5 of America's Most Unique Buildings
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2024
- Stay weird, America. Never change.
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I live right by Gillette Castle! He also built a narrow-gauge train route all over the property, complete with bridges and tunnels. It makes for a terrific hike!
Dude. Hike? Really? Why don't you just, er, take the train?
You might watch the 1916 Sherlock film he stared in (public domain and might be on yt). If I remember correctly Wikipedia says his castle is based off of the set or something.
@@davidanderson_surrey_bc trains gone
The train ended up at Lake Compounce Festival Park in Bristol/Southington for a long time. I went on that train ride many times as a kid back in the late 70s
There’s a small park area next to the ferry landing at the base of the hill. The last time I was there, the wreck of his yacht, the Aunt Polly, was still visible just offshore.
Drove cab out of St Louis airport in 1970s. One foggy night we came close enough to see Arch for first time in trip. Passenger asked, "What is that?" I replied, "Don't know, wasn't there yesterday">
Badass 😂
Perfect ad lib! LOL
Lol 😂
You sir, are the hero the internet needs. That was brilliant.
Most disappointing moment if my life driving out west and get to St. Louis and they didn't build it over the river...gay.
I'm glad you spoke about the accuracy needed to join that halves of the Gateway Arch, though you missed one factor that I found different---maybe even unique. Due to its stainless steel cladding and design of the arch itself, the final joining had to be done on a day without bright, and therefore _hot,_ sunshine! Depending on the angle on which it hit the separate arcs, the rate of expansion could force the two ends widely and _wildly_ apart. Nice topic, guys. I never knew the Air Force Academy Chapel was so beautiful. Stay safe, everyone.
0:40 - Chapter 1 - The gateway arch
4:10 - Chapter 2 - Air force academy cadet chapel
7:05 - Chapter 3 - The salk institute
9:10 - Chapter 4 - Gillette castle
11:30 - Chapter 5 - New world order
*New World Center
Thank you for this Haha
The Cadet Chapel is an amazing work of architecture. Pictures don't do it justice.
I drove from the Midwest to south CO springs, first time seeing mountains/that building/area. It was stunning, almost to the point of stopping for safety.
Been to a couple weddings in Air Force Academy Chapel
They do better than the first time I saw it as a low-res rendering of a destructible building in Red Alert 2 lmao
@@JohnnyTromboner ha!!! I lied in my previous comment. You are correct. Great game
Agreed. Same with Salk. The view La Jolla Cove & Shores is one of the most gorgeous sites in San Diego. Oh and don’t forget the nude beach just a few miles away too!
I'm surprised that House on the Rock and The Winchester Mystery House didn't make an appearance. Both of those have not only unique appearances, but fascinating history behind them.
I've been to both, absolutely fascinating buildings.
Seeing the title of the video, I thought that the Winchester House would certainly be on it.
One you missed (I know it had to be whittled down to 5) is the House on the Rock near Spring Green, Wisconsin. Really cool place. It's also within a half hour of Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio.
Yep, the house on the rock is wonderfully weird,beautiful and amazing. I've only been one time, about 30 yrs ago and I still am affected by all the quirky, strange and entertaining aspects of it. Check it out Simon!
Yes! I’ve been suggesting House on the Rock on other videos too! It could be covered in its own video to be honest! It defies description and photos don’t do it justice, really.
I've been a couple times when i was young. Was hoping to see it on here but oh well. At least it's only a few hours away
Have been multiple times and I always find something interesting that I missed before.
(Still never going in to the section with all the clowns - that part can eff right off.)
The House on the Rock has to be seen to be believed. I just went there for the first time 3 days ago. As Neil Gaiman has said, "I had to tone it down in the book [American Gods], an accurate description of it defies plausibility." I'd love to see Simon's reaction to it.
You should do a side projects video on the largest earthmoving machinery; The Captain stripping shovel, The Big Muskie dragline and the Bagger 293 bucket wheel.
Mark Twain moved to Hartford in about 1874. His early years were spent in Hannibal, Missouri. I would not characterize him as a ‘childhood friend’ of Gillette.
The story of the guy parachuting to the top of the arch only to be killed parachuting from the top to the ground is like an O. Henry story with that irony.
I worked for the company that built the Gateway Arch, Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel. I spent a year building stainless steel nuclear reactor fuel storage pools for them. When I moved to another contractor, back in the early 80’s, I turned in a tool box with close to 6,000$ worth of specialty tools. They were a great company to work for.
Maybe you've done this (on one of your 2,784 channels, all of which I love!) but I'd love to see the oldest buildings still in use! I'm an American who used to live in New England which had at least a little bit of historical architecture! I miss it terribly!!
The gateway arch is kinda unnerving when you're at the top. You can feel it swaying from the wind and weight of the people in it with you. And the weird step tram feels like it hasn't changed since it was built.
Exactly! I’ve been to the arch twice and both times I was ready to go back down to solid ground. Although the tram did feel smother last year compared to my first trip over a decade ago lol.
I'm not prone to motion sickness but wow, yes, got it big time at the top of this one.
I visited the top of the arch back in the 1980s. I was younger and “braver” back then. I would not go up there these days. I no longer have ANY desire to up high in any building!
When moving from Canada to Tulsa in 1962 dad threaded the rush hour needle through St Louis with a welding truck pulling our 48' home trailer. THAT'S when I was surprised at age 11 that no one died.
I hated driving my dad's welding truck by itself. The one time I had to pull a trailer with it, I refused to ever drive it again! And this is was on California highways, I cannot imagine how awful rush hour traffic would be in St. Louis.
And they weren't used as the lairs of horrific killers? Oh wait, that would be ANOTHER of Simon's three hundred and ninety four RUclips channels 🤔
;D
Guys gotta eat.
I've been to the Arch in Missouri. What blew me away was that there were elevators you take to the top and can look out windows, it was freaking awesome. About a 2 hour wait in line though, but worth it you guys. If you ever get the chance GO! You won't regret it.
I love the Gateway Arch and park. Amazing.
My family and I went there in 2002. I remember riding up in this egg-shaped 'container'. Very interesting to say the least. I thought it was cool how the arch swayed back and forth in the wind. The worker who had to clean up my little sisters mess, not so much.
Been there as well, highly recommend.
I always thought that Arch in Missouri was just half of a massive McDonald's Sign.
They sell a postcard in the gift shop showing the below ground portion . It is a clothes hanger with just one side sticking out.
Love how commenting on the script with his own tangents has spread pretty consistently to the non-Blaze channels :D
There was a joke awhile back that the Arch was actually a space needle that was built too thin and bent over.
I'd like to see a video of castles in the USA.
When I think of unique American buildings, I think of the Chrysler Building, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, called the best all-time work of American architecture.
@@The_Other_Ghost That's my point. They are on every other list, so why not be included here?
My sister lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright. She was in the process of restoring it, while buying on a land contract when the city decided it was better demolished for a parking lot.
The same clowns sold the city's Carnegie Library building to a guy selling used furniture.
I know all Carnegie Buildings are built under the promise to be only used for Library purposes, but I guess the foundation doesn't check up on that.
@@drzarkov39 why would we want to see the same places that, as you just said, are in every other similar video? I'm glad it's not the same old stuff
The Cadet Chapel is also visually striking far in the future when surrounded by scrappers
The Denver Art Museum: Both the old and new buildings are interesting.
Denver represent! I remember years back seeing a model inside the old DAM for what the new building would look like, and thinking it was kinda weird lookin', but at scale now it's absolutely gorgeous how it stands out from the architecture around it in a modern way without quite clashing. And it's really conducive to fun exploring inside it. Absolutely love that place
Milwaukee art museum has moving wings
Project request: Cable powered street railways.
Wow, I've never heard of Gillette Castle despite having gone to grad school near there. I shall have to go there sometime!
You should do a video about the Mark Twain and Harriette Beecher Stowe houses, which are right next to each other in Hartford, CT.
That awkward moment you’ve been to the first two, and didn’t realize how architecturally important the chapel was till now.
The cadet chapel is in the video game Horizon Zero Dawn, destroyed of course after hundreds of years, but still .... lol
@@latenighter1965 Ok. That's cool!
I knew in a vague way that the Arch had the gondola thing, but I had never seen any pictures of the inside. Epic, and also terrifying for those of us with any nervousness about height!
The rest of these I had never even heard of, so this was a cool episode for me :D
5:30, cadet chapel, ooh, ahh.... meanwhile Black Forest is burning in the background... I'd bet that photo was taken in 2013?
America has so much weird architecture that if this video does well, I fully expect Simon to launch a new RUclips channel devoted to it.
Does anyone remember the... Simon Whistler episode where he suddenly starts fighting a fly?? he's just going on about stuff then Mortal Kombat fight music kicks in and he's swinging at the air with impact graphics superimposed over his swinging... it made me lol =D
Simon, a study of eminent domain laws in the US would drive you wild if the St. Louis arch neighborhood clearing seemed bad! The construction of the US Interstate highway system has some interesting eminent domain cases.
Many cities have done this for new sports and entertainment venues. I know here in the DFW area, many homes and business were demolished for the AT&T Stadium and the new Globe Life baseball stadium.
So you guys should do an episode of this segment but for Canada simply for the sake of covering trash castle
🏰🏰
My parents used to take me to Gillette castle when I was a kid. Still one of my favorite places to go
I've been there many times in my 65 years. I was hoping Simon would show some of the interior, or talk about the train.
I love Gillets castle. The seven sisters are on the bends of the river . The views of which are stunning from the balcony. I always thought the inside was kind of meh. But the outside of the building and the grounds I always found wonderful no matter how many times I went there. It was free to wander outside . Only had to pay a fee for the inside tour. Which I always thought was quite generous since there is much poverty in the area.
Love it there! The interior is simple but beautiful.
So many times. . . "We are almost done, just have to put the gutters on."
"But the project is already $1.2 M over budget. Lets just see how the building does with out them."
20 years later
"The repairs and renovations, plus a set of gutters, will be $16 M."
This has rapidly become my favorite channel
" The House on the Rock" is an interesting eccentric building..
I hadn't seen the Gateway Arch since it had been finished when I drove from Boston to Los Angeles in 2005. As I negotiated the exits I needed, I noticed that the reflection and arch together looked like a Moebius strip. It was gorgeous.
Happy easter 🍻
Same to you!
Happy Passover.
@@deemariedubois4916 same to you :)
@@Adam-lc6mk Thank you.
The Denver Art Museum was part of a project that also included the Denver Public Library.
The Gateway Arch is as iconic to me as any European monument would be to Simon. But that’s probably because I grew up in St. Louis.
The interior of that chapel looks like something right out of Star Trek, which I suppose is apt considering the Trek universe (pre-2009) is meant to be all-inclusive and free of the hate and disparity we have today... :)
Star Trek fans also need to check out the TWA Flight Center - a.k.a. Terminal 5 - at JFK in NY. Designed at roughly the same time, the terminal and the Enterprise Bridge have dramatic similarities. The Flight Center is designed by St. Louis Arch architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the tulip chairs that inspired the chairs on the Enterprise. Too bad he didn't design seatbelts.
The interior of Gillette Castle is pure fun as well, with puzzle locks and surprises everywhere. Very much in the Arts and Crafts style. as are the Fonthill Castle and Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA. (Edited)
It is tragic when city planners use grand projects to eliminate what they consider 'undesirable' neighborhoods. Not familiar with what was lost along the St. Louis Riverfront, but I wouldn't call the arch useless. Especially these days when St. Louis seems to be struggling to find it's footing again, it seems like the arch single handedly generates the majority of the towns tourist income. Downtown felt eerily empty on my last visit, but there were many good projects, such as the rebirth of Union Station as a hotel/aquarium/tourist center, that all depend on the major draw of the arch.
Much as I like to see my home state of New Jersey get a favorable mention, Fonthill and the Mercer Museum are across the Delaware River in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
@@jamesclendon4811 correct. I should have remembered. I'll edit my comment is I can.
Thanks. I'm really enjoying your side projects, along with toptenz an business blaze and geographics.
I'm not usually a fan of visiting american monuments but I do really love the gateway arch. It's so unique in every way, especially the gondolas. Far and away the most interesting elevator i've ever seen, and it's amazing that it's been operational for so long.
That being said my skin began crawling as soon as Simon mentioned brutalist architecture, as that was and still is the style of nearly every building on my college's campus. Bare gray concrete everywhere you looked, made even worse by the fact that the geometric corridors between buildings turned into wind tunnels during the winter and routinely blew hats off people's heads and papers out of their hands. It made for a pretty grim environment sometimes.
I love that this list didn't include anything I expected (like Winchester house or Falling water) and am excited to learn about new places. Even in Colorado, you didn't choose the airport, which is definitely over done. Even a unique one for Frank Ghery! Bravo Simon, you never fail to impress!
5:30 - What the heck is that massive area burning in the background?
Forest fire
Colorado was a tinderbox with all the pine beetles.
Just recently stumbled across your videos, very interesting, subscribed 🙂
I somehow recognize some of these structures because of Red Alert (1 & RA2 ?). The Arch Monument and that Chapel were definitely in the campaign and skirmish maps of the game.
You know when you live in the US it's easy to forget just how numerous 50 States really is until you realize you forgot Missouri existed.
Oh God, Frank gehry, well his style would fit Miami.
Probably from one of the states who always run in a deficit and always looking for handouts
@@mbecker163
Aww someone's all grumpy because I forgot Missouri. Let's just say I'm from a state I, and most other residents, wish you would forget but probably won't.
That Gillette castle is really cool-looking!
I noticed it immediately in the thumbnail!
Really it's what made me click.
The views are great and the narrow gauge trip alongside the river let's you do some sightseeing.
(Like nesting bald eagles)
The best a man can get.
You ought to hear the doorbell at the Mennin mansion
Back in the day it had a miniature train that he rode around the property.
I live near this
I live pretty close to the Castle; it's even cooler up close. From the outside, it's got this odd unfinished feel. But from the inside, you'll feel like you are in a modern mansion.
Locals are proud of it -- in a typical New Englander fashion that is. "A-yup. Pretty enough, I suppose; used local stone an' all. The whole castle thing is a bit odd, but th' fellow was an actor an' all so I figure he got used ta' livin' fancy."
USAF Academy Chapel: Shortly after it was completed I had the pleasure of visiting, as part of a school trip.
Building ages in USA vs England (my country of birth) - on a trip to England several decades ago, at one place we stayed the innkeeper apologized several times for having to give us a room in the "new section", which we found out later was built in the early 1500's!
For some reason I love that Gillette Castle. Im very surprised to not see the Winchester Mansion on this list. Its nuts.
Some of those pics of the cadet chapel make it look like the interior of the Death Star.
Friend of mine from Birmingham UK when talking about the differences between the UK and US he said to him the most glaring difference would be that in the US 100 years is a long time in the UK 100 miles is a long way
Don’t forget Hawk Tower and Tor House, a house and tower personally built by hand by the late poet Robinson Jeffers. That tower might not be as impressive as a planned monument or as unusual as the Winchester Mystery House, but the fact that he built it by hand with stones he dug up makes it interesting. It was a distinctly American Thoreau thing to do. It’s already a designated tourist location and gets some traffic.
0:15 The problem with British people. The obsession with how old things are while their country is sliding into disrepair.
France is even worse in that regard
I think that you are one of the best presenters of historical stuff and can only hope that you will continue to show me the way to the past. ❤
Happy Easter Simon
Great show , thanks.
The Gillette mansion looks like a sandcastle at high tide
The Winchester Mansion might deserve a look...clearly bizarre design driven by wealthy psychosis.
You should do a video on brutalism.
It started with Le Corbusier’s comments on his own work. Describing it as be’ton brut or raw concrete. Then the Smithson’s (probably England’s best architects) took be’ton brut and renamed it brutalism.
It’s funny when they talk about how old some places and homes in Europe are, and how relatively young places here in America are. It’s often forgotten about the Mesa Verde cliff dwelling in the Rockies. These are apartment type buildings the Indians made and lived in. I might be wrong , but I’m pretty sure they’re a lil older than most homes in Europe. Maybe I’m wrong.
I always hit like on a Simon video before watching because Simon has never failed to produce a terrific show
Love looking at the Arch every day!!! Work downtown a mile-ish south of it across from the Anheuser Busch complex. Love smelling the beer everyday too!!!
I see the Cadet Chapel every day! I've never been inside, but it was super cool to see something local in one of Simon's videos for once :D
My dad was an instructor at the Air Force Academy 1970-74, even though we, his family lived at Peterson Field just outside Colorado Springs, there where many family trips to the academy, and the Chapel is still one of earliest memories have from childhood.
I was 5 years old when Dad was assigned there and 9 when he retired and we moved
I love to travel and look forward to visiting some of these places.
1972 NDT Debate qualifier was at Air Force Academy. What you don't see in the video is the chapels' juxtaposed to the large square buildings, esp. from the ground. Since the Academy is the only OPEN installation you can visit it as a civilian. We had a cadet as escort the entire three days.
This reminded me of this school in Connecticut, The Hillside Intermediate School. It has three ground level entrances on three different floors and all on the same road.
Oh wow I never would have attributed that building to Gehry... Especially considering I drive by The Lou Ruvo Center almost every day & thought that was indicative of his style!
I like that you showcased interesting architectural structures that are not widely known.
Please tell me I'm not the only one who can see a face in the background at 5:28
I grew up in Connecticut and I've been to Gillette Castle several times. Really cool crazy place.
There's some very out-there architecture on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA. To be fair, it's very self-consciously weird, so it feels a little forced to me but some of the buildings are cool anyway.
As someone who has grown up in St. Louis, Missouri the most exiting part of the arch is the stuff that goes on on the grounds around it (fairs, the museum, the new park that surrounds the base).
The cathedral at USAFA is unreal. I recommend a visit even if you don’t like airplanes and such. Do pikes peak too.
I grew up next to the salk and have been inside. It's amazing!
Services inside the AFA Chapel are a unique experience there. Realy enjoyed some of the services there.
Hi Simon, seems you've confused modernist architecture with brutalist. Brutalist style is mostly concrete and with a blocky, heavy appearance. The Cadet Chapel is modernist.
Agreed it’s a highly regarded example of modernist architecture. I would add that it does have brutalist elements in the materials used.
5:29 They spent so much on the chapel that no budget was left for the firefighting squad
You need to do a video about the Winchester house. It’s actually more of a mansion than an actual house. There is definitely a bunch of history and mystery surrounding the structure as a whole. The most common thing that is actually known to be as true was that his late wife never slept in the same room more than one night in a row. There are halls that go into doors that lead absolutely nowhere. I think that this would be worth the time.
I had never heard of the Salk Institute despite living in California my whole life. Very, very cool institution! I would love to plan a visit just to admire the architecture.
As a lifelong resident of Connecticut, and falling for the “grass is always greener on the other side” envy myth, it is nice
to be reminded by Simon that our small state does have some world renowned people, places and things, like William
Gillette’s castle! Thank you Simon!
I really enjoyed this video. May I suggest: The worlds 5 safest/biggest safes - refer to the movie: The Vault. Thank for the great videos. South African Fan
Simon, The Arch at St. Louis stands only on the west side of the Mississippi River. It is best viewed from a lookout vantage point dirctly east of it on the east side of the river.
I visited the St Louis arch last year right before COVID and while the view from above is stunning, I was more interested in the mini history museum about the history of St Louis. Maybe it’s because I’m not a huge fan of heights 🤷🏼♀️
The dollar homes for sale are interesting
as well ..☘️🌹🤠🌹☘️
@@overthenever4262 CORRUPT MARKETING & INSURANCE POLICY THEFT
Good choices, if you dig up more for a second video you should consider the Winchester mansion in San Jose and Casa Loma in Toronto. both have weird and wacky stories behind the equally unique designs.
I live in Illinois just across the Mississippi from St. Louis. I always find it amusing that you can only get a good view of the Arch from out of state, on the IL side, even better than standing underneath it in Jefferson Memorial Park.
If you ever do a Part 2, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC is a good one to mention.
Colorado Springs native here. At 5:30 the dimensions of the chapel note the giant fire in the background. Apparentky this was during the black forest fire. Crazy timing lol
The St Louis arch is closely replicated in Tijuana, a few meters south of the border between the United States and Mexico.
Can't believe the fort from Waco wasn't on this list lol 😂 🤣
Thanks for the good idea. I'm in new hampshire, and realized I was 2.5 hours from gillette castle. Took the drive today. Totally worth it! Though, of course, because of covid, we couldn't take the tour inside. Still a great place to visit thought l!
The Frank Loyd Wright SC Johnson office building, c.1960?, in Racine, WI is a beautiful and bizarre marvel. It is shaped like the Starship Enterprise & Wright also designed the very impractical furniture for it. Might be an interesting Side Project.
The Winchester House is another wacky one. Had it been built as originally designed it would likely have been fairly "conventional" as mansions go, but the endless construction by Winchester's widow gave it a very unusual apoearance.
Gillette's castle is a crazy thing; went there on a high school field trip. Twain's house in CT is really cool, too. That was another school field trip, lol.
These are really neat! As an American, I'm always more fascinated with the monuments of other countries. I told a German friend, I was excited to see castles, and he said "oh, there are castles. But they aren't that exciting." He's more excited about how "flat and empty," so much of America is.
I think that the Catholic chapel, which is also beneath the Protestant chapel, seats 500, while the Jewish chapel seats 100
The Air Force Academy chapel looks like it was the model for the Cylon resurrection ship on the reimagined Battle Star Galactica series.
As an architect (and anyone who went to architecture school) I don't even know where to begin to talk about all the problems in this video.
Simon. Regarding your remarks about the homes and businesses displaced by the St. Louis Archway, no one lost anything. The term is "imminent domain" and those who "lost" their businesses and homes to the construction of the St. Louis Archway were paid fair-market value for their property. That's standard practice. No one is just "kicked off" their property. And, BTW, you forgot to mention that the purpose of the St. Louis Archway was to commemorate St. Louis' role in the expansion of the west as most pioneers went there owing to the ease of crossing the Mississippi River. In fact, it was practically the reason the city was established.