Even if you are not religious it is hard to deny most churches do an excellent job at bringing out a sense of wonder and awe. Most are designed to make you feel small and look up to the heavens often leading to great architectural feats. Downtown Tulsa has many magnificent churches like the Boston Avenue church famously known for its Art Deco style. First United Methodist Church my be not as well know, but growing up going there I will never forget the big sanctuary or connecting court yard on Easter filled with eggs. This last year it was awesome to see my sister in her wedding here firmly cementing this building in my memory. If you ever get a chance I highly recommend visiting Tulsa downtown.

Fountain place in my opinion is the prettiest and most remarkable tower in Dallas, Texas. The building is sixty stories high and is the fifteenth tallest skyscraper in Texas. The reason behind this choice is because I admire the architecture of the actual structure of the building. It is fascinating how they managed to “cut” the tower down diagonally to give it the shape that is has. The glass around the building mirrors everything that surrounds it. Unfortunately I have actually never stepped foot in it but based on images, it looks like it has a unique interior. I feel that every time I drive through Dallas (or even around the city), I always find myself looking at this particular building.

For my third blog post I will be discussing the Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa, OK. This hotel has some major history behind it, starting with being originally built in 1925. Many famous people have stayed here, including John F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth, and Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Bob Seger, and more. In the 1980’s, an attempted renovation started but never finished and it left the hotel unoccupied and torn apart. It was again renovated in 2003 and was completed in 2009. Many of the main parts of the hotel were kept and redone in its original form from 1925 like the lobby and its chandeliers.

I first visited this building in 5th grade on a downtown tour with my class while it was in the process of being renovated. I have visited one other time after it was done being renovated and I was impressed by how different it looked from before and how much nicer it was.  It is one of downtown Tulsa’s most famous and unique establishments and has been for quite some time.

The Blue Dome District (represented by the Blue Dome Building) is a region of downtown Tulsa where a lot of restaurants and social spaces exist. This part of Tulsa is very near and dear to many people’s hearts and it means a lot of things to many people. I love it for its livelihood and how much is always going on. This building is a landmark of that, as well as all the historical characteristics of the entire city and it incorporates what Tulsa is proud to be.

Times Square/New Yor City was the coolest collection of architecture I have seen in person. I went in December of 2018. Being from Oklahoma the first time looking up at all of the skyscrapers was pretty overwhelming. Walking through on the street with building on both sides of the street really makes you think you are in a concrete jungle. The most notable places were Times Square and The Rockefeller Center. I chose Times Square because even though there were advertisement billboards on each of the buildings, it didn’t take away from the overall beauty of each building. Secondly, The Rockafeller Center in December from the Giant Christmas Tree to the mall that at the bottom of the building  and lastly the magnitude of the actual building. It was the best overall skyscraper that I got to saw in NYC.

This is Prince of Peace Catholic church located in Plano, Tx. I had gone to this church since I was born until leaving for college.  Therefore is was a huge part of my life.  When you walk up to this building, from the parking lot, it reminds you of why you are there with your eyes drawing attention to a cross located at the top of the building. It is a very fulfilling feeling when your eyes draw to the reason you are there. They also do a very nice job in providing flowers and other ascetic pieces.

This building holds so much meaning to me because of the atmosphere it brings. This is where I learned that it was okay to grieve as well as be happy and fully myself. That is such an important thing for me and for others as well. This is that building to me and this church encompasses all of that even by looking at it. A place I will love to keep going back to.

For my second blog post, I will be discussing the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN. I have personally been here many times, mainly as a child, and have enjoyed it everytime. I have family in St. Paul, MN and we try to go to the mall when we visit them. As a kid I always found the building so interesting, mainly because of how massive it is and how many floors there are. Not to mention the full amusement park in the middle of the mall. This mall is the one of the hallmarks of American malls and it is still being added to. They are working on making a seperate building for a water amusement park and renovating parts of the original mall. It can get very busy during the weekends and holidays but it is still an enjoyable experience. I particularly like the full glass roof above the amusement park, which lets in plenty of natural light. I looks forward to seeing it again in the near future.

Willis Tower (renamed in 2009 from Sears tower) is a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois (History and Facts). It is the tallest building in Chicago, towering at over 1400 feet with 110 stories. On it’s 103rd floor it has an observation deck, making it the highest observation deck in the United States, where there is a clear glass ledge that looks over the edge of the building. On a clear day, the view from the ledge can span across Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

I visited the Willis Tower while on a choir trip my senior year of high school. The tallest building I had been inside previously was the Empire State Building, but Willis Tower is seven stories taller. Standing on a glass floor with the city of Chicago 1000 feet below you is a surreal experience, and the view is stunning. Standing at the base of the building and looking up made the building seem never ending, and almost impossible how something could be so high. The all-glass look is very modern, and blue skies really reflect off of the side making it seem like it’s a part of the sky. The height of this skyscraper really makes the Chicago skyline unique.  My choir class took a picture at their group photo section because they couldn’t have a whole group stand on the deck, but I’ve included it below anyways.

History and Facts- Willis Tower. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.willistower.com/history-and-facts

The last building I want to talk about is the Empire State building in New York City. The first time I visited this building I was six years old. When you are six years old, everything is gigantic but something about this building left a huge impression on me. At that age, I think I liked the way it was lit up in different colors above the city. Now in more recent trips to New York, I admire the different shifting levels and how this method of architecture draws the eyes up. By doing this, it forces people to not just notice but admire how gigantic and towering this 102 floor building is. I also think the exterior of the building matches the atmosphere of the city. It is large, towering, and demanding attention. I love this building because it reminds me of all the memories I have with family and friends in NYC.

This is Plano West. The Senior high school I went to for junior and senior year through 2016-2018 school years. When you walk up to this school, it reminds me of a college campus in how big it is. Theres greenery as well and you have to go outside to get between your classes. It really was such an amazing experience to have as a student in high school.

This school means so much to me because I never realized how it prepared me for college until I actually got to college. The teachers and staff were amazing and the school was built to have over 3000 students in attendance. This allowed me to graduate with around 1500 students. The ability to have this amount of people in a building made things so much easier to transition from high school to college.