Charleston is renowned for its excellent range of buildings that cover a variety of architectural styles. When taking a look across the city, what are some of the interesting styles and a few of the iconic buildings that represent them?
"Riviera Theater, Charleston, SC" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by w_lemay
Art Deco and the Riviera Theatre
While Art Deco isn’t the most common style across Charleston, it gives the city one of its most easily recognizable buildings. The Riviera Theatre is located in the downtown area and is one of the most striking landmarks around here. It was built in 1939 and was mainly used as a movie theater until the 1970s. The famously good acoustics have made it a legendary spot for music shows over the years, but it wasn’t until 2021 that it was opened to the public again after several decades of being closed.
Art Deco is a style we can also see in several influential movies, starting with 1927’s Metropolis, before continuing with 1991’s Rocketeer and 2013’s The Great Gatsby. The style is also used to create an elegant setting in some of the live games in this NJ online casino. Lightning Roulette by Evolution and Lightning Dice by the same creator are set in Art Deco studios and feature live-streamed dealers. While gold and black are heavily used in these games, the Riviera’s current decoration shows how other colors also work well with the style.
Georgian Style at Drayton Hall
The Georgian style puts symmetrical lines and elegance as the most important elements. It can be seen in buildings across the planet, with some fine examples in Charleston. Drayton Hall is a plantation house that dates back to the 18th century and is now open for visitors who want to step back in time by looking around its stylish interior and grounds. Built in 1771 in the Georgian style, the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon has also become an important tourist attraction that takes visitors through the city’s long and fascinating history, with a particular focus on the American Revolution and the colonial period. The wealth of well-preserved buildings from the colonial era that can be seen in the Holy City explains why the 2000 movie The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, was largely filmed here.
The Colonial Revival Architecture at Boone Hall Plantation
This plantation is now widely known by movie fans after its appearance in 2004's The Notebook, where local spots played the part of the fictional town of Seabrook. It’s built in the Colonial Revival style, which dates back to the end of the 19th century and was inspired by the diverse architectural ideas that were seen in the different colonial periods in North America. It’s open daily, with house tours, plantation tractor tours, and a garden tour as well as various historic exhibits.
These different buildings across the city and surrounding area show the rich history and various influences that have helped build Charleston into what it is today. By visiting these sites and learning about the history of the city, we can see how these buildings continue to play an important role in helping us understand our past.
