Thearchitecture of the U.S. state ofTexas comes from a wide variety of sources. Many of the state's buildings reflect Texas'Spanish andMexican roots; in addition, there is considerable influence from mostly theAmerican South as well as theSouthwest. Rapid economic growth since the mid twentieth century has led to a wide variety of contemporary architectural buildings.
The first European buildings in Texas were a series ofreligiousSpanish Missions established byCatholicDominicans,Jesuits, andFranciscans to spread theChristian doctrine among the localNative Americans, and to give Spain a toehold in the frontier land. The missions introducedEuropeanlivestock,fruits,vegetables, andindustry into theTexas region. In addition to thepresidio (fort) andpueblo (town), themisión was one of the three major agencies employed by the Spanish crown to extend its borders and consolidate itscolonial territories. In all, twenty-six missions were maintained for different lengths of time within the future boundaries of the state. TheSan Antonio de Valero Mission known for theBattle of the Alamo is a prime example of this kind of architecture.
Each Texas county has a distinct courthouse. These buildings reflect many different styles of architecture.
TheTexas State Capitol, located inAustin, Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat ofTexas government. It houses the chambers of theTexas State Legislature and the office of theGovernor of Texas. Originally designed byElijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882–88 under the direction of civil engineerLindsay Walker, and a $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as aNational Historic Landmark in 1986. It is the largestState Capitol building, but smaller than theNational Capitol inWashington, D.C.[1]
In addition to Texas'straditional architecture the state also has noteworthy contemporary buildings. Many world class architects andPritzker Prize winners have left their enriching marks on Texan cities and landscapes.Frank Lloyd Wright had four buildings in Texas,[2] whileTadao Ando'sModern Art Museum andLouis Kahn's famousKimbell Art Museum are permanent landmarks of the city ofFort Worth. Other super architects such asI.M. Pei andPhilip Johnson have numerous works across the state. Among their famous works one can mention theFort Worth Water Gardens,Amon Carter Museum,Chapel of St. Basil,Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, andThanks-Giving Square. In Austin,Gordon Bunshaft'sLyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum (also aPritzker Prize winner) is particularly noteworthy, whileSteven Holl,Robert A. M. Stern,Jaime Prize, andCésar Pelli are other architect legends who designed buildings that grace theDallas andHouston areas.Sir Norman Foster'sDallas Center for the Performing Arts is the latest addition to such architectural landmarks in Texas.
Some facilities even harbor the marks of multiple architects. Houston'sMuseum of Fine Arts for example, was designed byPritzker Prize winnerRafael Moneo, landscape architect extraordinaireIsamu Noguchi, and the pioneering master ofModern ArchitectureMies van der Rohe.
Texas is also home to some of thetallestskyscrapers in the United States.The Houston skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when ranked by breadth and height,[3] being the country's third-tallest skyline and one of the top 10 in the world;[4][5] however, because it is spread over a few miles, most pictures of the city show only the main downtown area. Houston has asystem of tunnels and skywalks linking buildings in downtown. The tunnel system also includes shops, restaurants, and convenience stores.
