"America's Favorite Architecture" is a list of buildings and other structures identified as the most popular works of architecture in the United States.
In 2006 and 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) sponsored research to identify the most popular works of architecture in the United States. Harris Interactive conducted the study by first polling a sample of the AIA membership and later polling a sample of the public.
In the first phase of the study, 2,448 AIA members were interviewed and asked to identify their "favorite" structures. Each was asked to name up to 20 structures in each of 15 defined categories. The 248 structures that were named by at least six of the AIA members were then included in a list of structures to be included in the next phase, a survey of the general public. The survey of the public involved a total of 2,214 people, each of whom rated many photographs of buildings and other structures drawn from the list of 248 structures that had been created by polling the architects. The public's preferences were ranked using a "likeability" scale developed for the study.
As part of the commemoration of the organization's 150th anniversary in 2007, the AIA announced the list of the 150 highest-ranked structures as "America's Favorite Architecture". New York City is the location of 32 structures on the list, more than any other place. Of the 10 top-ranked structures, 6 are in Washington, DC, which is the location of 17 of the 150 structures on the complete list. Chicago has 16 structures on the list.
The 150 top-ranked structures are listed below.
When it was released, critics observed that the list of "favorites" did not reflect the judgments of architectural experts. Upon the list's release, AIA president R.K. Stewart acknowledged that the rankings did not represent architects' professional judgments, but instead reflected people's "emotional connections" to buildings. Buildings named by critics as being some that architects consider to be highly significant, but that did not achieve top 150 ranking in the public survey, included the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, designed by Louis Kahn; the Inland Steel and John Hancock buildings in Chicago; Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, designed by Eero Saarinen; and the Seagram Building in New York City, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. John King of the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out that in 1991 the AIA had named Eero Saarinen's design for Dulles Airport as one of ten "all-time works of American architects." King noted that the public's ratings were based on seeing just one photo of each building, and pointed out that "There's more to architecture than a picture can convey."
The 98 buildings that were listed by architects as significant, but did not rank in the top 150 in the public vote, were:
860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments – Chicago, IllinoisAmerican Folk Art Museum – New York CityArt & Architecture Building – Yale University, New Haven, ConnecticutBaker House – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MassachusettsBeinecke Rare Book Library – Yale University, New Haven, ConnecticutBeth Sholom Synagogue – Elkins Park, PennsylvaniaBoston City Hall – Boston, MassachusettsBradbury Building – Los Angeles, CaliforniaBurton Barr Library – Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix, ArizonaCarpenter Center for the Visual Arts – Harvard University, Cambridge, MassachusettsCathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – Los AngelesCathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption – San FranciscoCBS Headquarters/ Black Rock – New York CityYale Center for British Art/Museum of British Art – Yale University, New Haven, ConnecticutChapel/W15 – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MassachusettsChapel of St. Ignatius – Seattle University, SeattleCrown Hall – Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), ChicagoDallas City Hall – Dallas, TexasDallas-Fort Worth International Airport – Dallas, TexasM. H. de Young Memorial Museum – San FranciscoDenver Art Museum – Denver, ColoradoDenver Public Library – Denver, ColoradoEames House – Pacific Palisades, CaliforniaEnnis House/Ennis-Brown House – Los AngelesEsherick House – Chestnut Hill, PennsylvaniaExperience Music Project – SeattleFarnsworth House – Plano, IllinoisFirst Christian Church – Columbus, IndianaFirst Church of Christ Scientist – Berkeley, CaliforniaFirst Unitarian Church of Rochester - Rochester, New YorkFord Foundation Building – New York CityFrank Gehry Residence – Santa Monica, CaliforniaFreer Gallery of Art – Washington, DCGenzyme Center – Cambridge, MassachusettsGropius House – Lincoln, MassachusettsGuaranty Building – Buffalo, New YorkHorton Plaza – San DiegoIBM Building – ChicagoInland Steel Building – ChicagoJacobs Field – Cleveland, OhioJohn Deere World Headquarters – Moline, IllinoisJohn Hancock Center – ChicagoJohnson Wax Building – Racine, WisconsinKaufmann Desert House – Palm Springs, CaliforniaKimbell Art Museum – Fort Worth, TexasKings Road House – West Hollywood, CaliforniaLarkin Administration Building – Buffalo, New YorkLever House – New York CityLovell Beach House – Newport Beach, CaliforniaR. H. Macy and Company Store (building) – New York CityMarin County Civic Center – San Rafael, CaliforniaMarshall Field and Company Building – ChicagoMenil Collection – Houston, TexasMinneapolis Central Library – MinneapolisModern Art Museum of Fort Worth – Fort Worth, TexasMonadnock Building – ChicagoMorgan Library & Museum – New York CityMount Angel Library – Mount Angel, OregonMuseum of Contemporary Art, Los AngelesMuseum of Fine Arts, HoustonNasher Sculpture Center – DallasNational Gallery of Art (East Wing) – Washington, DCNorth Christian Church – Columbus, IndianaOakland Museum of California – Oakland, CaliforniaO'Hare International Airport – ChicagoPeabody Terrace – Harvard University, Cambridge, MassachusettsPetco Park (San Diego Padres) – San DiegoPhiladelphia Savings Fund Society Building/PSFS – PhiladelphiaPhilip Johnson's Glass House – New Canaan, ConnecticutPrada – Los AngelesPrada – 575 Broadway, New York CityPrice Tower – Bartlesville, OklahomaRachofsky House – Dallas, TexasREI Flagship Store, SeattleReliance Building – ChicagoRichards Medical Research Laboratories – PhiladelphiaRonald Reagan Washington National Airport – Arlington, VirginiaRosenthal Center for Contemporary Art – CincinnatiSalk Institute – La Jolla, CaliforniaSan Francisco Public Library – San FranciscoSandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse – Phoenix, ArizonaSeagram's Building – New York CityFrederick J. Smith House – Darien, ConnecticutSoldier Field – ChicagoSony Plaza (AT&T Corporate Headquarters) – New York CityStaples Center – Los AngelesSuperdome – New OrleansTiffany and Company Building – New York CityUnity Temple – Oak Park, IllinoisUniversity of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals Stadium) – Glendale, ArizonaVanna Venturi House – Chestnut Hill, PennsylvaniaWainwright Building – St. Louis, MissouriWashington Dulles International Airport – Chantilly, VirginiaWexner Center for the Arts – Ohio State University – Columbus, OhioWhitney Museum – New York CityWilliam J. Clinton Presidential Library – Little Rock, Arkansas