“Minneapolis comes justly by its reputation-one of the Nation’s most beautiful cities” – from a 1905 guide to the city. These four majestic structures – as well as numerous others in the city – were all replaced by parking lots and steel and glass office spaces during the 20th century.
Beautiful, such a shame buildings like these were lost, I’d love to have witnessed them in person.
Unrelated; were roads just gravel back then?
Jkkwwwsays
Anyone else get the sense things are becoming uglier? And that we’ve lost the grand style?
thinkB4WeSpeaksays
Urban revival really ruined a lot of places across the country.
booberryyogurtsays
This makes me indescribably sad for some reason. It could be the weed but my heart’s just breaking.
Han_Soldlowsays
Guys, it’s really not just "capitalism wants us all to be miserable in ugly buildings" or "were going to erase the past and all of the beautiful architecture"
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These building are gorgeous. And at some point, in serious danger of collapse, probably. At the end of the day, I’d want to be as far as possible from one of these if an earthquake were to hit. Steel and concrete help us build taller, stronger, more resilient buildings. It is truly a new technology, as were these buildings at some point.
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My hope is that, just as we had learned to make masonry buildings stunning over time, we will start to do the same for steel + concrete buildings.. And it’s already happening, just maybe not as much in the US, but there are some. Hell, look at Singapore, South Korea, Japan.
BiggusDickus17says
Tearing down the Metropolitan Building (top left) and the old Great Northern terminal were the crimes of the century in Minneapolis.
daryl_hikikomorisays
fuck parking, imho
Lilekssays
Not to be That Guy, but the building on the upper right-hand corner – the Ryan hotel – was in St. Paul, not Mpls.
Watery_1says
Clockwise: 1. Metropolitan Life Building ( Northwestern Guaranty Loan) 2. Ryan Hotel (actually in St. Paul) 3. Central Post Office & Federal Building 4. Minneapolis Public Library (formerly Minneapolis Athenaeum)
Velocilobstar says
Beautiful, such a shame buildings like these were lost, I’d love to have witnessed them in person.
Unrelated; were roads just gravel back then?
Jkkwww says
Anyone else get the sense things are becoming uglier? And that we’ve lost the grand style?
thinkB4WeSpeak says
Urban revival really ruined a lot of places across the country.
booberryyogurt says
This makes me indescribably sad for some reason. It could be the weed but my heart’s just breaking.
Han_Soldlow says
Guys, it’s really not just "capitalism wants us all to be miserable in ugly buildings" or "were going to erase the past and all of the beautiful architecture"
​
These building are gorgeous. And at some point, in serious danger of collapse, probably. At the end of the day, I’d want to be as far as possible from one of these if an earthquake were to hit. Steel and concrete help us build taller, stronger, more resilient buildings. It is truly a new technology, as were these buildings at some point.
​
My hope is that, just as we had learned to make masonry buildings stunning over time, we will start to do the same for steel + concrete buildings.. And it’s already happening, just maybe not as much in the US, but there are some. Hell, look at Singapore, South Korea, Japan.
BiggusDickus17 says
Tearing down the Metropolitan Building (top left) and the old Great Northern terminal were the crimes of the century in Minneapolis.
daryl_hikikomori says
fuck parking, imho
Lileks says
Not to be That Guy, but the building on the upper right-hand corner – the Ryan hotel – was in St. Paul, not Mpls.
Watery_1 says
Clockwise: 1. Metropolitan Life Building ( Northwestern Guaranty Loan) 2. Ryan Hotel (actually in St. Paul) 3. Central Post Office & Federal Building 4. Minneapolis Public Library (formerly Minneapolis Athenaeum)