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Drake University Municipal Observatory

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1920. Waveland Park (48th St. and Waverly Blvd.), end of Observatory Walk

Appropriately, the stone drum surmounted by the moving roof and telescope is the focus of this design. The drum intersects the lower central gable-roofed volume of the building; projecting behind and opposite the drum is a parapeted flat-roofed volume. The detailing of the stone-clad building is classical, with a strong nod toward the Greek. On its hilltop location within the park, the building has the appearance of being a folly within a picturesque English garden.

Writing Credits

Author: 
David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim
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Data

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Citation

David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim, "Drake University Municipal Observatory", [Des Moines, Iowa], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IA-01-CE207.

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