City Building of Asheville, NC

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The blue markers highlight the architectural elements of the building.  A key below the picture explains each marker.  

Romantic / Art Deco Elements of the City Building

  1. Setbacks that create a ziggurat iconography.
  2. Towers as part of the overall form or crowning element.
  3. Ornamentation, such as the use of geometric patterns: chevrons, zigzags, straight lines or curvilinear forms.
  4. Exterior walls made from smooth materials ranging from concrete to limestone with veneers and accents in terra cotta, aluminum or stone.
  5. Polychromatic colors in subdued pastels or combinations such as black and gold.
  6. Roofs are predominately flat buy may include terraces or dramatic spires.
  7. Parapets, low protective or decorative wall extensions that are placed along roof edges, often as a site for projecting elements.
  8. Windows are composed in vertical bays or horizontal bands with occasional ornamental windows in geometric shapes.
  9. Dramatic doorways or entrance surrounded by elaborate ornamentation.
  10. Ornamental sculptures integrated into the building, usually in the form of low-relief stone panels that can feature allegorical figures or contrasting colors and textures.

Dictionary of Art Deco terms