shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNew York

at the head of Niagara Square in downtown Buffalo, a few blocks east of the Lake Erie waterfront

Buffalo City Hall Art Deco

— — a civic tower with a sunburst at the top.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A 32-story Art Deco shaft of limestone and sandstone, finished in 1931 to a design by John Wade and George Dietel. The crown is set back in stepped tiers with a polychrome frieze, and the lobby ceiling is a band of sunburst medallions and bronze. The observation deck on the 28th floor opens to the public most weekdays and looks west across the harbour to Lake Erie and north along the grid toward the Peace Bridge. — from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

Buffalo City Hall Art Deco, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Buffalo City Hall Art Deco

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Buffalo City Hall stands at the head of Niagara Square in downtown Buffalo, the seat of the city's government and one of the largest municipal buildings in the United States. The 32-story tower rises about 378 feet and was completed in 1931 to a design by John Wade and George Dietel of the local firm Dietel, Wade and Jones, with sculptural programme by Albert Stewart and Rene Paul Chambellan. The McKinley Monument, an obelisk by Carrere and Hastings commemorating President William McKinley's 1901 assassination at the Pan-American Exposition, stands directly in front of the building.

— informed by Wikipedia, City of Buffalo

— the stone

The exterior pairs Minnesota Mankato stone at the base with Ohio sandstone above. The composition is American Art Deco in its civic register: a broad limestone base, stepped setbacks rising into a tower, and a crown ringed by a polychrome terracotta frieze depicting the industries, agriculture, and history of western New York. The main lobby's ceiling is a coffered field of sunburst medallions in red, gold, and blue. The building is a National Historic Landmark and is widely cited among the finest Art Deco municipal buildings in the country.

— informed by National Park Service

— the visit

Open to the public on weekdays during business hours; entry is free. The 28th-floor observation deck is reached by elevator and a short stair and looks west across Lake Erie, north along Main Street, and out to the Peace Bridge crossing to Fort Erie, Ontario. Free guided tours are offered most weekdays at noon, led by the Preservation League of New York State and city staff. Niagara Square sits at the intersection of Court, Genesee, and Niagara Streets, with the Metro Rail's Lafayette Square station a short walk east.

— informed by City of Buffalo tours

— where

United States · Downtown Buffalo, Erie County, New York

— position

42.8864° N · 78.8784° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

at the lake

Niagara Square

civic plaza

at the lake

McKinley Monument

monument

1 km W

Lake Erie Waterfront

lakefront

2 km NW

Peace Bridge

international bridge

Buffalo City Hall Art Deco

Niagara Square

McKinley Monument

Lake Erie Waterfront

Peace Bridge

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Buffalo City Hall Art Deco — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

1931. The building was designed by John Wade and George Dietel of Dietel, Wade and Jones and stands at the head of Niagara Square in downtown Buffalo, the city's seat of government.

About 378 feet across 32 stories, making it one of the largest and tallest municipal buildings in the United States. The observation deck sits on the 28th floor.

American Art Deco in its civic register, with a limestone-and-sandstone exterior, stepped setbacks, and a crown ringed by a polychrome terracotta frieze depicting western New York's industries and history.

Yes. The lobby and the 28th-floor observation deck are open weekdays during business hours, free of charge. Guided tours are offered most weekdays at noon.

Lake Erie and the harbour to the west, the Buffalo grid and Main Street to the north, the Peace Bridge crossing to Fort Erie, Ontario, and the surrounding downtown rooftops.

Yes. Buffalo City Hall is a National Historic Landmark and is widely cited among the finest Art Deco municipal buildings in the United States.

— about the piece in your home

It's been a meaningful gift for Buffalonians, former residents, and architecture lovers with ties to western New York. The City Hall silhouette is one of the most recognised in the city. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries well.

The limestone-and-terracotta register reads well in Art Deco interiors, Industrial-modern lofts, and pre-war apartments. It also suits Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms where deep reds, golds, and blues already live.

Yes. It fits the Art Deco revival pulling stepped geometries and warm-metal palettes back into interiors, and it suits Industrial-modern rooms where civic-architecture imagery already reads.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural. Above a console or hall table, a Medium. The full tower benefits from a vertical 9-tile Mural where wall height allows.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installations including backsplashes and shower walls.

A microfibre cloth and water. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, so it does not require sealing, polishing, or special cleaners.

Yes. The piece is made by Reid Wender in a single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. The work is not licensed from a third party and is not sold through other vendors.

— if this one stayed with you

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