York is a town known for its historic architecture. The downtown alone has examples of several dozen distinctive architectural styles from the mid-18th century through the mid-20th century. Beyond the downtown, however, there are many buildings constructed during the Modern period of architecture, which roughly spans the 1930s through 1970s. While there are a number of styles that fall under Modernism (e.g., International, Formalism, Bauhaus, Brutalism), a common thread between buildings designed in this period is a simplification of form and lack of ornamentation. Rather, the structure of the building itself is viewed as ornamentation.
With the development of suburbs around York City in the mid-20th century, many new Modernist buildings were constructed. Though smaller and simpler than their urban counterparts, these buildings embraced the styles of the day. One of the design approaches that I find compelling is the local interest in round buildings. A few of these circular structures still stand, but others have been demolished - Modernist buildings are often viewed as ugly, and thus have fewer supporters to rally for their preservation when compared to Colonial or even Victorian era buildings. A notable national exception has been taking place in neighboring Adams County, where preservationists have been able to thus far save the old Cyclorama building in Gettysburg from the wrecking ball. Designed by famed Modernist architect Richard Neutra, the Cyclorama is a perfect example of one of the axioms of the movement: form follows function. The round building was designed to house the famous 360-degree painting by French artist Paul Philippoteaux entitled The Battle of Gettysburg.
Why was there a short period of local interest in round buildings? Certainly the concept was not new. In fact, the most famous circular building in the world is probably the Colosseum in Rome, which was completed in 80 A.D. In the 20th century, Frank Lloyd Wright designed the spiral Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which opened in 1959 and certainly influenced architects throughout the United States. Neutra's Cyclorama in nearby Gettysburg was constructed two years later. But it was the 1964 New York World's Fair that perhaps inspired a generation of architects to design "in the round." Many of the Fair's futuristic buildings, or pavilions as they were called, were either totally round or partially circular structures. These pavilions included those of Ford, General Motors, Westinghouse, DuPont, Coca-Cola, and Westinghouse, as well as the Transportation and Travel Pavilion. Even the famed observation towers employed a round "flying saucer" like design.
Locally, there were quite a few circular buildings constructed in the decade that followed the World's Fair.
Moore Cadillac (later Griffith and then Shaull) is one such example. It was built in 1970 from a design by Noonan Engineering. The building stood along South Queen Street.
The Pennsylvania State Bank building between South Queen Street and Hollywood Drive was initially a small, totally round building that was designed by Buchart Associates. It was later expanded with a large, half-round addition. The building still stands, and is today home to M&T Bank.
The striking Ohev Sholom Synagogue was constructed on Eastern Boulevard in 1968 and torn down less than thirty years later.
York City School District's Hannah Penn Junior High School (Middle School) on East Boundary Avenue also employed the circular form, in this case for construction of the school's auditorium.
Even the Peach Bottom Atomic Information Center, which was located at the nuclear power plant in southeastern York County, utilized a round building, perhaps drawing inspiration from the nearby cooling tower.
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