Monday, April 18, 2011

The AEGON Center


The tallest building in Kentucky is Louisville's AEGON Center, designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the architects who brought the world the Puerto de Europa, the PPG Place in Pittsburgh, the Crystal Cathedral of Garden Grove, and the infamous Lipstick Building at NYC's even more infamous corner of 53rd and 3rd.


According to Wikipedia, "the building is constructed of reinforced concrete, as opposed to the steel construction usual for buildings of its height." Interesting. You may make of that what you will. It was completed in 1993, and has held up just fine since then.


Although you can't see it in the close-up photo above, there is a way to get the absolute top of the building by way of a secured ladder-tower leading from the center of the dome's interior, going up to the pinnacle.

There's a photograph of it here on the official U.S. Coast Guard flickr site. I'd love to get up there and take some photos myself.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Amazingly like the Nebraska State Capitol building in Lincoln, NE. Perhaps Philip Johnson and John Burgee were influence by Bertram Goodhue? Pictures at http://capitol.org/

I could say what the unofficial nickname of the Nebraska Capitol is, but probably should not for this audience.

Unknown said...

This member of the audience would like to know! :)

I've always thought Aegon Center (now sans Aegon Corp.), formerly the Capital Holding Building, bears a remarkable resemblance to an uncircumcised penis. When it is lit up for Christmas, folks downtown call it the Big Green Weenie.

Jax Rhapsody said...

I find it funny how it's the largest building but theres a few pictures out there like the on behind the cashiers at LG&E that show it shorter than the PNC building which does look like it has more floors

Larry F said...

OK, Melissa, since you already said the "P" word, the Nebraska Capitol is affectionately referred to as "The Penis of the Plains". At one time, they decorated the top of the tower - where the statue "The Sower" stands - with white lights for the holiday season but the effect was to make it look like the building had had an orgasm.