PARKitecture in Western National Parks

from Yahoo!Picks:

In the early 20th century, National Park Service engineers, architects, and landscape architects embraced the notion of "designing with nature" to create rustic structures that commingled harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. The design ethic, since dubbed "parkitecture," resulted in much of the stone and wood creations we see today in parks throughout the West. It extended from entrance signs and entry stations to bridges, kiosks, and lodges. This online exhibit shows off some of the best examples from 10 beloved parks, among them the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Yosemite national parks. We loved the organic grace of the Triple Arches Bridge in Glacier National Park and the subtlety of the Grand Canyon's Hermit's Rest. The lobby of Mount Rainier's Paradise Inn, built in 1917, looks as fresh and modern as anything you'd see from another group that derives its moniker from "architecture": today's starchitects. (in Design Arts)