Look up! The State Capitol and The Des Moines Art Center

Pretty simple idea; look up once in awhile. While on a photo shoot near the State Capitol, I was walking back to the car and looked at our State Capitol building. What an awesome structure! Finished in 1886, it’s one of the most gorgeous buildings in Des Moines in my opinion. Heck, maybe even in the State.

As I walked by, the late evening light accentuated the shapes, cuts and structure of the building. So, I started photographing the different angles. The roundess of the dome and the sharp edges of the facades.

The following images are three of my favorites out of the dozen or more photos I took looking up at the Capitol.

Another unique building in our city is the Des Moines Art Center. The architecture of the original museum wing was designed in a combination of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles by Eliel Saarinen, completed in 1948.

The second addition, originally intended for large-scale sculpture, was designed in a Modernist style by I.M. Pei completed in 1968.

The addition shown in these images was designed by Richard Meier and completed in 1985.

Again, looking up I saw these various angles of the building and the stark contrast of the white covering against the dark blue sky.

Both structures are stunning design styles of architecture and both are in our city. Please take time to visit both! Or, enjoy taking photos of each of these superb buildings.