Architecture of Texas

The architecture of the U.S. state of Texas comes from a wide variety of sources. Many of the state's buildings reflect Texas' Spanish and Mexican roots; in addition, there is considerable influence from mostly the American South as well as the Southwest. Rapid economic growth since the mid twentieth century has led to a wide variety of contemporary architectural buildings.

Traditional architecture

Main article:

Alamo

The first European buildings in Texas were a series of

San Antonio de Valero Mission known for the Battle of the Alamo

is a prime example of this kind of architecture.

Each Texas county has a distinct courthouse. These buildings reflect many different styles of architecture.

See also: Old Harrison County Courthouse (Texas) and Bexar County Courthouse

• 
  The Bexar County Courthouse by Jeff Gordon is a work of Romanesque Revival architecture from 1892.
• 
  Galveston

  and is a registered Texas historic landmark.

Capitol building

Main article: Texas State Capitol

The

State Capitol building, but smaller than the National Capitol in Washington, D.C.^[1]

Contemporary architecture

In addition to Texas's traditional

Dallas Center for the Performing Arts

is the latest addition to such architectural landmarks in Texas.

Some facilities even harbor the marks of multiple architects. Houston's

Mies van der Rohe

.

• 
  Ricardo Legorreta's San Antonio Public Library is an example of postmodern architecture in Texas.
• 
  Philip Johnson's landscaping work: the Fort Worth Water Gardens.

Skylines

Texas is also home to some of the

skyscrapers

in the United States. The Houston skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when ranked by breadth and height,

system of tunnels and skywalks

linking buildings in downtown. The tunnel system also includes shops, restaurants, and convenience stores.

Images shown below are the eight tallest buildings in Texas.

• 
  1. JPMorgan Chase Tower
  Houston
• 
  2. Wells Fargo Bank Plaza
  Houston
• 
  3. Bank of America Plaza
  Dallas
• 
  5. Renaissance Tower
  Dallas
• 
  6. Comerica Bank Tower
  Dallas
• 
  7.

  Bank of America Center

  
  Houston
• 
  8.

  Heritage Plaza

  
  Houston

See also

• Architecture of Houston
• Architecture of San Antonio

References

1. ^ Texas Capitol Archived 2013-10-18 at the Wayback Machine. State Preservation Board, Caretakers of the Texas Capitol. Last accessed January 10, 2008.
2. ^ "Frank Lloyd Wright - Texas (All-Wright Site - Frank Lloyd Wright Building Guide)". Archived from the original on 2009-10-28.
3. ^ The World's Best Skylines Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback MachineEgbert Gramsbergen and Paul Kazmierczak, 2006
4. ^ Calculated Average Height of the Ten Tallest (CAHTT) Archived 2012-02-11 at the Wayback MachineUltrapolisProject.com
5. ^ Tallest Cities of the World?SkyscraperPage Forum, August 30, 2006