AIA150 -- 100 Years of the Gold Medal

THE EMPIRE STATE'S FIRST: The American Institute of Architects in celebration of its 150th anniversary has compiled a list of the 150 Favorite American Buildings based on a survey of 1,800 regular Joes and Janes. The Empire State Building ranks first, followed by The White House, Washington National Cathedral, Jefferson Memorial, and the Golden Gate Bridge. As with any list of this natures, there are some curious picks. For instance, the highest ranking building for Chicago, a city renown for its world famous architecture, is Wrigley Field at No. 31, while the iconic John Hancock Building is nowhere to be found.

Blair Kamin, the Chicago Tribune's Architecture critic has an interesting examination of the list's high (the Vietnam War Memorial at No. 10) and lowlights (The Bellagio at No. 22) and what it all means in the context of what the public likes and what they are supposed to like.