Salt Lake City’s Modern Architecture

The postwar era led to a threefold population increase in Salt Lake County between 1940 and 1980 and brought with it a building boom largely concentrated in Salt Lake City. Office towers reached farther toward the sky, college campuses grew outward to accommodate the influx of students on the GI Bill, religious facilities were built for a diversifying population, and arenas and theaters were constructed for people enjoying their newly discovered leisure time. This building boom was anchored in Modernism, an architectural movement defined by rationalism and functionalism. Modernism first caught hold in large American cities then proliferated to the rest of the country in more provincial cities like Salt Lake. This book explores the lasting impression of Modernism on Salt Lake's built environment and highlights projects by both homegrown architects as well as architects from farther afield practicing in the burgeoning city. Landmark structures such as the First Security Bank building and the Salt Palace highlight the city's Modern architecture and, along with more mundane examples, bring it to light at a moment when it is increasingly targeted for demolition.