These are the survivors and conquerors - big flabby glass gluttons, tidy brick citizens, astute assemblies of steel and stone. When I look at the old photos of downtown, it seems as if everything was knocked down and replaced with something bigger and colder, but that’s not the case. Many old buildings survive, and many of the new structures surpass what they replaced. They just don’t seem to have the same sort of conversation they used to have. When every building takes advantage of the latest tint and technique, you end up with a skyline of solipsists, buildings more intent on preening than fitting in.

But it's not a bad crop.
Downtown Portfolio
All new: a batch of much better pictures. Well, at least the resolution is better.
19th Century - 1930s
Late 19th century industrial warehouse & office block, rehabbed for office use; fine Sullivanesque details.
A big old pile of rock writhing with all sorts of peculiar Masonic carvings. Many details.
Lumber Exchange
It's big, it's brown, it's full of . . . lawyers. Little or no lumber is actually exchanged nowadays. But it's worth a visit anyway.
Most people don't know what this beheamoth once looked like. Now you will.
The original Chamber of Commerce building. Interior and exterior shots of great Louis-Sullivan-style ornamentation.
Somehow, this one survived.
Old lovely church, plus a gigantic office tower. Well, gigantic for those days.
An old building folded into the Conservatory, the 808 had a great Art Deco lobby; site has photos of the lobby details. Demolished in 1997.
I try to work up some tears, and almost succeed.
Three old commercial structures of varying quirkiness, they died in early for a fabulous new parking ramp. Contains step-by-step demolition photos and old historical views of the site
The classical building everyone forgets.
Rand Tower
A classic late-20s skyscraper. Includes postcard views, contemporary & historical photos of details inside and out.
Foshay
The city's beloved old obelisk skyscraper. Many Art Deco details.
Baker Building
Just a modest 1920s commercial block, now overwhelmed by all its neighbors.
Pence
An utterly ignored 20s office block, the details on this building reveal a few strange motifs.
Club Row
The old men's clubs still stand, but they have new neighbors. Big neighbors.
the Federal Reserves
This site concerns all three buildings. All of which, miracle of miracles, are still standing, so this site is also listed in the 70s and 90s section.
Times Bar
Urbane, small, civilized - of course it had to go. Demolished in 99 - but that's not the end of the story.
Post Office
A severe WPA-era building with some incredible interior details. Contains postcard views, old photos of the original plan for the site.
The Bus Station
Another sleek Moderne building, also known as the nightclub from Prince's "Purple Rain."
NWEST Bell
1930s skyscraper full of Moderne ornamentation. Site features telephoto shots of the lightning bolt details in the tower.
The Armory
WPA project full of decayed beauty.
City Hall
Gigantic Romanesque pile.
Modernism
A forties building with a 50s annex.
Cool, in an old non-cool sort of way. Recently demolished, but there's a happy ending.
International Style all the way, baby. One of the great lost gems of downtown. Recently demolished.
Swank Perry-Mason cool. Recently demolished. (Note a trend?)
No demolition scheduled, but they're making noises. Contains original designs.
Midwest Federal
Also known as the Mary Tyler Moore Building. Has some shots from the early planning stages.
80s & 90s
Norwest / Wells Fargo
The best building of the 80s boom. Includes photos of the original design, as well as details of the upper floors.
USBANK
Before it was USBank, it was the First National, and it occupied a series of buildings between the turn of the century and today. All those buildings are shown here, with old photos, postcards, and architectural drawings.
The Dain Tower
A basic 80s glass slab, but I like it. Bizarre red interiors.
Lincoln
Now the Metropolitan Centre, it's an orphaned twin. One of the finest buildings from the 80s.
The Conservatory
A gigantic downtown mall that died, and died hard.
Lawyers Bldg.
A pile of glass crap.
City Center
God help us.
21st century
A surprisingly good new building.
White and grey and tall and lovely
So far, so good. Could be worse. We'll see.
Target Towers
Coming Soon
Target Stores
Coming Soon
So far, it stinks.
And don't forget these sites, either:
When you're sick of the present, moan about the past. Ten tons of photos and postcards of long-gone Minneapolis.
There are more than 10,000 in the state. These are three of them. Let someone else do the other 9,997.
Then & now shots of the University of Minnesota.
Post-war commercial architecture
LILEKS.COM
This site is just a small part of the large general joy you can find at lileks.com. And by "joy" I mean "not entirely full of grim disappointment."
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