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Identifying feature

Vertical pier

Narrow vertical bands of stone or brick, called piers, running the full height of a facade between recessed columns of windows. They are common on early skyscrapers and Art Deco towers.

a sign of these styles

Chrysler Building, New York: an example of Art Deco Art Deco c. 1925–1940 Jazz-age glamour: towers stepping back as they rise, strong vertical lines, and zigzag or sunburst ornament. Monadnock Building, Chicago, Illinois: an example of Chicago School Chicago School c. 1880–1910 The first skyscrapers: steel frames shown as honest grids, huge three-part windows, ornament saved for base and top. Einstein Tower, Potsdam, Germany: an example of Expressionism Expressionism c. 1910–1930 Sculptural brick and concrete buildings with curved or faceted masses, rounded corners, and tall prow-shaped or stepped tops. King's College Chapel, Cambridge, England: an example of Perpendicular Gothic Perpendicular Gothic c. 1330–1550 English late Gothic: thin stone bars running floor to ceiling, enormous gridded windows, and fan vaulted ceilings. Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., United States: an example of Stripped Classicism Stripped Classicism c. 1925–1950 Symmetrical stone buildings with flat pilasters or piers without capitals, tall windows in a regular grid, and low-relief sculpture.

also seen on

Mayan Revival

often seen with

Carved stone relief Figures or patterns carved into stone so they project from a flat background, called low relief when shallow… Flat roof A roof that is level or nearly level, often edged by a low wall called a parapet. Geometric ornament Decoration made of zigzags, chevrons (V shapes), stepped forms and other repeated geometric shapes instead… Modular repetition A facade built from one identical unit, such as a window and its frame, repeated in a regular grid. Parapet A low wall rising above the edge of a roof, terrace or balcony. Stepped setback Upper floors set back from the street in stages as a building rises. Battered wall A wall built with a batter, meaning it slopes inward as it rises and is thicker at the base. Bay window A window projecting from the main wall, usually with three angled sides or a curved front.