Building Minnesota ponders its future
Postings to Building Minnesota are likely to be much less frequent in the near future. We're currently suffering from a lack of funding. And a lack of funding means time must be spent seeking funding so Building Minnesota isn't homeless. Thanks for your patience.

Baseball writer loves new Twins stadium
Jin Souhan can't wait for April 2010 when a Minnesota Twins pitcher (probably not Johan Santana) throws the first pitch at the team's new downtown ballpark. Souhan is a sports columnist for the Star Tribune and maybe he's suffering from cabin fever. Or maybe he's just plain impressed with the design for the new stadium. Either way, he's excited.

"The joint is unique. The rough limestone and wooden outer walls are interspersed with glass 'knotholes,' so fans walking by can see the field," Souhan writes. "The plaza area beyond the right field seats offers a clear view and a beautiful entry into the park."

He also raved about the lack of "traditional light stanchions," wide, heated concourses and the ballpark's intimacy. There may be only 40,000 seats or so in the new stadium. To view a Star Tribune slideshow of the ballpark model, click here.

Should Minneapolis remove its skyways in an effort to revitalize its streets?
That's the question we asked Building Minnesota readers over the past week. In an unscientific poll, a majority of respondents (58 percent) said that was a "simplistic solution to a complex urban problem." About one-third of readers (30 percent) said, "Yes. Skyways are for sissies." (I hope these people are walking outside today! Brrrrr.) And one-fifth of people (20 percent) completing our little survey embraced the elevated walkways: "Heck no. I'd freeze to death," they said.

When I designed the poll, I allowed readers to vote in more than one category. That's why the percentages listed above exceed 100 percent. (Gallup and Zogby will never hire me.)

Surprisingly, no one said, "I love that song by the Replacements." I do.

You take the skyway
High above the busy little one-way
In my stupid hat and gloves at night I lie awake
Wondering if I'll sleep
Wondering if we'll meet out in the street

You take the skyway
It don't move at all like a subway
It's got bums when it's cold like any other place
It's warm up inside
Sittin' down and waitin' for a ride
Beneath the skyway

Oh, then one day, I saw you walkin' down that little one-way
Where, the place I'd catch my ride most everyday
There wasn't a damn thing I could do or say
Up in the skyway

Video tour of Minneapolis architecture
New to town and want a four-minute video tour of Minneapolis? Or maybe it's just too cold to get out there and see stuff. Either way, check out this video from Cool Hunting. Filmmaker Evan Orensten follows University of Minnesota College of Design Professor John Comazzi around town as he talks about architecture. It even includes original music, which is always a plus.

An 'exotic' replacement for the Lowry Avenue Bridge?
As a southsider, my favorite part of Northeast Minneapolis is Marshall Avenue, especially the rows of bars offering dagos, cheap beer and pull tabs. (Remember the old Polish Palace?) After a cold one, there's nothing like the thrill of driving over the Lowry Avenue bridge, located just west of Lowry and Marshall Avenues. It's the kind of bridge that makes you want to hang your head out the window, listen to the thump-thump-thump of the car's tires banging over the steel truss bridge.

Unfortunately, all good fun must come to an end.

Hennepin County plans to replace the aging bridge, which was constructed in 1958 with, according to the Star Tribune, "some 1905 components." Hmmm, I wonder what that means. The county wants to spend $109 million on a new bridge. Construction could start as early as next year, but that would depend on the state and federal governments kicking in a ton of dough ($24 million and $73 million respectively). Designs range from steel archbasket handle to single pylon cable-stayed to concrete box. I highly recommend clicking on this link to the Star Tribune graphic that accompanied the article to see pictures of the possible designs. They're pretty cool.

But if you're like Pete Hanson of Rocket Crane Co. (his business is near the bridge), you'll say, give me a simple bridge. "As a taxpayer of Hennepin County, or the state of Minnesota, do we really need to have an exotic bridge there? ... I don't believe so," Hanson told a Strib reporter.

In-depth: Clure Project in Duluth
In November, we announced the AIA Minnesota Honor Award winners for 2007. We included photos of all of the winning projects, except one: Clure Project in Duluth, by Samela Architects. We're going to rectify that today with several photos of this breathtaking project, which I had the opportunity to visit a couple of summers ago. I'd interviewed the architect, David Salmela, several months previously and was driving back from a North Shore vacation when I decided to show my wife this super cool trio of houses Salmela had designed on a rocky cliff overlooking downtown Duluth and Lake Superior. I couldn't really remember where it was, so we zigged and zagged through the circuitous streets of Duluth before finally locating the houses. After stepping out of the car and tiptoeing our way to the edge of the driveway, I began pointing out specific details of the project to my wife when Gladys Salmela (David's wife) invited us inside their home for a closer look. Since our visit was impromptu, this was totally unexpected and quite kind!

Anyway, David Salmela writes that the Clure Project"recycles a small pocket neighborhood in an area of Duluth that has historic, tragic and neglected significance."

Here's David Salmela's history of the site and details of the project, as excerpted from his AIA Honor Award application: "From 1891 until 1939, an incline rail system operated in the right of way of a local city avenue as a means for citizens to climb the 509 feet to the top of the ridge. The raised rail system that cut through the Canadian Shield was abandoned in September of 1939 after the end of streetcar service in the rest of the city. Three 100 year old houses that had flanked the Incline remained on this idyllic setting till now. Over 15 years ago, our client purchased a large vacant parcel of land adjacent to the right of way the Incline had previously occupied. They built a two family house for themselves & one set of parents. Over the next years, they managed to purchase an additional parcel of land and the three old houses, all of which were accessed by a semi-private half-street. With the unfortunate passing of their parents our clients were left with a house that was too large for them, and the idea to redevelop the adjoining properties in a progressive sustainable urban statement was born.





"The three houses were demolished with the intension of replacing them with three new houses. After numerous interactions with the city, a new plan was approved that involved burying all telephone & utility lines, the combining of certain parcels of land, the vacation of a
avenue (that which had been the right of way for the Incline) to make it a build-able piece of land, the re-planning of road access coming in to each property, and the ultimate reconfiguring of the plats of each property. The previous homes had been situated based on a standard city grid facing the avenue -- the new houses were placed in response to the elevation shifts in the site and to take advantage of the visual corridors to the lake, the harbor and surrounding vistas, while also fulfilling tight restrictionsof setbacks and easements. The planning of the interior spaces within each home take these same issues into consideration: maximizing natural light and views of the surrounding areas, while assuring necessary privacy given the proximity of the houses to each other and their neighbors.

"Construction was completed with little disruption of land or vegetation. In two of the houses this meant that portions the ledge rock are visible and present on the interiors. The size and formal vocabulary of the new homes was developed based on the pragmatics and economy of construction. One house has less than 2000 S.F. of living space and the second and third houses less than 3000 S.F. All were built for $180 to $230 per S.F. (including landscaping.)

"Each house was designed to be sustainable with high-efficiency mechanical systems and smart planning that allows for passive solar heating & natural ventilation through operable windows on all sides of the houses and strategic placement of decks, exterior stairways and screens. A conscious attempt was made to use local and recycled materials as much as possible. All buildings are clad in a monolithic recycled paper-resin composite that is sourced locally and a mix of recycled, aging & standard wood on the remaining exterior for practicality as well as design balance.

"Plat-lines were reconfigured for each property in this project, yet the land is treated in a way that unifies 4 houses (the client’s original adjoining house is presently beingrenovated in the same sustainable attitude) to make them feel a part of something larger than their own property. Local stone from near by taconite mines make up the dry laid retaining walls at the street areas that define yards as much as they connect one house to the next. Excavated rock was used at the remaining steep slopes and local crushed granite landscapes the difficult transition surfaces at garages, terraces & parking areas.





"This project not only revitalizes a small pocket-neighborhood, it very boldly expresses its pleasure to be a part of its larger neighborhood. Our clients understood the importance of making the project a multiple house/family project that embraces the density of its urban setting, rather than creating one large house that claims several lots as its own. It expresses a fresh way of living in a community that masterfully balances individual privacy and common areas that foster neighbor-ship.

"For this picturesque city situated on a large body of water, it offers an example of how to respect both the views and the land, while being responsible, sustainable and modest." (Photos by Peter Bastianelli Kerze)

Eyesore of the Month
If you're not a fan of modernism, the Eyesore of the Month might be for you. Published by James Howard Kunstler, author of Geography of Nowhere, the feature singles out what it believes are ugly examples of new buildings. Suburban eyesores sometimes make the list, but the feature's biggest targets are often museums and office buildings designed by modernists. This month, the Eyesore blasts the Akron Art Museum in Akron, Ohio, calling it something that looks like a "mechanical alligator snarfing down a Beaux Arts post office." I read "Geography of Nowhere" and liked it, but to me, Kunstler is a new urbanist who wishes American architecture would return to 1922 and stay there. Forever. But maybe I'm wrong. What do you think? (Photo courtesy of Eyesore of the Month, JamesKunstler.com)

Project photos: MacPhail Center for Music
If you missed the hoopla of the grand opening of the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, don't worry. James Dayton Design just e-mailed us a batch of digital images and we've uploaded several photos to the site. To listen to an interview with architect Jim Dayton or see a slideshow I produced while the project was under construction, go to iTunes and click "subscribe." It's free. If you attended the opening and have actually been inside of the new MacPhail, tell us what you think by clicking on "comments" at the end of this post.



MacPhail Center for Music performance space (above).



MacPhail Center for Music, interior (above).



MacPhail Center for Music, north elevation (above). That room at the top of the sixth floor tower, the one with the glass, that's for drummers. Rock out, man!



MacPhail Center for Music, west elevation (above).



MacPhail Center for Music (above). I like this photo because you can see the mix of materials used on the building: Cor-Ten steel, brick and zinc.

Skyways: Love them or hate them?
On Tuesday, I offered a post about skyways, inspired by Jay Walljasper's column about the topic. Abysmal Chick, a Minneapolis reader, has responded, saying she loves the slender tubes that link our downtown buildings. What do you think? Fill out the survey on the right hand column of this page or add your thoughts to what I think could be a great debate. BTW, I'm inclined to agree with Abysmal Chick ... it's hard to image living without them in our frigid little city. (Photo courtesy of Jim Winstead, Jr. via Flickr.)

MoMA jumps on prefab bandwagon
Two years ago, the Walker Art Center presented Some Assembly Required: Contemporary Prefabricated Houses, a show dedicated to prefabricated architecture. Now the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is announcing plans to do its own prefab thing. MoMA is giving five architects $175,000 to design and construct prefabs on a vacant lot near the Midtown Manhattan museum. The five winners didn't include any Minnesotans: KieranTimberlake of Philadelphia, Lawrence Sass of Massachusetts, Douglas Gauthier and Jermy Edmiston of Manhattan, Oskar Leo Kaufmann and Albert Ruf of Austria, and Richard Horden of Horden Cherry Lee in London. The show opens July 20.

Skyways in Minnesota: Necessary or a city killer?
It's a debate I had just the other day with my wife. We were walking through downtown Minneapolis on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, worrying about the future of our city's core shopping district. I wanted to take the skyway. She wanted to take the sidewalk. Skyways killed the vibrancy of downtown Minneapolis, she said. C'mon, I replied, it's Minnesota. We'll freeze without them.

Jay Walljasper has also been thinking about our lack of an urban fabric in downtown Minneapolis. In an op-ed piece in the Star Tribune, Walljasper argues that downtown St. Paul is more alive in the cold months than its bigger twin because of outdoor skating and the Winter Carnival. He also quotes Jan Gehl, an "urban-livability consultant" (that's a cool job) as saying, "When you glass in the city, you eliminate the 'bad' days but also all the 'good' days. That is too much of a price to pay. You miss the fresh air, the street life. You may have 20 bad days a year when you want to stay indoors, but 200 good ones you miss. I say you make the city as good as possible for the good days, and that will carry it through on the bad days." (Gehl is pictured at right above, with Helle SoHolt of Gehl Architects in Copenhagen.)

What do you think?

Afraid your favorite building might be knocked down?
If so, nominate it for the 2008 Ten Most Endangered Historic Minnesota Places. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota is accepting nominations for the list through February 1. A Microsoft Word file of the nomination form is available at the alliance’s website. To request a nomination form in a slightly more old fashioned way, send an e-mail to kandre@mnpreservation.org or call the alliance office at (651) 293-9047.

The Preservation Alliance notes that "of the 125 places recognized over the list's history, almost half are know to have been saved through the awareness generated by its listing. Success stories include Minneapolis’ Sears warehouse building which was listed in 1995. Now a urban marketplace called the Midtown Exchange, the project received a national preservation award in 2006. Similarly, the Litchfield Opera House, listed twice on the Ten Most Endangered, has been purchased from the city by a nonprofit group who has plans to reuse the National Register site as a community arts center."

MacPhail Center for Music opens Saturday
The Jim Dayton-designed MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis opens Saturday with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting. While there aren't any architecture tours planned, visitors will be free to wander around the building and check things out for themselves. (Full schedule is here.) For about 75 years, MacPhail occupied a four-story, brick building in downtown Minneapolis. The school didn't have much in the way of performance space. It also lacked soundproof practice rooms and humidity control for sensitive instruments at its former location.

"You can walk around the old building at MacPhail and you’re not exactly sure what happens here. It does look a little bit like an old department store fallen on hard times," says David O'Fallon, MacPhail president.

In September, we interviewed Jim Dayton of James Dayton Design about the 55,000 square-foot building made of silvery zinc, glass and Cor-Ten steel.



You can listen to two versions of that story. The first one is the 5-minute radio story that includes a narrative and features comments from O'Fallon and Dayton. The longer story is a one-on-one interview with Dayton about his architectural influences (Frank Gehry, for one) and his philosophy. Both are embedded here for your listening convenience.

powered by ODEO


powered by ODEO

For a print story on MacPhail, Mary Abbe of the Star Tribune published a story in this morning's paper.

Julie Snow helps choose Colorado AIA Honor Award winners
After a recent trip to the Mile High City, I stumbled across this article in the Denver Post highlighting Colorado AIA Honor Award winners. Julie Snow of Julie Snow Architects in Minneapolis led a panel of four judges in picking winning projects. Their top pick: Museum Residences, 12th and Broadway, designed by Daniel Libeskind of New York City. Libeskind, as you may know, also drew up plans for the expansion of the Denver Art Museum. (The Museum Residences are pictured above in a photo taken by me. For a more elegant shot, click on the Denver Post link above and download the PDF of the Post article.)

Snow's comments: "This was, what would I say, a very controversial project. (We) really understood that maybe these forms were better for housing than they are for a museum. And (we) really like the idea of wrapping the residences around the parking and giving the museum some context."

During my visit, I couldn't get into the Museum Residences, but after waiting in line for about an hour, I slipped into Libeskind's new building.



The Libeskind addition connects to the original building via a second-floor skyway. The addition has four floors and has a breathtaking view of the lobby from above.



However, the jutting angles also create dead space.



For the most part, the Denver Art Museum did a pretty good job of tackling this problem. Sometimes, it dangled paintings from above so that they floated into space. Other times, they erected walls to create "art nooks." One of my favorites was this nook for Louise Bourgeois' "The Quartered One," a sculpture she created in 1964-65.



I also visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, designed by David Adjaye, the same architect hired to create an office/condo/hotel tower in downtown St. Paul. I'll post those in a few days.

Twins hope to LEED the way
Sorry about the bad pun in the headline. I couldn't help myself. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal is reporting that the Ballpark Authority and the Minnesota Twins have promised to spend an additional $2.5 million in an attempt to win LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for their new baseball stadium. The U.S. Green Building Council allocates points to buildings seeking the nation's top energy-efficiency rating, but only after construction is complete. Two other sports stadiums now under construction also hope to win LEED approval: Washington Nationals ballpark and the University of Minnesota Gophers football stadium. The Twins stadium, which is due to open in 2010, is likely to get points for being on two train lines (Hiawatha and Northstar) and for using local materials.

Why Bridges of St. Paul failed
The failure of St. Paul to green-light developer Jerry Trooien's Bridges of St. Paul project merited a story in today's New York Times. The article, written by Lisa Chamberlain, notes that cities nationwide have been quick to OK similar riverfront condo/shopping plans. Yet, St. Paul rejected the $1.5 billion plan to redevelop 33 acres of land opposite downtown on the Mississippi River.

Thomas Fisher, UM College of Design dean, believes Bridges of St. Paul was out of touch with urban planning ideals. "It doesn't connect to existing streets or the rest of the fabric of the city," he said.

Trooien of JLT Group doesn't think that's the reason the city nixed his plans. Instead, he blames "squishy liberals" who "think small-scale is morally superior." Mayor Chris Coleman dodged a question on the Bridges of St. Paul in a recent interview with the Pioneer Press.

In the end, Tim Murdane of Opus says the city may have done Trooien a favor. "Here was a situation where the vision of the city and the vision that Jerry had were different and you add in other market conditions and it was going to fail."