Arizona state capitol building among ‘ugliest’ in nation, website finds

PHOENIX — They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder — but one website found no beauty in the Arizona state capitol building.

Arizona’s state capitol building was ranked among the ugliest state capitols in the entire nation, according to Thrillist.

The author of the post said they have worked in a number of “sterile, brutalist government buildings, but Arizona’s state capitol building in downtown Phoenix looks like it was lifted from Bratislava circa 1983.” (Not really a compliment.)

The author also highlights Arizona’s decision to sell off the capitol building — which doubles as a museum — along with several other state buildings in the complex, to private interests in 2009, a move that they called “one of the more embarrassing anecdotes of government malfeasance.”

“Things could have been so much different for the government complex,” read the article. “Back in the 1950s, state lawmakers turned down the chance to transform the government mall into a manicured oasis in the name of fiscal responsibility.

“The master plan’s architect? None other than Frank Lloyd Wright, who was keen on adding gardens, reflecting pools, and fountains,” the article continued, leading the reader on a “what could have been” moment.

But Arizona wasn’t alone in its ugliness: Thrillest also identified New Mexico, Alaska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Florida and Oregon as having ugly state capitol buildings.

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