Buildings of Colorado

By Thomas J. Noel

Book Overview

A monumental, state-by-state survey of American architecture, the Buildings of the United States series celebrates the rich geographic, cultural, and economic diversity of the country. Commissioned by the Society of Architectural Historians, it records and illustrates the architecture of the urban, suburban, and rural United States, both historically and in hundreds of photographs. From pre-Columbian ruins to modern skyscrapers, from churches, courthouses, and theaters to factories, barns, and gas stations, the works of national and international masters of American architecture, as well as works wrought by unknown hands, are documented in these exceptional volumes.
The series, hailed by Edwin McDowell of the New York Times as "one of the most ambitious in publishing history," is destined to become a national treasure. The most authoritative reference available on our architectural heritage, Buildings of the United States will be a delight to the general reader and traveler as well as an indispensable source book for scholars and students of architectural history, preservation, and urban planning.

This fifth volume in the Buildings of the United States series charts the architectural history of Colorado--the nation's highest state--from the eastern High Plains to the Rocky Mountain backbone that melts into the canyons of the west. Both a quick- reference guidebook and a historical resource, this volume reflects the remarkable topographical diversity of the state, a full one-third of which is designated as federal land. In over 450 photographs and maps, it explores the structures humankind has created to tame Colorado's dramatically variant climate and terrain--crossed by barbed wire, roads, power lines, and railroads.
Tracing Colorado's architectural development from its Native American origins, the work covers the villages of Mexican settlers and mining camps set up during the Pikes Peak gold rush of 1858-59. It features the forts and farms of pioneers; homes, churches, and schools of early towns; and modern industrial centers and vacation spots. Prehistoric pueblos of the Anasazi Indians at Mesa Verde, the U.S. Air Force Academy north of Colorado Springs, and contemporary ski resorts such as Aspen and Telluride exemplify the dramatically disparate structures of Colorado's built environment.
Like all volumes in the BUS series, Buildings of Colorado is the perfect travel companion--lavishly illustrated, with complete historical documentation. Whether to Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Cripple Creek, Denver, Boulder, or beyond, any visit to Colorado--from its towering peaks to its lonely prairies--will be enhanced immeasurably by this first building guide to the Highest State.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195090764
• ISBN13: 9780195090765
• Release Date: July 1997
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 688 Pages
• Weight: 2.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.7" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Buildings of Colorado

The fifth in an ongoing series of field guides to the buildings of the United States, commissioned from experts by the Society of Architectural Historians. Companion volumes are available on Alaska, DC, Iowa, Michigan, and Nevada, with another dozen in preparation. It's an invaluable project, the most ambitious of its kind since the WPA State guides of the 1930s, and it maps the terra incognita between the few major cities that have been professionally surveyed.Colorado is more notable for natural wonders than architecture, and had little more to show than Mesa Verde 150 years ago. Noel provides an encyclopedic 600 pages of plans, photos, and commentary on boom towns-from those that have faded to those, like Denver, that have exploded. He is equally sympathetic to the best new work, but stumbles in his appraisal of an Ed Niles house-a controversial cluster of glass cubes in Vail-as he observes: "This eyecatcher revives the International Style in the Postmodern tradition of Richard Meier."

a competent anthology of Colorado's public buildings

There is much architecture to see in Colorado and Mr. Noel has eloquently documented the variety of buildings one might make a special trip to visit. I especially enjoyed the small town examples. For information on the bigger cities in Colorado, there are more complete guides to Architecture and history... read those too! Keep in mind, that the point of this book was to document those buildings which you could visit or experience; there aren't many examples of private residences or secure buildings. Buy this book and start to plan your road trips through Colorado!