Highrise #22

**Buffalo City Hall** **Art by:** Chris Hytha **Story by:** Mark Houser The city council of Buffalo made the best decision in its history in 1926 when it rejected its municipal architect’s uninspiring plan for a new civic building. Instead they turned to John Wade, an opinionated local designer who produced one of the most spectacular Art Deco highrises ever constructed. The elegantly stepped sandstone mass features stylized carvings and polychromatic terracotta in geometric Native American motifs. A frieze over the entrance depicts the city writing her future, surrounded by stevedores, ironworkers, and research chemists; the rear frieze showcases key historic episodes. In the lobby are ...View all