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  #1  
Old Posted Jul 20, 2011, 8:28 PM
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Buildings with caryatids & atlantes (sculpted human architectural features)

Caryatids are sculpted representations of human females that are incorporated onto the facade of buildings as supports for other elements directly above. They are different from statues, which are purely decorative, in that they form part of the structure of the building, or at least appear to do so. These, while awesome, don't qualify. Caryatids were popular in ancient Greece and seem to have enjoyed a brief comeback about 100 years ago. When they're male instead of female they are called atlantes.

I think both the female and male versions are completely beautiful. If we can manage to keep the thread mature, I'd love to see examples from around the world, both of the sculptures and how they are incorporated onto their buildings.

MPK's awesome Detroit thread from a few days ago featured these pictures of the caryatids on the Book Building, which was the impetus for this thread:


Photo by MPK.


Photo by MPK.


Photo by flickr user Wade Bryant.


These are from a building in downtown Pittsburgh. I don't know its name. They're my own pictures.






And this from Balboa Park, San Diego (my pictures).



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  #2  
Old Posted Jul 20, 2011, 9:16 PM
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reading the thread title reminds me of fort garry place in winnipeg, but the statues there are purely ornamental
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Old Posted Jul 20, 2011, 9:55 PM
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Of course, the most famous caryatids are those of the Erectheum on the Acropolis in Athens. these ladies have got to have some sore-ass backs by now, considering they've been supporting that stone above them for ~2,400 years now.


source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...heum_porch.jpg






The Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago (originally built as the fine arts hall for the World's Columbian Exposition) has porches with caryatids intended to echo those of the Erectheum


source: http://chicago-architecture-jyoti.bl...caryatids.html
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Last edited by Steely Dan; Jul 20, 2011 at 10:12 PM.
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 9:26 AM
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Not only should there be more caryatid architecture, IMHO someone should build them on a far more colossal scale. It would be awesome if an entire face of a skyscraper were dominated by such a figure.
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 2:07 PM
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 2:22 PM
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Ornamental sculpture in general needs to return. Its falling by the wayside is one of the great tragedies of architecture, a truly shameful episode.

Some from Vienna.


aljuarez @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/43547009@N00/5840886803/


aljuarez @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/43547009@N00/5699641540/


aljuarez @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/43547009@N00/5699004951/


aljuarez @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/43547009@N00/4414457120/


aljuarez @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/43547009@N00/4414414106/
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 2:23 PM
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@ skyscrapersofnewyork: i don't see any caryatids in that picture of the palace at versailles. caryatids are not just applied sculpture, they are structural elements of the building.
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 2:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steely Dan View Post
@ skyscrapersofnewyork: caryatids are not just applied sculpture, they are structural elements of the building.
In that case, only the Erechtheion and its copy at The Museum of Science & Industry are counting. Everything else shown so far is pure decoration!

Book Building looks like if it would be a structural element, but in fact its right behind the caryatids.
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 2:53 PM
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^ caryatids don't necessarily have to literally be a structural element of a building, but at a minimum they must at least APPEAR to be structural. none of the applied sculpture shown in that picture of versailles meets that requirement.
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 5:03 PM
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There's an old fire house in Philly that had some... but may be more appropriately considered gargoyles.

http://gallery.pictopia.com/philly/g...o/3556032/?o=0
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Old Posted Jul 21, 2011, 5:25 PM
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Aesthetically speaking, the caryatids don't do anything for me. Maybe it's poor execution or my lack of education preventing me from appreciating them more... The atlantes, on the other hand, are far more impressive in every example I come across in a google search.
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Old Posted Jul 31, 2011, 2:14 AM
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The Morton Building, 538 S. Dearborn, Chicago
1896, Jenney & Mundie
now the Wyndham Blake Hotel

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Old Posted Aug 6, 2011, 9:53 PM
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An architectural adage says that every classical column is an anthropomorphic metaphor, possessing a foot, body and capital (literally a "head").
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Old Posted Aug 7, 2011, 12:17 AM
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Old Posted Aug 7, 2011, 8:32 AM
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Is that Michael Graves? Yuck. He did a much better job on the Swan and Dolphin, which are fun without being too figurative or pastiche-y.
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Old Posted Aug 7, 2011, 4:26 PM
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Zurich:



London:





Don't know if these dudes count:


my pics
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Old Posted Oct 22, 2011, 4:39 AM
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inhabitant just featured a story of these caryatids at St. Pancras New Church, London which had it's crypt turned into a gallery. Apparently they have an iron column within according to wikipedia.


link


link
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Old Posted Nov 16, 2017, 6:10 AM
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Here's a sort-of caryatid example from 155 Sansome in San Francisco:



Photo taken by geomorph in 2011.
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