Architecture is a Highlight on Asheville Maps While Asheville North Carolina is best known for its eclectic culture and stunning mountain views, it can also be appreciated for the many unique architectural styles throughout the city. Simply by following a tourist map of Asheville, its easy to spot the numerous churches and buildings designed in Victorian vernacular styles. Looking at a vacation map may lead travelers to regularly visited destinations, and it may also lead to less noted architectural masterpieces. Take the St Lawrence Basilica for example. When looking at a tourist map of Asheville, it is between Battery Park Hotel and the Civic Center, close to the Montford neighborhood. Designer Raphael Guastavino was invited to Asheville to participate in the planning of Richard Sharp Smith designs, such as the beginning of what is now Biltmore Village. The St. Lawrence Basilica is made of self-supporting arches using thin layers of mortar and interlocking tiles. It is said to be the largest freestanding dome in North America, and is the precursor to what is now called Guastavino Style or a Tile Arch System. It would be certainly worthwhile to learn more about the basilica through Asheville tourist information or on an Asheville map. Other more notorious attractions that can be found with a vacation map are throughout the Biltmore Village area. The most famed being the Biltmore Estate designed by the architects Richard Morris Hunt and Richard Sharp Smith, and by the landscape designer Fredrick Law Olmstead. Originally built on 125,000 acres, it was designed in multifaceted approaches of late 19th century architecture. The most predominant is the French chateau style of the Biltmore House. Close to the Biltmore Estate on one of the Asheville maps are the highly influential creations of Richard Sharp Smith such as All Souls Church and Parish Hall and the Biltmore Depot. Smith designed these in course stone and heavy timbers, materials that are now used in most of the surrounding buildings. As most of the prominent buildings and churches visible on illustrated maps were created in the early 20th century, the influences from the historical Arts and Crafts Movement are visible. In fact, many of the primary figures of the movement spent time in Asheville at some point in their careers. The style is apparent in downtown buildings like the Grove Arcade and Battery Park Hotel. Architect Douglas Ellingtons City Hall employs a flashier and more colorful Art Deco style building as evidenced in the angles and tile patterns. The design itself is praiseworthy, but to see the building against the mountain silhouettes at sunset is magnificent. About 6 blocks away when following any one of Ashevilles illustrated maps is the indoor arcade designed by visionary Dr. Edwin Wiley Grove. His ambitious project to build a tower above the arcade was never completed due to economic problems of the Great Depression. The elaborate Tudor Gothic Revival designs still attract many to visit what is a important commercial center of downtown Asheville. Whether travelers are consulting Asheville maps or speaking with the locals, many will attest that these architectural works of art make the city a truly unique scenic destination. Visit illustratedmapofasheville/ For more by the author, please view bandofhand.blogspot
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 10:57:26 +0000
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