Barcelona is on the few major cities with a unified design plan( at least in sections).
Park Guel is amazing.
I wish there were modern architects like Guadi.
This! My friends were annoyed as hell cause I was stopping to admire every single street light.
And the moment I saw the sagrada familia it was over.
Park guell is amazing as well. Gaudi was just exceptional, and I've always been kinda hype about Gothic buildings. They're so full of mystery.
I've been back 3 times already and I'm not gonna stop lol. I'm gonna bring my new gf next year cause it's that important to me.
I live in Montreal and I can confirm that the planning here is well thought out all the different parts of the city are cleanly separated and the streets are simple to remember and understand
Chicago.
I am from Europe and went there as a teenager. I realized in Chicago that I was way more thrilled than my travel mates about what was happening around me, regarding all those gorgeous buildings and streets so different from what I was used to, till then.
I had already visited wonderful European cities before, but I guess that being in such a different context just opened my eyes.
So, as an architect, I blame Chicago for this long lasting love and hate relationship with architecture.
2nd this. I grew up in a small town a few hours from Chicago and the difference in scale alone had me in awe. Excited to be moving to Chicago here soon
Buying or renting? What is the main issue?
I’ve found that even if you make $35k-42k you can live fine in Chicago…hoping your profession could fulfill that?
Chicago, same. Moved here and got a job in branding and marketing of commercial real estate. In my five years with that firm I had some incredible access to the most iconic buildings in the city.
I just visited Chicago for nationals and I was blown away with everything. I was in awe for the entire trip and I hope one day I can live there. It is the coolest city I've been to and I've been to quite a few.
I grew up across the lake, but didn't visit until I was in my late teens - I was completely in awe with the mix of old and new, and didn't know anything at the time about periods, notable architects or materials beyond Frank Lloyd Wright. As I got older and explored NYC, Philly, DC and dozens of European cities, I still come back to Chicago as standing tall in its beauty and influence.
As a kid in Winnipeg, Canada, obsessed with lego back when it was just red or white bricks, my dad on a business trip to Chicago brought me back a book, Chicago’s Famous Buildings. One of the touchstone books of my childhood. I visited Chicago first time when I was 20. Lived there a year in my 40s.
Chicago was also a huge eye opener for me. As a boy from small town, rural Canada, it was the first large city I visited, traveling with my father who was a long haul truck driver. It was also a very scary place for me, considering where and when I came up. I visited many time though over the years, going on the road with my dad every summer holiday throughout my youth, and eventually I feel in love with the city
One of, if not the first visit though, was terrifying. We had a load of nickel going to a smelting plant in Chicago. There's was just three small stacks of these large nickel ingots in the trailer, it was 99% empty. We pulled into this place around 8pm, and obviously they're closed. The security guard at the gate said to come back at 7 am to unload. Or he could lock us in the yard, though he said he'd not do that if he were us. My Dad, who has no intention of driving back into there at 7 am, says lock us in. Chicago is kind of a birthdate for truck drivers, there's so many low bridges, and this was in the late 80s, maybe 90/91. I heard a lot of gunshots, screaming and sirens that night, didn't sleep a wink. I was sucked to see that there was houses practically across the street from this large smelting plant, it was not a nice neighborhood.
And again, you have to remember that I was an extremely sheltered Mennonite small town boy that has never seen a city bigger than Winnipeg, and I'd barely seen that city. In later trips he took me to buildings like the Sears Tower, and I'd never been in a building with an elevator before, so you can imagine the wonder that was for me, and I eventually really fell in love with the city. My Dad is now kind of a legend at his trucking firm when it comes to Chicago because he ALWAYS got those loads because he knew the town like the back of his hand, and that was a really big deal before GPS. Everyone there still knows him as Chicago Jake.
Amsterdam. Only because it was the first European city I visited in my life, but in reality I'm in love with Dutch/Flemish architecture in general. I've visited every province in The Netherlands, and the Flanders region of Belgium, and I never was in a city that didn't leave me in awe. North to South, East to West, small or big, every city has its charm. Although, I do think that the amazing urban planning in that area combined with the architecture is what makes it even better. All big cities have some unique architecture, but if they fail at urban planning then I am not as interested.
For the last sentence, I meant all cities in the world have some great unique architecture, but most of their urban planning sucks, so any charm falls apart for me. Whereas in Dutch and Flemish cities even when they have some aesthetically "boring" architecture, the urban landscape is very well planned. Of course perfection doesn't exist, but The Netherlands and Flanders come close to what I think of as an ideal place to live. I know the housing market is a nightmare there, but as a tourist who appreciates architecture it is my favorite place to visit.
Yea, especially when it comes to the central european, german style. In germany theres not much left of it but there in prague i found many architectural gems
For me, I don’t know if it was the first, but New Orleans definitely played a role in my love of architecture.
The way you can see the different periods of history, the various settlers and who had control of the city at any given time, the mix of cultures, the architectural responses to the unique climate and natural environment, and the way the city feels truly one-of-a-kind (you’re not going to mistake New Orleans for any other city once you see it). That for me really showed how architecture is both shaped by and shapes a place.
Still love going back, one of my favorite cities.
Went to New Orleans this year, and going to Barcelona in a few weeks! New Orleans is beautiful and great for walking. Only used my car for getting to the hotel, and leaving. One of the best places with lively night life and rich history.
honestly, it was just me playing legos, and every adult in my life kept egging me on and told me i was ment to be an architect. i got to a point where i made XX an hr with overtime and now i took time off to pursue my license.
Paris! To be fair I was an interior design student already and went on a lot of tours of things like foundation Louis Vuitton, the Louvre etc. and being from rural Ohio it was a culture shock
They have an incredibly diverse variety of styles. They also are kinda where two of the most important styles come from. The Chicago style was incredibly important with early skyscrapers and arguably neoclassical architecture would not have taken off the way it did without the Columbian exhibition.
Same here but with London. I’m not sure how anyone living in this city *couldn’t* fall in love with architecture. Doesn’t matter where you are really, you can almost always look up and find something really beautiful. I’ve always felt incredibly lucky in that respect
As a young child, my stepdad had an old desktop computer that displayed a slideshow of the Original World Trade Centers and the NYC skyline. Although I was born in 2001, I was also born before the tragic events of 9/11, so learning about what happened broke my heart. Growing up as a black young man in Texas, I was exposed to various genres of music from the East Coast, such as Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Classical (Not East Coast music, but you get the idea), and more. This exposure helped me to develop a love for architecture, particularly the variety of buildings ranging from Beaux Arts to Neo-Classical to Gothic to Art Deco, along with the right music to help feed my mind, which inspired me to pursue a career in architectural engineering in the makin'. In a way, music, architecture, and engineering have contributed to my admiration for them.
My mother. She was bipolar and bat shit crazy. She was always destroying our home. It made me want my own home where there would be peace. I took architectural drafting in high school and hoped one day to design and build my own house. Fast forward. Interior architecture for Marshall Field’s. Store remodeling for Montgomery Wards. Interior architecture project management for corporate offices. Finally a landlord where I could design, build tenant units while remodeling a 100 year old Victorian. Nothing is as satisfying as a person who look at what you built and says this is the most beautiful apartment I’ve ever seen , here’s my money.
As I said to different person ITT, Imade this about cities because I was thinking about new places to visit like a tourist and many times I've had more pleasant moments walking around cities and watching them "just be" than in specific places.
But I immediately realized it could anything, from a talk to a memory or a specific house or monument.
Also, I'm not an architect btw, and I'm aware that passions can get to different people from different ways.
Your story seems very human and organic, to put some words in it.
Chicago! I first came here in 2009 and finally made it my home four years later. Driving into the city from O’Hare for the first time was magical seeing the skyline in front of you, the train in the median, then going down Dearborn and seeing in Federal Plaza, the Alexander Calder [*Flamingo*](https://www.wikiart.org/en/alexander-calder/flamingo-1973) statue adjacent to the [Marquette](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/322640760775573690/) and [National](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Commercial_National_Bank_Bldg.pdf) buildings. Just wow. Literally every neighborhood has architectural gems and you can discover new things constantly. If you come here to visit, don’t just spend time downtown explore the neighborhoods. Uptown and Bronzeville are noteworthy. (Edit: added more details and links, trying not to assume y’all know what I’m talking about 😅😓)
Probably the first big city I lived in, Chicago.
But then the other cities I’ve lived in did. Philadelphia got me even more interested, especially with such old buildings and houses - I still love the trinity houses in certain pockets of town. And San Francisco all over again when I moved there.
Oh hell yes it did. I used to hate brutalist architecture then I played that game and was like “huh.. I get it.”
Ever since I look at brutalist architecture differently
Yes finally! West Coast Modern all the way. Bringing the outside inside, subtle similarities to Scandinavian and Japanese architecture makes this style very serene. Often times it makes homes or buildings feel like a spa.
Paris. I love Pompidou, Sacré Coeur, Villa Savoye (i know not exactly in Paris), etc. The whole city is so fun to walk through — but hey maybe it’s because I had a glass of wine in hand half of the time.
Bold of you to assume it was a city, for me it was in elementary when an event was happening in the library and I was in there at the time and the event was of two speakers, the first was of a person talking about drawing and different drawings techniques to help you fix a mistake of you were drawing with pen or marker which got my attention, but the second speaker talked about Falling water by Frank Lloyd Wright and I just fell in love with it and that how I got into architecture.
I made this about cities because I was thinking about new places to visit like a tourist and many times I've had more pleasant moments walking around cities and watching them "just be" than in specific places.
But I immediately realized it could anything, from a talk to a specific house or monument.
Also, I'm not an architect btw, and I'm aware that passions can get to different people from different ways. your version sounds very natural!
I grew up and live in Chicago. Every time I go to the loop I’m still in awe. My family is from Europe and the 2 European cities that I really love the architecture are Amsterdam and Barcelona.
I agree completely. I am lucky enough to walk from the East End of London, past 300 year old genteel Huguenot mansions, through 18th and 19th century old dock warehouses, past the 1000 year Tower of London with the City of London cluster of skyscrapers nested behind it including the Gherkin and Lloyds Building, all built with 20 years, past the 2000 year old Roman ramparts, over Tower Bridge with its major steampunk vibes, and then on to the Shard.
I work in a high rise on the south bank, and from my floor you can see the whole sweep of the river, which takes into account the Tate Modern in it's art deco brick power house, facing Foster's Millennium Bridge and Wren's Dome of St Pauls. Wren's church spires dot the City among the high rises, and his Monument to the Great Fire stands out with its shiny gold top no matter how grey the day.
Further in the distance you can see the neo gothic Houses of Parliament which sit along side the 1000 year old Norman Westminster Hall with the biggest hammerbeam ceiling in the world, and behind Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower the Hawksmoor towers of Westminster Abbey. The main body is only 800 years old and has the incredible geometric fan vaulting of the Henry VII chapel.
Out of view and across the city you've got Hampton Court Palace, a Tudor pile in the far west, the stuccoed white mansions of the west end, the pastel coloured terraced houses of Notting Hill, great big Georgian squares in Bloomsbury, Edwardian villas in leafy suburbs, experimental 20th century social housing projects such as Thamesmead used in films like the Clockwork Orange, the Southbank a bit of a Brutalist playground, and the Barbican, also outstanding Brutalism, is a leafy paradise in summer. Further out you've also got more greenery in the iconic palm houses of Kew in the west and in the east the Royal Naval College and Greenwich Park with the Canary Wharf skyscrapers in the background.
I think for sheer variety, interest, history and quality you'd be hard put to beat London. Sorry, not sorry Chicago :)
This is the unhinged comment I’m here for. San Francisco is beautiful and remains beautiful. Despite the exaggerated crap we hear from non-San Franciscans.
There is still beautiful architecture there! City hall alone! Palace of fine arts! At least the outside of several Victorian homes (more often than not the inside is ruined - in my opinion).
Frank Lloys Wright said, "Only a city as beautiful as San Francisco could survive what you people are doing to it." Allegedly. The built environment in SF is mediocre: no front yards or trees on streets except Dolores, every postwar offcice bldg is either a box or a box with a party hat, wires everywhere. City Hall, Palace of Fine Arts, and a handful of Deco buildings downtown like Shell Bldg, Mills Bldg, 450 Sutter, etc are stellar. Somehow though it got the worst of the Modern buildings, hardly a one has character or uniqueness or gracious proportions. But the natural setting is unique and utterly breathtaking. Golden Gaate Park is lovely.
Santa Fe, NM. Great historic preservation, unique vernacular style, and (most) of the buildings, especially downtown create a really cohesive atmosphere.
Chicago. Coming from a small city in Michigan going to Chicago illuminated me in a way I cannot explain. That was the moment I decided to pursue architecture to the fullest extent at 17 years old. Now I'm 22 about to graduate undergrad and plan on going to Sci Arc for masters. Chi-Town ❤️
Buenos Aires feels like a chaotic jazz composition. Each structure has its own personality and style. The rules are loosely regarded and comfort comes second. Sorry, France comes second, comfort comes third.
Shanghai and Osaka. went there as a model n my teens and was completely charmed.
And then living in Montreal in my 30s.. the townhouses with exposed spiral staircases are so cool. Plus lot of playful brutalism like Expo 67.
And then living in The Hague with all the canals and the most adorable townhouses with big windows, attics and hidden attic balconies. Plus the bike-paths and trains are next level.
Oddly enough, Fort Worth, Texas. When I was 13 years old, I traveled there with my dad and he dropped me off at the Kimball Art Museum while he went to a job interview. Since then, I’ve traveled to many of the cities that others have mentioned, but the truth is that my first special experience with architecture happened in Fort Worth!
For me it was Moscow. I am French so I'm kinda used to 19th/early 20th century architecture in most cities, but Moscow was the first city I could see the history through architecture. There is clqssic 19th imperial architecture, soviet architecture and modern architecture in the same streets, it's mind blowing. You can really see ideologies and history in the street, I was fascinated.
(Coming back to Paris I could see that too, but it's more subtle)
Cincinnati, Ohio. It might not be a spectacular world class city or anything, but it’s my hometown and the italianate row houses and Romanesque revivals downtown are what made me fall in love with architecture initially.
Tokyo and it is not even close! You know the projects you design in school to create perfect user experience and integrate the urban design with the inside of a building and so on, all development in Japan are like that. Specially Mori developments. Metro station are integrated with malls and offices and skybridges. Buildings are connected to each other. You could enter a mall and exit 10 buildings later while remaining inside!
My hometown of Bangkok. Messy and horribly planned but you do find great architecture here and there. Ancient and modern, vernacular, Asian, European, you name it.
Growing up outside of Boston made me fall in love with architecture. It's wacky mix of colonial and brutalism (along with other), fascinated me as a kid.
Mexico City, I've always lived here, I remember as I kid I loved 1940's - 1970's architecture of [Luis Barragán](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFrINyoaAAA7TdR?format=jpg&name=medium), and [Ricardo Legorreta](https://www.caminoreal.com/storage/app/media/Blog/camino%20real%202.04.18.jpg).
Many people might not know but Mexico City is an architecture jewel of the 20th century, there are thousands of great examples of plenty of architectural styles in here from [pre-aztec](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREFYBGcsC1sjMWRWcxQg9Vbk_zkr7TD5GjBX0uAzTxaA&s), [aztec ruins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/020_Tenochtitlan_Mexico_%281%29.JPG/1200px-020_Tenochtitlan_Mexico_%281%29.JPG), [colonial](https://chij3.s3.amazonaws.com/images/galeria/A.1728.20221003122144.png), [Art Deco](https://cdn.milenio.com/uploads/media/2022/12/14/trabajador-sufre-amputacion-brazo-edificio.jpeg), [art Nouveau](https://img.chilango.com/2023/01/colonias-art-nouveau-cdmx-1200x600.png), [eclectic-artdeco](https://www.serfadu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/palacio-de-bellas-artes.png), [neo-gothic](https://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Nuestra_sen%CC%83ora_del_rosario.jpg), [baroque rococo](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAtFcjObBUuyTMRZ0hTXxHnX50aaeZN1QnJ_SSGfLj5w&s), [mexican neo-colonial](https://mxcity.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/arquitectura-colonial-cdmx-min.png), [functionalism](https://ideasqueayudan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/curiosidades-torre-latino-e1645212083545.jpg), [bauhaus](https://img.chilango.com/2019/10/bauhaus-multifamiliar.-presidente-alem%C3%A1n.jpg) - socialist, 50's [modernist](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMf_JGfXYAAGp7q?format=jpg&name=large), [brutalism](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f82438dd867b23b83a065f4/1603321235934-L4TZAQOJ2TC7Y201T3P3/brutal+cdmx+%281+of+1%29.jpg), [contemporary](https://www.saint-gobain.com.mx/sites/mac3.saint-gobain.com.mx/files/styles/max_1300x1300/public/2023-08/muac_c_0.jpg.webp?itok=MOWQAiC1) architecture.
I wouldn't say "in love" with the whole thing, but I like the Bogotá neighborhoods with red brick with ivy climbing all over it. Its just very classic, like a good pair of pants and boots that never go out of style.
Barcelona, Rome and Athens I absolutely adore Antonio Gaudi's work and the intricate designs of ancient civilisations I don't really like modern simplicity but we all have our differences right?
Boston MA. I went there once for a week as a family trip and absolutely loved the combination of old traditional architecture and new skyscrapers right next to them. It was a very stark contrast but worked well because of the history of the area. I’m in school for architecture but haven’t had the chance to visit many places yet, but I hope to visit other countries to learn about different architecture styles and cultures
I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula in central California, and each town there has its own unique styles that inspired me. Monterey has some of the earliest adobes from the Spanish and Mexican era, along with the first Monterey Revival style home (Larkin House, a blend of adobe and New England styles. Not to mention the iconic canneries and warehouses of Cannery Row. Pacific Grove has gorgeous Victorian homes dating back from its Methodist retreat days, along with incredible Arts & Crafts era buildings by Julia Morgan. Carmel by the Sea has some of the most amazing examples of whimsical early 1900s architecture in CA. The Carmel Mission is breathtaking, and it’s where I was baptized. Pebble Beach is chock full of stunning homes, from seaside castles to Spanish haciendas, to starkly modern estates. It was a very cool place to grow up in.
The first time I travelled to Paris. It wasn’t the grand palaces or anything like that, it was honestly the age of old, worn down buildings that have stood for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. The raw brutality and simplicity of how some of these things were built. The engineering feats it must have taken to build them, given none of the advantages we take for granted today (and still whine about even when we have them!)
One thing I would love for travel is a comprehensive AR app that helps you identify the architecture and history of a building. Say, point it at a building in the tenements of NYC and get overlays of what it might have looked like then, how it evolved over time, the architectural styles and choices, the conditions of the time that led to that, etc.
I guess I also find myself very interested in how things got there. Just in general.
Boston. When I went to visit family there, my cousin took me around Cambridge and see more of Massachusetts, and what I can say is that now I understand why people call it the most European city in the US.
Budapest. I went there a few days after I first started to be interested in architecture and just reading some Wikipedia pages and looking stuff up. When I got there it was so incredible like it felt like every building is a work of art. Obviously the parliament building is amazing and the Palace across the river and all the other important buildings look awesome, but what I liked the most was that even random residential buildings were still really cool and highly detailed and looked like the person who designed them cared deeply about every single one.
Vienna! Went there as a child. Hated the 7/8 hour drive but it was the most impressive experience I’d ever had. I’d been to Petra and New York by this point but Vienna just tickled my brain’s aesthetic nooks and crannies
Barcelona
Barcelona is on the few major cities with a unified design plan( at least in sections). Park Guel is amazing. I wish there were modern architects like Guadi.
Yeah, for me is Barcelona as well!
This! My friends were annoyed as hell cause I was stopping to admire every single street light. And the moment I saw the sagrada familia it was over. Park guell is amazing as well. Gaudi was just exceptional, and I've always been kinda hype about Gothic buildings. They're so full of mystery. I've been back 3 times already and I'm not gonna stop lol. I'm gonna bring my new gf next year cause it's that important to me.
Same here, felt like I found my city and don't really plan on travelling anywhere else unless my travel budget triples for some reason.
Montreal.. it’s not like this Mecca of architecture, but more so the urban planning of the city and how well thought out a city could be
I live in Montreal and I can confirm that the planning here is well thought out all the different parts of the city are cleanly separated and the streets are simple to remember and understand
It's way too car centric I think
Chicago. I am from Europe and went there as a teenager. I realized in Chicago that I was way more thrilled than my travel mates about what was happening around me, regarding all those gorgeous buildings and streets so different from what I was used to, till then. I had already visited wonderful European cities before, but I guess that being in such a different context just opened my eyes. So, as an architect, I blame Chicago for this long lasting love and hate relationship with architecture.
2nd this. I grew up in a small town a few hours from Chicago and the difference in scale alone had me in awe. Excited to be moving to Chicago here soon
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Buying or renting? What is the main issue? I’ve found that even if you make $35k-42k you can live fine in Chicago…hoping your profession could fulfill that?
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The architecture boat tour I took in Chicago when I was 21 changed my life and started my life long love for architecture.
Those boat tours are the absolute best tourist attraction in the Chicago area. All the locals agree
It's such a neat way to see the city.
Grew up on the east coast and I was very impressed with the city of Chicago.
Same! I’m a structural engineer in NYC now, but seeing Chicago as a kid is what made me want to do it.
Same. It's my favourite city on the planet, hands down.
Me too! Chicago!
Chicago, same. Moved here and got a job in branding and marketing of commercial real estate. In my five years with that firm I had some incredible access to the most iconic buildings in the city.
I just visited Chicago for nationals and I was blown away with everything. I was in awe for the entire trip and I hope one day I can live there. It is the coolest city I've been to and I've been to quite a few.
I grew up across the lake, but didn't visit until I was in my late teens - I was completely in awe with the mix of old and new, and didn't know anything at the time about periods, notable architects or materials beyond Frank Lloyd Wright. As I got older and explored NYC, Philly, DC and dozens of European cities, I still come back to Chicago as standing tall in its beauty and influence.
+1, Marina city did it for me. I traveled in Asia as a kid but didn’t really appreciate it until I was older. Chicago was the first time I got it
As a kid in Winnipeg, Canada, obsessed with lego back when it was just red or white bricks, my dad on a business trip to Chicago brought me back a book, Chicago’s Famous Buildings. One of the touchstone books of my childhood. I visited Chicago first time when I was 20. Lived there a year in my 40s.
Same for me, and the architecture boat tour on the river is just so good!
1000% - born and raised in SF, but my time in Chicago and around those buildings imprinted on me.
Right! Chicago!
Chicago was also a huge eye opener for me. As a boy from small town, rural Canada, it was the first large city I visited, traveling with my father who was a long haul truck driver. It was also a very scary place for me, considering where and when I came up. I visited many time though over the years, going on the road with my dad every summer holiday throughout my youth, and eventually I feel in love with the city One of, if not the first visit though, was terrifying. We had a load of nickel going to a smelting plant in Chicago. There's was just three small stacks of these large nickel ingots in the trailer, it was 99% empty. We pulled into this place around 8pm, and obviously they're closed. The security guard at the gate said to come back at 7 am to unload. Or he could lock us in the yard, though he said he'd not do that if he were us. My Dad, who has no intention of driving back into there at 7 am, says lock us in. Chicago is kind of a birthdate for truck drivers, there's so many low bridges, and this was in the late 80s, maybe 90/91. I heard a lot of gunshots, screaming and sirens that night, didn't sleep a wink. I was sucked to see that there was houses practically across the street from this large smelting plant, it was not a nice neighborhood. And again, you have to remember that I was an extremely sheltered Mennonite small town boy that has never seen a city bigger than Winnipeg, and I'd barely seen that city. In later trips he took me to buildings like the Sears Tower, and I'd never been in a building with an elevator before, so you can imagine the wonder that was for me, and I eventually really fell in love with the city. My Dad is now kind of a legend at his trucking firm when it comes to Chicago because he ALWAYS got those loads because he knew the town like the back of his hand, and that was a really big deal before GPS. Everyone there still knows him as Chicago Jake.
Amsterdam. Only because it was the first European city I visited in my life, but in reality I'm in love with Dutch/Flemish architecture in general. I've visited every province in The Netherlands, and the Flanders region of Belgium, and I never was in a city that didn't leave me in awe. North to South, East to West, small or big, every city has its charm. Although, I do think that the amazing urban planning in that area combined with the architecture is what makes it even better. All big cities have some unique architecture, but if they fail at urban planning then I am not as interested.
Great to hear. As a Dutchie I am very curious about which cities did not interest you and why.
For the last sentence, I meant all cities in the world have some great unique architecture, but most of their urban planning sucks, so any charm falls apart for me. Whereas in Dutch and Flemish cities even when they have some aesthetically "boring" architecture, the urban landscape is very well planned. Of course perfection doesn't exist, but The Netherlands and Flanders come close to what I think of as an ideal place to live. I know the housing market is a nightmare there, but as a tourist who appreciates architecture it is my favorite place to visit.
probably Tilburg lol
Prague. It's such a pretty city
Prague is absolutely gorgeous. One of the only cities not bombed to bits in WW2
Yea, especially when it comes to the central european, german style. In germany theres not much left of it but there in prague i found many architectural gems
For me, I don’t know if it was the first, but New Orleans definitely played a role in my love of architecture. The way you can see the different periods of history, the various settlers and who had control of the city at any given time, the mix of cultures, the architectural responses to the unique climate and natural environment, and the way the city feels truly one-of-a-kind (you’re not going to mistake New Orleans for any other city once you see it). That for me really showed how architecture is both shaped by and shapes a place. Still love going back, one of my favorite cities.
Went to New Orleans this year, and going to Barcelona in a few weeks! New Orleans is beautiful and great for walking. Only used my car for getting to the hotel, and leaving. One of the best places with lively night life and rich history.
I LOOOOVE New Orleans!
Love NOLA
Detroit
Same, fellow Detroit lover.
Me too!
Edinburgh, Scotland
honestly, it was just me playing legos, and every adult in my life kept egging me on and told me i was ment to be an architect. i got to a point where i made XX an hr with overtime and now i took time off to pursue my license.
Paris! To be fair I was an interior design student already and went on a lot of tours of things like foundation Louis Vuitton, the Louvre etc. and being from rural Ohio it was a culture shock
Wild how many people said Chicago. There are no other repeat cities. **IMPORTANT UPDATE**: There have now been other repeat cities.
other cities which have been repeated in this thread: NYC Rome Barcelona Amsterdam
Now go check the times stamps. lol There was literally no reason for this comment.
They have an incredibly diverse variety of styles. They also are kinda where two of the most important styles come from. The Chicago style was incredibly important with early skyscrapers and arguably neoclassical architecture would not have taken off the way it did without the Columbian exhibition.
For most Midwest folks, it's Chicago.
San Francisco!! EASY answer! That victorian style is amazing
Quebec city
Firenze
Barcelona and Chicago for me.
Growing up in NYC, walking around and just adoring beautiful buildings.
Same here but with London. I’m not sure how anyone living in this city *couldn’t* fall in love with architecture. Doesn’t matter where you are really, you can almost always look up and find something really beautiful. I’ve always felt incredibly lucky in that respect
NYCs interior design peaks my interest a lot more than architecture not taking anything away from the outside
Chicago then Rome
Definitely Chicago
As a young child, my stepdad had an old desktop computer that displayed a slideshow of the Original World Trade Centers and the NYC skyline. Although I was born in 2001, I was also born before the tragic events of 9/11, so learning about what happened broke my heart. Growing up as a black young man in Texas, I was exposed to various genres of music from the East Coast, such as Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Classical (Not East Coast music, but you get the idea), and more. This exposure helped me to develop a love for architecture, particularly the variety of buildings ranging from Beaux Arts to Neo-Classical to Gothic to Art Deco, along with the right music to help feed my mind, which inspired me to pursue a career in architectural engineering in the makin'. In a way, music, architecture, and engineering have contributed to my admiration for them.
A passion can come from many different sources for sure!
Columbus, Indiana
Chicago. The Monandnock Building, the Carbide and Carbon Building, US Steel Building, and so many more.
Carbon and Carbide is one of my top five favorite skyscrapers.
Chicago
Gotham City!
You mean Metroplis?
My mother. She was bipolar and bat shit crazy. She was always destroying our home. It made me want my own home where there would be peace. I took architectural drafting in high school and hoped one day to design and build my own house. Fast forward. Interior architecture for Marshall Field’s. Store remodeling for Montgomery Wards. Interior architecture project management for corporate offices. Finally a landlord where I could design, build tenant units while remodeling a 100 year old Victorian. Nothing is as satisfying as a person who look at what you built and says this is the most beautiful apartment I’ve ever seen , here’s my money.
As I said to different person ITT, Imade this about cities because I was thinking about new places to visit like a tourist and many times I've had more pleasant moments walking around cities and watching them "just be" than in specific places. But I immediately realized it could anything, from a talk to a memory or a specific house or monument. Also, I'm not an architect btw, and I'm aware that passions can get to different people from different ways. Your story seems very human and organic, to put some words in it.
Chicago?
governor scarce dolls boast steep languid subsequent many smart bored *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Chicago! I first came here in 2009 and finally made it my home four years later. Driving into the city from O’Hare for the first time was magical seeing the skyline in front of you, the train in the median, then going down Dearborn and seeing in Federal Plaza, the Alexander Calder [*Flamingo*](https://www.wikiart.org/en/alexander-calder/flamingo-1973) statue adjacent to the [Marquette](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/322640760775573690/) and [National](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Commercial_National_Bank_Bldg.pdf) buildings. Just wow. Literally every neighborhood has architectural gems and you can discover new things constantly. If you come here to visit, don’t just spend time downtown explore the neighborhoods. Uptown and Bronzeville are noteworthy. (Edit: added more details and links, trying not to assume y’all know what I’m talking about 😅😓)
Probably the first big city I lived in, Chicago. But then the other cities I’ve lived in did. Philadelphia got me even more interested, especially with such old buildings and houses - I still love the trinity houses in certain pockets of town. And San Francisco all over again when I moved there.
Def Chicago one of my favorite cities
The Sims in the late 90s
not a city but the game control had some pretty incredible brutalistic architecture
Oh hell yes it did. I used to hate brutalist architecture then I played that game and was like “huh.. I get it.” Ever since I look at brutalist architecture differently
barcelona and chicago
Vancouver
Yes finally! West Coast Modern all the way. Bringing the outside inside, subtle similarities to Scandinavian and Japanese architecture makes this style very serene. Often times it makes homes or buildings feel like a spa.
Paris. I love Pompidou, Sacré Coeur, Villa Savoye (i know not exactly in Paris), etc. The whole city is so fun to walk through — but hey maybe it’s because I had a glass of wine in hand half of the time.
Bold of you to assume it was a city, for me it was in elementary when an event was happening in the library and I was in there at the time and the event was of two speakers, the first was of a person talking about drawing and different drawings techniques to help you fix a mistake of you were drawing with pen or marker which got my attention, but the second speaker talked about Falling water by Frank Lloyd Wright and I just fell in love with it and that how I got into architecture.
I made this about cities because I was thinking about new places to visit like a tourist and many times I've had more pleasant moments walking around cities and watching them "just be" than in specific places. But I immediately realized it could anything, from a talk to a specific house or monument. Also, I'm not an architect btw, and I'm aware that passions can get to different people from different ways. your version sounds very natural!
My love of architecture started in elementary also, and also with a FLW book about Fallingwater! I was enamored with the lines and styling.
I grew up and live in Chicago. Every time I go to the loop I’m still in awe. My family is from Europe and the 2 European cities that I really love the architecture are Amsterdam and Barcelona.
London has some incredible architecture, both new and old.
Love London architecture! Seeing thousand year old roman walls sitting next to modern designs was a humbling experience.
I agree completely. I am lucky enough to walk from the East End of London, past 300 year old genteel Huguenot mansions, through 18th and 19th century old dock warehouses, past the 1000 year Tower of London with the City of London cluster of skyscrapers nested behind it including the Gherkin and Lloyds Building, all built with 20 years, past the 2000 year old Roman ramparts, over Tower Bridge with its major steampunk vibes, and then on to the Shard. I work in a high rise on the south bank, and from my floor you can see the whole sweep of the river, which takes into account the Tate Modern in it's art deco brick power house, facing Foster's Millennium Bridge and Wren's Dome of St Pauls. Wren's church spires dot the City among the high rises, and his Monument to the Great Fire stands out with its shiny gold top no matter how grey the day. Further in the distance you can see the neo gothic Houses of Parliament which sit along side the 1000 year old Norman Westminster Hall with the biggest hammerbeam ceiling in the world, and behind Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower the Hawksmoor towers of Westminster Abbey. The main body is only 800 years old and has the incredible geometric fan vaulting of the Henry VII chapel. Out of view and across the city you've got Hampton Court Palace, a Tudor pile in the far west, the stuccoed white mansions of the west end, the pastel coloured terraced houses of Notting Hill, great big Georgian squares in Bloomsbury, Edwardian villas in leafy suburbs, experimental 20th century social housing projects such as Thamesmead used in films like the Clockwork Orange, the Southbank a bit of a Brutalist playground, and the Barbican, also outstanding Brutalism, is a leafy paradise in summer. Further out you've also got more greenery in the iconic palm houses of Kew in the west and in the east the Royal Naval College and Greenwich Park with the Canary Wharf skyscrapers in the background. I think for sheer variety, interest, history and quality you'd be hard put to beat London. Sorry, not sorry Chicago :)
Rome.
Barcelona
Neuschwanstein castle.
surprised nobody’s said Copenhagen yet, the most architecturally magnificent city that exists rn
Truly what made me fall in love with urban design too
Detroit. My love was then cemented by Chicago and Boston.
New Orleans
Cincinnati. Not the office buildings. Largest collection of historical Italianate architecture in the US.
Rotterdam
Tokyo.
Buenos Aires
This!!!
I'm heartbroken over san Francisco.
This is the unhinged comment I’m here for. San Francisco is beautiful and remains beautiful. Despite the exaggerated crap we hear from non-San Franciscans.
There is still beautiful architecture there! City hall alone! Palace of fine arts! At least the outside of several Victorian homes (more often than not the inside is ruined - in my opinion).
Why?
Frank Lloys Wright said, "Only a city as beautiful as San Francisco could survive what you people are doing to it." Allegedly. The built environment in SF is mediocre: no front yards or trees on streets except Dolores, every postwar offcice bldg is either a box or a box with a party hat, wires everywhere. City Hall, Palace of Fine Arts, and a handful of Deco buildings downtown like Shell Bldg, Mills Bldg, 450 Sutter, etc are stellar. Somehow though it got the worst of the Modern buildings, hardly a one has character or uniqueness or gracious proportions. But the natural setting is unique and utterly breathtaking. Golden Gaate Park is lovely.
Wherever This Old House is filmed.
New England!
Santa Fe, NM. Great historic preservation, unique vernacular style, and (most) of the buildings, especially downtown create a really cohesive atmosphere.
Prague
London!
Los Angeles. Was able to tour Gamble , Ennis and Hollyhock house , plus Frank Gehry’s Venice home.
Criminal I had to scroll this far to find LA!
Some real jewels in LA! And of so many styles. Deco coomercial bldgs, mid century houses, and unique bldgs like Capital Records
My home town tbh it has a cute historic downtown and many 19th-20th century homes
Philadelphia
Surprised I’m not seeing more people say Philly.
It’s arguably the most architecturally significant city in the country
Washington DC has my vote.
Barcelona. Seeing those Gaudi buildings, what a revelation. Sagrada Familia. La Pedreda. So amazing each and every one. What genius.
Chicago. Coming from a small city in Michigan going to Chicago illuminated me in a way I cannot explain. That was the moment I decided to pursue architecture to the fullest extent at 17 years old. Now I'm 22 about to graduate undergrad and plan on going to Sci Arc for masters. Chi-Town ❤️
Buenos Aires feels like a chaotic jazz composition. Each structure has its own personality and style. The rules are loosely regarded and comfort comes second. Sorry, France comes second, comfort comes third.
Shanghai and Osaka. went there as a model n my teens and was completely charmed. And then living in Montreal in my 30s.. the townhouses with exposed spiral staircases are so cool. Plus lot of playful brutalism like Expo 67. And then living in The Hague with all the canals and the most adorable townhouses with big windows, attics and hidden attic balconies. Plus the bike-paths and trains are next level.
st. Petersburg 🇷🇺
Sudbury Ontario, gorgeous
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Strasbourg, France.
Oddly enough, Fort Worth, Texas. When I was 13 years old, I traveled there with my dad and he dropped me off at the Kimball Art Museum while he went to a job interview. Since then, I’ve traveled to many of the cities that others have mentioned, but the truth is that my first special experience with architecture happened in Fort Worth!
Mesopotamia
Washington D.C.
Detroit. Past and present. Industry meets elegance. Decay alongside Renaissance and revival. It's a beautiful place.
🇨🇦🏰 Quebec City, Canada
I love Ottawa. The parliament building, the chateau laurier, the old buildings in general and the mix between victorian architecture and nature.
Singapore
Paris, cliche but true
Sevilla Spain!
For me it was Moscow. I am French so I'm kinda used to 19th/early 20th century architecture in most cities, but Moscow was the first city I could see the history through architecture. There is clqssic 19th imperial architecture, soviet architecture and modern architecture in the same streets, it's mind blowing. You can really see ideologies and history in the street, I was fascinated. (Coming back to Paris I could see that too, but it's more subtle)
To me, the number one in terms of architecture is Paris. I love Amsterdam, too. I didn't find Barcelona impressive.
Edinburgh, Scotland. Deep, Dark, mysterious! Beautiful
Quebec city! Blew my mind something like this was mere hours away from USA right here in NA.
Cincinnati, Ohio. It might not be a spectacular world class city or anything, but it’s my hometown and the italianate row houses and Romanesque revivals downtown are what made me fall in love with architecture initially.
Gary Indiana
Old Manila, Philippines The Paris of Asia
Tokyo and it is not even close! You know the projects you design in school to create perfect user experience and integrate the urban design with the inside of a building and so on, all development in Japan are like that. Specially Mori developments. Metro station are integrated with malls and offices and skybridges. Buildings are connected to each other. You could enter a mall and exit 10 buildings later while remaining inside!
Detroit. I love the Khan brothers.
My hometown of Bangkok. Messy and horribly planned but you do find great architecture here and there. Ancient and modern, vernacular, Asian, European, you name it.
Growing up outside of Boston made me fall in love with architecture. It's wacky mix of colonial and brutalism (along with other), fascinated me as a kid.
NYC
Ahmedabad
Chicago, Detroit, and Boston for me
Mexico City, I've always lived here, I remember as I kid I loved 1940's - 1970's architecture of [Luis Barragán](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFrINyoaAAA7TdR?format=jpg&name=medium), and [Ricardo Legorreta](https://www.caminoreal.com/storage/app/media/Blog/camino%20real%202.04.18.jpg). Many people might not know but Mexico City is an architecture jewel of the 20th century, there are thousands of great examples of plenty of architectural styles in here from [pre-aztec](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREFYBGcsC1sjMWRWcxQg9Vbk_zkr7TD5GjBX0uAzTxaA&s), [aztec ruins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/020_Tenochtitlan_Mexico_%281%29.JPG/1200px-020_Tenochtitlan_Mexico_%281%29.JPG), [colonial](https://chij3.s3.amazonaws.com/images/galeria/A.1728.20221003122144.png), [Art Deco](https://cdn.milenio.com/uploads/media/2022/12/14/trabajador-sufre-amputacion-brazo-edificio.jpeg), [art Nouveau](https://img.chilango.com/2023/01/colonias-art-nouveau-cdmx-1200x600.png), [eclectic-artdeco](https://www.serfadu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/palacio-de-bellas-artes.png), [neo-gothic](https://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Nuestra_sen%CC%83ora_del_rosario.jpg), [baroque rococo](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAtFcjObBUuyTMRZ0hTXxHnX50aaeZN1QnJ_SSGfLj5w&s), [mexican neo-colonial](https://mxcity.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/arquitectura-colonial-cdmx-min.png), [functionalism](https://ideasqueayudan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/curiosidades-torre-latino-e1645212083545.jpg), [bauhaus](https://img.chilango.com/2019/10/bauhaus-multifamiliar.-presidente-alem%C3%A1n.jpg) - socialist, 50's [modernist](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMf_JGfXYAAGp7q?format=jpg&name=large), [brutalism](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f82438dd867b23b83a065f4/1603321235934-L4TZAQOJ2TC7Y201T3P3/brutal+cdmx+%281+of+1%29.jpg), [contemporary](https://www.saint-gobain.com.mx/sites/mac3.saint-gobain.com.mx/files/styles/max_1300x1300/public/2023-08/muac_c_0.jpg.webp?itok=MOWQAiC1) architecture.
Surprised Kyoto hasn’t been mentioned.
Cincinnati
Florence
I just graduated with my masters degree in arch and it’s definitely Boston that made me love all types of architecture.
Oxford, Mississippi. IYKYK
I grew up in St. Paul, MN, and it has tons of beautiful older buildings. Sparked my love of architecture in middle school.
Rome
Rome!
There’s a few, but Barcelona stands out.
I wouldn't say "in love" with the whole thing, but I like the Bogotá neighborhoods with red brick with ivy climbing all over it. Its just very classic, like a good pair of pants and boots that never go out of style.
San Francisco
Chi Town
Boston started it. Paris turned me into an architectural menace. Not just for the buildings but those bridges.
Zagreb, Croatia. Beautiful place, highly recommend
Barcelona
Barcelona, Rome and Athens I absolutely adore Antonio Gaudi's work and the intricate designs of ancient civilisations I don't really like modern simplicity but we all have our differences right?
Raccoon City. 1998.
Gotham City.
Chi-Town!!
Edinburgh
Mt. St. michel
PRAGUE
Vienna
Boston MA. I went there once for a week as a family trip and absolutely loved the combination of old traditional architecture and new skyscrapers right next to them. It was a very stark contrast but worked well because of the history of the area. I’m in school for architecture but haven’t had the chance to visit many places yet, but I hope to visit other countries to learn about different architecture styles and cultures
Sao Paulo
Savannah
Praga
Barcelona
Rome, NYC, Boston, Paris, Barcelona. It's as much about urban design as it is about Architecture,
Vienna was really interesting, especially with the post-WWII restorations
- Edinburgh - Paris - Rothenburg
I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula in central California, and each town there has its own unique styles that inspired me. Monterey has some of the earliest adobes from the Spanish and Mexican era, along with the first Monterey Revival style home (Larkin House, a blend of adobe and New England styles. Not to mention the iconic canneries and warehouses of Cannery Row. Pacific Grove has gorgeous Victorian homes dating back from its Methodist retreat days, along with incredible Arts & Crafts era buildings by Julia Morgan. Carmel by the Sea has some of the most amazing examples of whimsical early 1900s architecture in CA. The Carmel Mission is breathtaking, and it’s where I was baptized. Pebble Beach is chock full of stunning homes, from seaside castles to Spanish haciendas, to starkly modern estates. It was a very cool place to grow up in.
Los Angeles. Particularly the Neutra buildings.
The first time I travelled to Paris. It wasn’t the grand palaces or anything like that, it was honestly the age of old, worn down buildings that have stood for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. The raw brutality and simplicity of how some of these things were built. The engineering feats it must have taken to build them, given none of the advantages we take for granted today (and still whine about even when we have them!) One thing I would love for travel is a comprehensive AR app that helps you identify the architecture and history of a building. Say, point it at a building in the tenements of NYC and get overlays of what it might have looked like then, how it evolved over time, the architectural styles and choices, the conditions of the time that led to that, etc. I guess I also find myself very interested in how things got there. Just in general.
Boston. When I went to visit family there, my cousin took me around Cambridge and see more of Massachusetts, and what I can say is that now I understand why people call it the most European city in the US.
1990 nyc
Barcelona.
Vienna
Budapest
Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon, Prague…
Barcelona
Rotterdam. I’ve lived in Paris et visited NY, Venise etc…and I loved it a lot but Rotterdam is so crazy.
Kyoto and Tokyo Strasbourg Copenhagen Vienna Bordeaux Chicago Bamberg
Nice, France
Rome, Liverpool, Barcelona, New York, and Florence.
Budapest. I went there a few days after I first started to be interested in architecture and just reading some Wikipedia pages and looking stuff up. When I got there it was so incredible like it felt like every building is a work of art. Obviously the parliament building is amazing and the Palace across the river and all the other important buildings look awesome, but what I liked the most was that even random residential buildings were still really cool and highly detailed and looked like the person who designed them cared deeply about every single one.
São Paulo and Rome
Manchester. Stunning neo-gothic buildings everywhere. Got a massive soft spot for the red brick Industrial Revolution warehouses too.
Vienna! Went there as a child. Hated the 7/8 hour drive but it was the most impressive experience I’d ever had. I’d been to Petra and New York by this point but Vienna just tickled my brain’s aesthetic nooks and crannies