Today's ArchiPic #114: Château de Versailles

    

    Today's ArchiPic is the beautiful Palace of Versailles in France.  Designed in 1624 and only twenty kilometers from Paris, this palace was first used as a hunting lodge for the French monarch Louis XIII.  The next hundred and fifty years would turn the chateau into a major icon for 18th century French art. 

     Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles

    By the time of Louis XIV, Versailles had become the center of political power for France and a symbol for absolute monarchy under the divine right of kings, but after the French revolution in 1789, this powerhouse became unimportant in political affairs for that period.  It now serves as a museum for the history of France.

References:

>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles

Dazzling Designs: The 360 at Founders Plaza

Welcome to yet another installment of Dazzling Designs, a series where I show off unique and innovative architectural designs from around the world.  Tonight we will be looking at the Founders Tower in Oklahoma City, formerly known as The 360 at Founders Plaza.

    Standing at 275 feet (84 m.) with 17 floors, this luxury condominium tower used to be an office space in the 1960s.  It is apparently a "Googie-style" skyscraper, which is a style of architecture that I never even heard of until I saw Founders Tower.  The Googie style is actually a form of modern architecture popularized in the 1940s through the 60s when the United States was starting to get involved with spaceflight.  The condominium is one of Oklahoma City's most well-known landmarks and was renovated from 2007-2008.  It also includes a revolving restaurant--the second building in the nation to have one.

    This building was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower, which is in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and the Space Needle in Seattle.  It definitely fits Wright's style!  Small balconies protrude out of the building all the way from the 3rd floor to the 14th.  Past the 14th floor, you'll see wider balconies.  On the 20th floor, you will see the restaurant, which apparently does not revolve anymore.

    My favorite part of this building is its exterior design.  After looking at more pictures of "Googie" architecture, I am starting to enjoy and understand it more.  This style definitely meshes with Frank Lloyd Wright and the way he designed his buildings.  The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior.  It has a great contemporary feel to it.  It looks like some Googie elements are also on the interior.  Take a look at those lights below.  They look pretty Googie to me!  There's also plenty of structure and decoration included inside the building.

"Imagine the luxury.. Imagine the convenience.. Imagine the extraordinary views... Imagine the urban lifestyle...  Imagine calling Founder’s Tower home."

                                                                                     - Founder's Tower Homepage

References:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founders_Tower_Oklahoma_City
>> http://www.rbaarch.com/portfolio.php
>> http://www.founderstower.com