Contrast Even while nestled in the Texas Victorian homes of the King William District in San Antonio, Texas, a picture of modern architecture resides in the background. The Tower of Americas is an overpowering structure built during the 1968 Hemisfair. Over 300ft. in height, the Tower is a determining feature of the San Antonio skyline. This modern building sharply contrasts those of Gothic architecture. Tall and sleek, structured and rigid, the Tower stands for all the world to see. The design has none of the six elements of Gothic architecture that John Ruskin loved. There is no savageness, love of change, love of nature, imagination, obstinacy, or generosity in the composition of the Tower. This is a prime example of how the styles of architecture have changed over the centuries. Gone are the styles of the love of nature and love of change. This structure is a product of conformity and staleness. The emphasis in the architecture is on size and being noticed. The Tower does not emphasize detail, originality and craftsmanship as Ruskin would have sought to promote. The Tower stands as a monument to the achievements of man, which seems to celebrate man's arrival at the ultimate society. The shape of the Tower does not reflect shapes that we find in nature but has a much more abstract quality. It is an impossibility for the tower to blend in with its natural surroundings in the way that the iron structure in the garden indeed becomes a part of the landscape. Instead of a rough, individually crafted feel of the Gothic, the Tower gives the feeling of precision and reproducibility. Both of which Ruskin disliked. While it is challenging to apply Ruskin's elements to buildings and much can be discussed concerning how they are applied, the Gothic style becomes very clear when contrasted to a modern building like the Tower of Americas.