Battle Hall is UT's Most Famous

In celebration of its 150th birthday,the American Institute of Architects (AIA) surveyed over 1,800 randomly selected Americans in late February to compile a list of the 150 Favorite Works of Architecture in the United States. The AIA created a panel that narrowed down the options to 248 structures, which included the Empire State Building, the White House and the Washington National Cathedral.

The University of Texas' own Battle Hall rounded out the list at number 150, the only building from Austin behind the Texas State Capitol, which beat it out at number 92--but who likes that reddish-orange granite thing, anyways? Currently the only academic building on campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Battle is best known for housing perhaps the most beautiful space on campus, the Architecture Library.

Battle Hall was designed by New Yorker Cass Gilbert in 1911. Gilbert also helped in designing The U.S. Supreme Court Building and The Minnesota State Capitol. His decision to add a Spanish-Mediterranean style to the building quickly became the exemplar for all future buildings on campus.

Photo courtesy of Paul Pleasant