Des Moines Heritage; A Survey of Significant Architecture, Summer 1976

(1976) Des Moines Heritage; A Survey of Significant Architecture, Summer 1976. Iowa State University

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Abstract

A city is one entity capable of evoking a myriad of physical and abstract mental images, These city images can create a feeling of excitement, vigor, stimulation, and enjoyment, or, a feeling of danger, fear, dullness, and lack of vitality--responses in part to the physical realities of topography, setting, history, and architecture. Architecture is of prime importance because the style, age, and condition of buildings help form a city's character and uniqueness. Architecture prevails as a reminder of the past and, as such, provides the link between what has been and will be. Changing methods of construction, materials, and architecture philosophies are reflected in the richness and variety of design, providing a visual excitement in an urban world. Once destroyed, a part of a city's history is gone forever. In that sense, architecture is a non-renewable resource and care should be taken in identifying and preserving the best.