Colorado Springs Vintage Homes Blog

Archive for March 4th, 2009

Air Force Academy is finally built in Colorado Springs

Air Force Academy

• An early history of Ft. Carson
• After fierce competition Colorado Springs finally lands the Air Force Academy
• History of Ft. Carson part II

The Federal Government and the Air Force considered the Academy’s design extremely important. Air Force Secretary Talbott stated, ” We want our structures to be as efficient and as flexible in their design as the most modern projected aircraft.” The Air Force chose the nationally-recognized architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Associates (SOM) to make its vision for the Academy a reality.

Ground was finally broken in 1955 and as many as 5000 people were needed to build the largest single education facility ever built in the United States

The Academy had a new style of architecture that used glass, aluminum, steel, and concrete rather than traditional materials like stone, marble, or brick.  The design sparked heated debate and severe criticism from citizens and politicians alike. Read the rest of this entry »

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