Minneapolis' SmithGroup makes law offices homey
An article in Legal Times reports a trend among big law firms: Dump the traditional trappings in favor of "soft seating, unique lighting and funky art." One big reason for the change is recruitment. Firms want to appear hip to young, brainy law school grads. Another reason: Those grads will be pouring over briefs and depositions for more than eight hours per day. Jodie Leppa of SmithGroup in Minneapolis is quoted as saying that firms "want to make them as comfortable as possible while they're doing that."

Thom Mayne's alleged gentler side
Don't let the New York Times headline fool you ("A Defiant Architect's Gentler Side"), Thom Mayne of Morphosis in California is still combative. This article begins with a description of Mann's lovely design for Phare Tower in Paris, calling it "an elegant silhouette draped in a diaphanous skin." And then we're off to stories of Mann cooperating with federal clients in designs for the U.S. General Services Administration (courthouses, etc.). But by the end of this piece, the outspoken Mann reemerges: "I fought violently for the autonomy of architecture. It's a very passive, weak profession where people deliver a service. You want a blue door, you get a blue door. You want it to look neo-Spanish, you get neo-Spanish."

Barbour/LaDouceur wins Builder's Choice award
Fargo has a very uncosmopolitan reputation. The Donaldson Hotel is trying to change that. The 17-room downtown landmark recently underwent a renovation overseen by Barbour/LaDouceur, a Minneapolis firm. Working with builder Foss Associates and developer Old Fargo, the architects helped put downtown Fargo on the map again. A Fargo Forum article describes the hotel as "an icon of Fargo's new growth." There are 17 "custom suites" in the 1893 building, a restaurant, jazz bar and a rooftop garden.

Rapson's 1963 Guthrie comes down
The Star Tribune reports that the Walker Art Center's contractor has begun dismantling the old Guthrie Theater, designed by Minneapolis architect Ralph Rapson. Preservationists organized SavetheGuthrie.org, a local group led by musician Paul Metsa and architect Bob Roscoe. The group called the building "a peerless architectural accomplishment." In 2002, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Guthrie one of the nation's most endangered historic sites. Concluded a 2002 press release by SavetheGuthrie.org, "It should be clear to all: Destruction of the original Guthrie Theater would be ill advised, tragic and stupid; stupid for being done with no regard for art, for history and for future generations of Americans."

Hometown connection
The Times Record in Fort Smith, Arkansas reports that Minneapolis architect Jeffrey Scherer of Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle will help design another library in that city. Scherer is a native of Fort Smith, a city of about 82,000 people.

GSA modernist controversy continues
While a Chicago Tribune story reported that the federal government's General Services Administration appointed a modernist to be chief architect, a recent Wall Street Journal article notes that the agency also chose a "traditionalist" to be "federal architectural fellow." The November 29 WSJ article is only available by subscription or through library databases. The WSJ article says that "David Winstead, the GSA's commissioner of the Public Buildings Services, says the appointments ensure the 'full spectrum' of architects will be hired."

Barnes, designer of Walker Art Center, wins posthumous AIA Gold Medal
Edward Larrabee Barnes, a modernist who designed the original brick Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, was awarded the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal a few days ago. Barnes died in 2004; he was 89. The San Diego Tribune and Architectural Record reported on the award in recent days. The AIA notes that Barnes is "best remembered for fusing Modernism with vernacular architecture and understated design." Read more about Barnes here. (Photo courtesy of Dallas Morning News, 1990, showing Barnes at Los Angeles' Hammer Museum)

Andrew's Modern House, Part 5
Construction workers are trying to tighten up Andrew Blauvelt's modern house before the snow arrives. Last time we visited the house, architect Julie Snow and Blauvelt were frustrated with the way the concrete base turned out. We'll see what they have to say about the house this time. This link will take you to the iTunes store version of the Building Minnesota podcast. With your PC or Mac, you can listen to the audio-only version of Andrew's Modern House, Part 5 podcast (recorded just a couple of weeks ago) or you can watch a version that includes photos. The version with photos takes a while to download, even with a high-speed connection, so be patient. (Photo by Scott Theisen)

What's that concrete look like?
Radio lacks visuals. In the podcasts of Andrew's Modern House, there's a lot of discussion about concrete and the client and architect's desire to have the finished product appear smooth. Here's what the material looked like after the pour. (Photo by Scott Theisen)

Andrew's Modern House, A Summary So Far
Andrew Blauvelt and Julie Snow are friends. He's a design curator at the Walker Art Center. She's an architect. After designing Julie's modernist book (Julie Snow Architects, Princeton Architectural Press), Andrew is having Julie design his modernist house. But they're both worried about the outcome. The south facing exterior wall is concrete and concrete is tricky to get perfect. Since December 2005, I've been tracking construction of the house, which is located at 38th and Lyndale avenues in south Minneapolis on the Building Minnesota podcast. Andrew's Modern House, A Summary So Far brings new listeners up-to-date on the progress of the house through early September 2005. At that time, both Andrew and Julie worried about a concrete wall that wraps around the bottom of the house. (Photo by Scott Theisen)

Yet another national pub writes about new Minneapolis architecture
USA Today is the latest national publication to write about the local art and architecture scene. The new Guthrie, expanded Walker, expanded MIA, soon-to-be expanded Weisman and the Chambers Hotel are all included in this article. Ralph Burnett, the owner of the Chambers, goes so far as to say the city has the third-best art scene in the country, trailing only New York and Chicago, yet ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco. William Griswold, newish director at the MIA, says "I didn't know Minneapolis before I started to talk to the trustees about this job." The story also states that Frank Gehry has "drawn plans" for a Weisman expansion, but provides no other details.