Architecture | American Culture

Explore architecture

From regional houses to roadside landmarks, explore how American buildings respond to climate, landscape, and commerce.

Choose one of the six subjects below for its history, distinguishing features, and further reading.

Colonial New England

Compact houses shaped by the weather and building traditions of coastal Massachusetts.

Early twentieth century

Frank Lloyd Wright and a residential architecture of long lines, broad eaves, and connected spaces.

Geometry and ornament

Stepped profiles and stylized decoration gave buildings and monuments a modern public image.

Postwar roadside culture

Dramatic roofs, glass walls, and signs designed to catch a passing motorist's eye.

Postwar Polynesian Pop

Dramatic timber roofs and tropical settings turned restaurants and resorts into imagined island escapes.

The 1930s and 1940s

Rounded corners, horizontal bands, and nautical details gave buildings a sleek Machine Age character.