State Architects Select Four County Buildings for Honors

TRENTON – The American Institute of Architects of New Jersey unveiled its list of the state’s 150 Top Buildings and Places in honor of the AIA’s 150th anniversary. Four of them are in Cape May County.
The list was compiled from nominations from throughout New Jersey’s architectural and historical communities and will serve as the basis for an AIA publication as well as an AIA web-based data and resource center on architecture and New Jersey.
“From Sussex County down to Cape May, New Jersey’s architecture is more than just the shape of the structures we work and live in. It is an art form representing our hopes, our values and our dreams. In short, it is a reflection of us,” said Edward N. Rothe, FAIA-AIA 150 Champion.
“With this in mind, each of the sites on the AIA of NJ’s Top 150 Buildings and Places represents the finest architecture New Jersey has to offer,” he stated in a release.
The county sites include:
• Ocean City Boardwalk
• Emlen Physick Estate
• Congress Hall
• Ocean City Hall
The full list includes sites from across the state including several buildings on the Princeton University campus, the State Capitol Complex in Trenton, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, Liberty Hall in Union and internationally recognized symbols such as Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as well as New Jersey’s iconic George Washington Bridge.
Additionally, the ‘AIA of NJ’s Top 150 Buildings and Places’ will form the basis of an AIA Walking Tour of New Jersey booklet, to be released later this summer, and featuring detailed information about each site featured on the list.
The Top 150 Buildings and Places is one of many initiatives marking the AIA’s 150th Anniversary. The AIA also recently launched ‘AIA 150 Schools’, an education based program connecting 150 AIA/New Jersey members with 6th grade students in their area to discuss the importance of architecture in our daily lives and the work of architects.
“It is our hope that by cataloging the greatest architectural achievements of our state’s past, we can inspire future architects to start dreaming about the accomplishments of tomorrow,” Rothe said.
The American Institute of Architects is the professional organization that helps architects serve the public’s needs and builds awareness of the role architects and architecture play in American society.