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Your readers should call 1-800-916-0040 (USA and Canada) or 1-314-421-1023 for a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitors Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis online at www.explorestlouis.com
The St. Louis Look
St. Louis is a must-stop for all architecture buffs in 2006 as more than $3.5 billion is being spent on the revitalization of the community's downtown core. Ornate 19th century warehouses and office buildings are converting into loft condos, hotels, restaurants and retail. And a new ballpark, reflecting the red brick built environment of this historic destination, opened the season for the St. Louis Cardinals on April 10, 2006.
Red brick buildings, cobblestone streets, terra cotta friezes and stained glass are part of the tapestry of St. Louis' amazing architectural heritage. Beyond the historic structures, St. Louis' landscape also embraces the vision of new architects. Tadao Ando's Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts and Brad Cloepfil's Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis are two top examples.
How did this monumental city of stone and brick spring up in the middle of the country? The wealth of St. Louis' merchant class and a massive fire are two of the answers. The great fire, which started on the levee aboard the steamboat White Cloud in 1849, left one-third of the growing city in ruins and created an ordinance that ensured future buildings would be constructed of brick, iron and other non-flammable materials. St. Louisans who had been growing rich from the fur trade and Mississippi River commerce rebuilt their city with style, class and an eye for beauty that has been preserved for visitors.
Crossing the Mississippi at Laclede's Landing, the stately Eads Bridge first opened in 1874 and has been refurbished with a pedestrian and bike lane where visitors can get great views of the St. Louis skyline.
Downtown, the magnificent Grand Hall at St. Louis Union Station is a barrel-vaulted wonder of gilt work, stained glass and statuary. Note the use of light as an architectural element and don't miss the famous Whispering Arch that will carry your words across the entranceway to a listening friend. Designed by architect Theodore Link in 1894 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, Union Station was once the largest and busiest passenger rail station in the world.
Louis Sullivan's first skyscraper, the terra cotta-embellished 1892 Wainwright Building, can be seen at 709 Chestnut Street. Another Sullivan masterpiece, the simple and elegant Wainwright Tomb, stands as a mournful monument to lost love in St. Louis' historic Bellefontaine Cemetery. The beer barons of St. Louis built a lasting monument to their craft just south of downtown St. Louis. Visitors can tour the headquarters of the world's largest brewer and marvel at the buildings that still house Anheuser-Busch's brewing operations today. Look for the elegant Clydesdale stables, complete with stained glass windows and chandeliers.
An elaborate monument to moving pictures was erected in St. Louis in 1929. The fabulous Fox Theatre, described as Siamese-Byzantine in design, now anchors the Grand Center arts and entertainment district. Across the street, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performs in Powell Hall, modeled after the French palace of Versailles. The district also boasts the restored Art Deco Continental Building and the Saint Louis University Museum of Art, housed in a 103-year-old French Revival mansion. Another popular stop is the historic Samuel Cupples House, noted for its intricately carved woodwork and leaded glass.
Just west of Grand Center, the majestic Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis rises over the chic Central West End neighborhood. The Romanesque-Byzantine cathedral contains the world's most extensive collection of mosaic art. Downtown, St. Louis' French-inspired Old Cathedral, built in 1834, reigns over the city from the edge of the Arch grounds. Across the street, the Old Courthouse, built in stages from 1839 to 1862, is topped by America's first cast iron dome and stunningly restored interior murals and courtrooms.
In Forest Park, The Saint Louis Art Museum was designed by architect Cass Gilbert for the 1904 World's Fair. The renovated 1936 Jewel Box floral conservatory is an Art Deco gem and the park's historic trolley station has been transformed into a visitor center.
The Gateway Arch, built in 1965 as a monument to President Thomas Jefferson, soars 630 feet high above the Mississippi River as the focal point of St. Louis' skyline and the community's love affair with great architecture. Eero Saarinen designed the monument's graceful, stainless-steel catenary curve, creating an international symbol for St. Louis.
Just north of the Arch, the Laclede's Landing entertainment district welcomes visitors to its nine square blocks of restored warehouses along the Mississippi River. The buildings' decorative cast iron and brick fronts reflect rarely preserved commercial architectural styles from the mid-1800s.
MEDIA NOTE: For more information or photography of St. Louis, send an e-mail to pr@explorestlouis.com or call Becky Sharp at 1-314-992-0652. For up-to-date information about St. Louis, your readers should call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040 or check out our website at www.explorestlouis.com. This news release is also available in electronic form. To obtain an electronic version, e-mail your request to pr@explorestlouis.com or go to St. Louis’ online media center at www.explorestlouis.com/media.
