Architecture

Pritzker-prize winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha is known for bold simplicity and an innovative use of concrete and steel.

Paulo Mendes da Rocha calls this modest home a a multifaceted event in the landscape and a suite of little surprises. Located in Cabreuva, a small town northwest of São Paulo, the house is linear and symmetrical, while its pool is rounded and irregular. Inside the house, straight concrete walls are juxtaposed with a curved stone wall.

^{~Pritzker Prize Committee}

In keeping with Daniel Libeskind's master plan for the World Trade Center site, towers 2, 3, and 4 will form a descending spiral toward the Memorial.

The Naoshima Ferry Terminal is set on a small island in the Inland Sea of Japan. The terminal area is sheltered by a large roof measuring approximately 39,000 square feet. Glass walls enclose the waiting area, cafe, and visitors center.

Architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa began the project in 2003. The Naoshima Ferry Terminal was completed in 2006.

What is it about the Second Empire style? These tall houses with their high mansard roofs are the favored setting for spooky movies like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. But when French architects used the term horror vacui, they weren't thinking about murder or ghosts. According to early critics, the opulent Second Empire style expressed a fear of unadorned surfaces.

More: Halloween Round-Up from our Home & Garden Guides

^{Photo: Jordan House in Auburn, Maine designed and built by Charles A. Jordan, ca 1880. � Ken Zirkel/iStockphoto}

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On Oct. 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland. Designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the statue became one of the most enduring symbols of the United States. Learn about the design and history of America's most famous sculpture: The Statue of Liberty

_{Photo: The Statue of Liberty in New York. � 2000-2006 NewOpenWorld Foundation}

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This week we dug deeper into Victorian styles, explored spooky architecture, and received some amazing submissions from our readers. New and updated:

• Second Empire Architecture
• Top Spooky Buildings
• Victorian House Styles
• Build a French-style house
• Charles Garnier: Designer of the Paris Opera

Reader Submissions:

• 1950s Ranch With an International Flavor
• Chinese Colors for a Ranch Style House
• Dreams for Neverland

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The famous Saint Louis Gateway Arch in Missouri celebrates a birthday today. Designed by Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen, the arch officially opened on October 28, 1965.

The Saint Louis Gateway Arch is actually an enormous steel catenary curve. It commemorates Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and symbolizes the gateway to the American West.

Challenge: Are you a math whiz? See if you can solve this Catenary Curve problem.

^{St. Louis Gateway Arch Photo: ArtToday.com}

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