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Beaux-Arts
Beaux-Arts (pronounced boz-ar in French and boz-arts in English) was an architectural style
popular in the United States during the
City Beautiful
movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Beaux-Arts buildings and monuments were grand in scale and had a European flair. They emphasized aesthetics, harmony and order — key components of improved city planning during this period. They were frequently fronted by pedestrian plazas or pedestrian-only streets, and were an attractor of pedestrian activity.
Usually reserved for very large public buildings, the style was characterized by an eclectic mix of classical Greek and Roman, Italian Renaissance, and European Baroque motifs. This eclecticism seems to set the style apart from Neoclassical architecture (a revival of Ancient Greek and Roman themes). Libraries, civic centers, city halls, rail stations and other important buildings were designed in the Beaux-Arts tradition. Private mansions, like those in Newport, Rhode Island, are also considered prime examples of this architectural period.
The Beaux-Arts style was established in Europe and taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Though these methods were taught for more than two centuries in Paris, they were prevalent in the United States during 1885-1920. Several American architects studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, such as John Russell Pope, Julia Morgan and Stanford White.
Beaux-Arts Details
Common characteristics [1] of Beaux-Arts buildings include:
- Symmetry
- Central monument or dome
- Grand entrances
- Large staircases
- Classical elements - columns, balustrades, pilasters
- Ornamentation – garlands, sculpted figures, detailed brackets
Beaux Arts Buildings in the United States
In cities throughout the United States, there are hundreds of examples of Beaux-Arts
architecture. Here are just a few:
- Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY
- City Hall, Pasadena, CA [2]
- Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
- War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA
- Boston Public Library, Boston, MA
- New York Public Library, New York, NY
- National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
- Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
- Union Station, Richmond, VA
- Pennsylvania Station (“Penn Station” or Union Station), Pittsburgh, PA
- Hearst Mining Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA
- Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
- Capitol Building, Denver, CO
- Marble House, Newport, RI
ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK
REFERENCES
Each source is referred to by the same number every time it is cited. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] Beaux-Arts architecture. Wikipedia.
[2] One of Pasadena’s architectural jewels gets a polishing. The Los Angeles Times. May 6, 2007.
[3]
[4]
PICTURE REFERENCES
Pictures are cited in the order they appear above. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] Pasadena City Hall. by Catching Flies via Flickr.
[2] Boston Public Library Reading Room. Photo by SeanMcTex via Flickr.
