Celebrating America's iconic buildings

From Frank Lloyd Wright's 1927 masterpiece, Ennis House in Los Angeles constructed with more than 27,000 blocks – to New York's 1962 wing-like TWA Terminal designed by Eero Saarinen, some of America's most beloved buildings are testament to versatility of concrete. 

Released last month, American Icons - The Architecture of the United States: Visions and Defiance by Gestalten & Sam Lubell pays homage to some of the United States most iconic buildings of the last 150 years and delves into the visionary works that have defined American skylines. The photography within this book prompts the viewer to consider these buildings in a different way, to look closer and contemplate what makes a building remain relevant in an ever-changing world.

Arguably, Frank Lloyd Wright was a true pioneer of architectural concrete using it in ways not previously seen – textile blocks, organic curves and pre-cast ornaments. Lloyd Wright used concrete like Dali used paint – pushing boundaries and always creating something thought-provoking. It's no surprise then, that American Icons features several of Lloyd Wright's creations.

The photography itself is beautiful, offering many details that highlight the textural elements of concrete but the accounts accompanying the photography them written by leading architectural author, Sam Lubell provide an insight into the construction of these landmarks. It brings a new appreciation to the theory behind the buildings and reveals specific details you'd struggle to find elsewhere including the volume of materials used.

Of course, not all buildings in the book are made of concrete but it's a celebration of a time when concrete began appearing on the skyline more than ever before. And who knows, some of you might well be working on concrete buildings that will feature in a book many years from now.

American Icons - The Architecture of the United States: Visions and Defiance by Gestalten & Sam Lubell is available now. For more information, and to purchase, visit https://uk.gestalten.com/collections/all