Designing Buffalo (Two Centuries of American Architecture in Western New York)

Buffalo, New York is a unique case study on how architecture shapes a city. With its two centuries of distinguished architecture along with the dramatic impact that redlining and government-subsidized sprawl have had on the historic city core since the post-War era, it is clear to see how communities are shaped by the spaces they live in and move through. In Designing Buffalo, Executive Director of the Darwin Martin House Jessie Fisher examines the places both important and historically left behind, to show how expanding the architectural canon results in a richer portrait of a city. The result is a comprehensive and compelling look at the history and future of architecture in Buffalo. Some of the major architectural works explored in the book include:

• The NYS Asylum by HH Richardson – considered to be among the finest examples of a wholly new style of American architecture;
• The Guaranty Building by Louis Sullivan – considered to be among the finest examples of work by this “father of the skyscraper”;
• The Larkin Administration Building plus two homes and one estate by Frank Lloyd Wright – Wright is generally considered the most famous and important American architect of all time, and Buffalo gave him his first commercial commission and his most important patron in Darwin Martin
• The Willert Park public housing complex by Frederick Backus with sculpture designed by Robert Cronbach and Harold Ambellan – one of the earliest examples of public housing in NYS, and the only complex outside of NYC to include a WPA sculpture program
• The Robert T. Coles House by Robert T. Coles – Coles was the first Black Chancellor of the American Institute of Architects
• The Eliza Quirk House, architect unknown – one of the oldest extant buildings downtown, this brick townhome recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places was built by the City’s most notorious Madam.

Featuring a full-color treatment packed with photos both contemporary and archival, supporting textboxes and maps, and suggested walking/driving tours to experience the city’s significant design, Designing Buffalo is for everyone interested in the history of Buffalo, the field of architecture, or looking to understand how the spaces we live in shape and reflect our perspectives and values.

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