaza/street is hideous as well.

Not that ours is any better, of course. Ours is a drab, horrible concrete box. The Dallas building is a drab, horrible concrete box that thinks it isn't.

Was very glad to see the Los Angeles, the Pasedena, and the Beverlyn Hills City Halls appear. All three are beautiful gems, and each city should be justifiably proud.

Along the line of Neoclassical, I've always appreciated the old City Hall/Courthouse in Provo, which is the southern core of Salt Lake's CSA. It has great lines, and an equally beautiful interior.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2225/...a61c11e965.jpg
by Rich Legg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2367/...26cb62208f.jpg
by Rich Legg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/...5d1333.jpg?v=0
Joseph Nelson
The Provo City and County Building, now called the Historic Utah County Courthouse, was built between 1920-26. Joseph Nelson, the architect, traveled with a committee to the West Coast to gather ideas from other administration buildings, prepared sketches, and submitted a plan that was accepted by the committee in 1919. Rudine and Chytraus were the contractors for this two-and-one-half story Neoclassical building. Built of oolitic limestone from Sanpete County, the lower portions of the building is faced with granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The sculpture grouping within the pediment was designed by Joseph Nelson and executed by sculptor Joseph Conradi. The figure of justice stands in the center with female figures on each side representing Utah County of Provo City. Horticulture, dairying, mining, livestock, and farming on the left, and music, sculpture, industry, letters, and painting on the right, are the various arts and industries symbolized in this grouping.

The interior is also elaborately ornamented. The central two-story foyer incorporates a painted arched ceiling and a stained glass skylight. The stairs at the rear of the central pavilion curve upward to the mezzanine. Two long narrow atria with coffered ceilings are accented with stained glass panels below skylights. The floors throughout are of Alaskan marble.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/36...23b758.jpg?v=0
Ken Lund

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I'm too late!

Oh well, here's a pic I took of Pasadena City Hall a few years ago. Pasadena is planning to revamp the entire Civic Center by adding new landscaping, benches, and possibly even a new fountain/traffic circle in front of City Hall. I can't wait to see it start!

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3...2897e8bwe1.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3295/areamapwc4.gif

I like these:


http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2...tyhall1uq4.jpg
From higashiyama.de


http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/9...9f67f26my8.jpg


http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8...3f8f0f7ja1.jpg
From http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/...f8f0f7.jpg?v=0


http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/5...3c2df16xi6.jpg
From http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1139/...c2df16.jpg?v=0


http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/1...photo17ul5.jpg
From http://bcimpeach.com/yahoo_site_admi...173252_std.jpg


http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5821/img3317uu0.jpg
From http://lh4.ggpht.com/_YeVVfegW8Vc/R1...Q/IMG_3317.JPG

Glad to see LA City hall getting some love here- Hands down, he's my favourite. The interior is absolutely beautiful, it seems no part was left bare or wanting for a beautiful finish.
As for Pasadena and Beverly Hills City Halls, it looks like LA City Hall's got himself a couple of very attractive sisters or girlfriends, depending on how you look at it:)

I'm surprised nobody's posted San Francisco City hall yet, she's another beauty.

SF's on page one.

Pasadena is outstanding.

^ SF's city hall is the last pic in the very first post on page 1 - and I agree that she's a beaut.

Taller dome than the US capital building - fifth largest dome in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_City_Hall

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...r/Mvc-394x.jpg

http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/cityhall_page.asp?id=7557

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...r/MVC-387X.jpg

http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/cityhall_page.asp?id=7551

I like the Pei one in Dallas I think it looks sweet.

I also agree that the Philadelphia one is kinda awkward.

I too find the whole "lets knock off the US Capitol building" concept to be tired.

^I like IM Pei, but not that building, its hideous.

Classic architecture is not rooted in Washington DC, you have to look a bit further back into ancient Roman & Greek architecture....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ityHallEye.jpg

Beautiful..in the classic sense ? - Not so much.

Beautifully representative of the government that occupies it. - Yep. lol

^^^
Maaaannn, That is gross!!! Where is it again? Even the city hall sign is a mess.

That is the New Orleans City Hall. To be fair, the picture may have been taken after Katrina. Notice the "Fire Nagin" sign. All the same, not the most beautiful city hall in North America...

Agreed SLO, I find SF's Hall more reminiscent of one of my beloved Italian beauties. I dream of someday building a great Opera House in SLC, along that same frame of reference.

I love this pic, there's definately an element of my native Parisian flair here also.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...r/MVC-387X.jpg
http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/cityhall_page.asp?id=7551

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Gene Dub's creation of Edmonton City Hall does not deserve to be posted. The only thing going for it is the blue glowing pyramid at night.

I like St. Albert's City Hall, designed by Douglas Cardinal.

http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/medi...bert_T3370.jpg
Rolf Hicker