Building Minnesota

2010-05-18T10:47:00.001-05:00

Where's the audio?
Many of the posts on this blog originally included interviews with architects or stories about specific Minnesota projects. That audio isn't available with individual posts now (you'll probably just see a blank space and the words "powered by Odeo"). However, that audio is still available on iTunes. Simply click here and listen to interviews with Minnesota architects and hear stories about specific projects. Vincent James, Jennifer Yoos, David Salmela, Julie Snow and Jim Dayton are only a couple of clicks away.

2008-08-27T14:46:00.001-05:00

The End
Being passionate about a subject doesn't necessarily translate into finding the time or money to create content for a blog. I no longer have enough of either for Building Minnesota ... so I'll be tucking my keyboard into the closet. However, I won't hit the "delete blog" button yet, just in case folks want to access its content. Thanks for reading. Bye.

2008-08-16T10:11:00.002-05:00

Weekend update
The Star Tribune reports that recent publicity over the demise of the unoccupied Bardwell-Ferrant house, a Moorish Revival gem in south Minneapolis, has generated several calls. "There is interest in buying," says the agent with the listing.

The Strib also notes that limestone will be added to the right field wall at the new Minnesota Twins stadium now under construction. The newspaper's Heron Marquez Estrada notes that the while the Red Sox have the Green Monster, the Twins' new wall might be called the Stone Zone.

And finally, this is the last weekend for the Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes exhibit at the Walker Art Center.

2008-08-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Soranno-designed synagogue opens
After conducting services in a former Mormon meeting house for decades, the congregation of B'nai Israel Synagogue in Rochester, Minnesota recently moved into a new building designed by architect Joan Sorrano of HGA Architects.

Located at 607 Second Street Southwest, the structure is the first newly constructed synagogue in Southern Minnesota. Sorrano also designed the Alaska Museum of the North (Fairbanks, Alaska), Bigelow Chapel (New Brighton) and Barbara Barker Center for Dance (Minneapolis). Press materials describe the synagogue as an "intimate, contemplative sanctuary that can expand to accommodate a much larger audience during High Holidays and other special events. It includes a translucent layered east-facing wall in the sanctuary housing the ark and terraced gardens that look out on the surrounding neighborhood.

"The centerpiece of the 15,300 facility is a 134-seat sanctuary with an adjacent social hall that can be opened up to provide an additional 174 seats and which can be used independently from the sanctuary as banquet and event space. The facility also includes a library, administration offices, a catering kitchen, and an education center consisting of eight classrooms gathered around a large multipurpose room."

Construction on the synagogue isn't 100 percent complete. However, the congregation is conducting services in the space. I'm especially anxious to check out this building after seeing Sorrano's work on Bigelow Chapel, which I first saw almost three years ago for the very first Building Minnesota podcast (November 28, 2005). You can listen to that story at iTunes.

2008-08-14T08:47:00.002-05:00

Strib covers Bardwell-Ferrant House
The Star Tribune published an article today on the historic home that has everyone worried about, the Bardwell-Ferrant House in Minneapolis. The above photo (courtesy of the Star Tribune) is of Realtor Connie Nompelis, who I interviewed a couple of days ago. I missed a great quote though. On her blog, she called the damage at 2500 Portland Avenue "the house-lover's equivalent to a murder scene." The Star Tribune article is here.

2008-08-12T12:05:00.002-05:00

Moorish Revival gem in disrepair
Preservationists are fretting over the fate of the Bardwell-Ferrant House, a Moorish Revival house located at 2500 Portland Avenue South in Minneapolis. Two years ago, the 1883 house sold for $385,000 (minus about $7,700 in owner upgrades). Today, Countrywide Mortgage is trying to unload the foreclosed property for $229,900.

After touring the Bardwell-Ferrant House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, Realtor Connie Nompelis issued a Preservation 911 on her blog. "Broken newel-post, kicked-out porch rail, cracked, missing and half-pried-away stained glass windows were among the worst atrocities we spied," she wrote. "And of course three of the four fireplace mantels had been brutally yanked from their walls."

Nompelis' blog is called The Healy House because she lives in the Healy Block Residential Historic District, which includes portions of the 3100 blocks of Second Ave South and Third Avenue South in Minneapolis.

Built in the Queen Anne style in 1883, the second owner of the Bardwell-Ferrant House moved it from its original location at 1800 Park Avenue to 2500 Portland. He hired an architect to create the Moorish Revival facade with what critic Larry Millet describes as "onion-domed towers and a wraparound porch with spindle-work columns."

Vandals tried to remove a half-circle, stained glass window in one of the onion-domed towers, Nompelis reports. The house is currently configured as a four-plex. Activists are hoping the next buyer is an historic enthusiast who wants to convert it to a duplex or single-family home.

One big problem may its location in the West Phillips neighborhood. "It's pretty isolated there," Nompelis says. "It's mostly rentals and a lot of boarded-up residences. That can be intimidating to some people."

2008-08-09T10:45:00.001-05:00

Walker and MIA to present Eero Saarinen retrospective
I've known about this for months, but haven't got around to actually writing a blog post until now. Shame on me! (The photo at the top of this post shows Saarinen examing a protype of the tulip chair with Florence Knoll.) Here's a portion of the press release on the Ero Saarinen retrospective that's opening at the Walker and MIA in a little more than a month.

On a four-year international tour of Europe and the United States, the landmark exhibition Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future — the first major museum retrospective of this Finnish-born American architect’s short but prolific career — will be jointly presented in Minneapolis at the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts September 13, 2008–January 4, 2009.

Organized by The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, The National Building Museum in Washington, DC, and The Museum of Finnish Architecture with the support of Yale University School of Architecture, the exhibition features never-before-seen sketches, working drawings, models, photographs, furnishings, films, and other ephemera from various archives and private collections. Exploring his entire output of more than 50 built and unbuilt projects, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to consider Saarinen’s innovations in the use of new materials, technologies, and construction techniques within the larger context of postwar modern architecture.

In this collaborative presentation, the Walker Art Center will feature Saarinen’s furnishings and residences as well as his designs for churches and academic and corporate campuses, while the Minneapolis Institute of Arts will present his designs for airports, memorials, and embassies, as well as his early work within the context of its modernist design collection.

Eero Saarinen was one of the most celebrated, unorthodox, and controversial masters of 20th-century architecture. In many ways he was the architect of what has been dubbed “the American century,” the post-World War II era when the United States emerged as an influential world superpower.

Although Saarinen’s most iconic and publicly recognizable design is the soaring Gateway Arch in St. Louis, his work spanned many different areas of architectural practice, including the design of airports, corporate and academic campuses, churches and private residences, and furniture. He was criticized by some architects and critics at the time for having a different style for each job, a strategy that rejected the dogma of an orthodox modernism. His resulting body of work includes such masterpieces as the sweeping concrete curves of the TWA Terminal (1956–1962) at JFK Airport (pictured above, photo courtesy of Wikipedia); the grandeur of the General Motors Technical Center (1948–1956), dubbed an “industrial Versailles” by the media; and the iconic Womb Chair and Ottoman (1946–1948) or the innovative Pedestal (1954–1957) series of tables and chairs, both for Knoll and all classics of mid-century modernism.

Eero Saarinen was born in Finland in 1910 and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1923. His career began in collaboration with his remarkably gifted family: his father, Eliel (1873–1950), the architect of Helsinki’s main train station and many other prominent buildings; his mother, Louise, or “Loja” (1879–1968), a textile designer and sculptor; and his sister, Eva-Lisa, or “Pipsan” (1905–1979), a designer and interior decorator. Eliel’s design for the Cranbrook campus in suburban Detroit, which the entire family worked on, would remain an important touchstone throughout Eero’s career. It served as a model of artistic collaboration and the conviction that architecture must encompass the “total environment,” from landscapes to buildings to furnishings and decorative objects. Equally influential on Eero’s later efforts to enrich modern design were his sculpture classes in Paris (1929–1930), his architectural education at Yale University (1931–1934), and his subsequent travels in Europe, Egypt, and Mexico to see some of the great monuments of architectural history.

Eero Saarinen designed furniture throughout his entire career, applying the same keen interest in exploring new materials, innovative construction techniques, and sculptural forms that he demonstrated in his buildings. While still in his teens, he designed furnishings for buildings at Cranbrook. His breakthrough, however, came in 1940, when he and Charles Eames won first prizes in the Museum of Modern Art’s Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition. Although their molded plywood chairs for the competition were not mass-produced, their designs laid the groundwork for Saarinen’s postwar furniture for Knoll Associates. His designs, from the Womb chair to the Pedestal series of sculptural chairs and tables, have become icons of postwar design, representing what Playboy magazine in 1961 called the “exuberance, finesse, and high imagination” of American furniture design at mid-century.

Yikes! That's a lot of copy. Hopefully, you read some of it. If you're up for still more reading, a Walker Art Center blog entry on the Saarinen exhibit is here. Note that the blog appears with a pink background, making it look like that extremely hip 'zine Butt.

2008-08-08T09:49:00.004-05:00

With $4 gas, you might as well fill up under a really cool cantilever
During trips to the North Shore, I often stopp in Cloquet, home to a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed gas station and Gordy's Hi Hat Drive-In. While the gas station always bummed me out (it seemed down on its luck), Gordy's was flying high serving yummy burgers and fries in a classic on-the-road fashion.

Well, now comes news that Best Oil, the owners of Lindholm Service Station, has just spent $150,000 spiffing up Wright's only gas station. The above photo comes courtesy of the Duluth News Tribune, which reports that the building draws 6-12 visitors daily who are more interested in the architecture than putting a tiger in their tank.

“You would be amazed by the amount of people that come and look at us,” said Chris Chartier, who works at the station. “It doesn’t really do a lot for us, but you take that with being in a Frank Lloyd Wright building.”

After reading the News Tribune story, be sure to check out the Minnesota Public Radio slideshow, which includes a 1957 flyer promoting the business: "A New Exciting Service Station ... daringly designed by Frank Lloyd Wright." I love that "daringly designed" line.

2008-08-04T11:31:00.005-05:00

Flanagan on the Foshay
Who's your favorite Star Tribune columnist? Kersten? Coleman? Reusse? Me, I love Barbara Flanagan. I think of her as our very own Jane Jacobs, obsessing over sidewalks, public toilets and outdoor dining. In today's column, Flanagan waxes about her love of the Foshay Tower, describes past encounters with the building and praises Ralph Burnet for the new Foshay, which will open as a W hotel in a couple of weeks. For an inside look at the new Foshay, consider dropping $60 on the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota party on Aug. 22.

2008-08-02T22:21:00.004-05:00

Chicago: A visit to a Koolhaas building
For the past week or so, I've been in Chicago interviewing undertakers, embalmers and cemetery historians for a radio documentary. It's been fun work. But it's also exhausting at times. One can only visit so many graveyards before needing a break.

That's why an unplanned visit to the Rem Koolhaas-designed student center at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) was such fun. I'd heard Koolhaas lecture, I own a copy of S, M, L, XL (who doesn't?), but I'd never actually been inside one of his buildings. And that's the test for whether a building works. (Koolhaas' firm is called Office for Metropolitan Architecture.)

I'm happy to report that the McCormick Tribune Campus Center was a joy.

Your correspondent was able to relax for a few minutes and watch students play ping pong. Every student center should have such old school interactive games. Unlike video games, you can see people move ... they really become part of the space that make the entire building feel alive.

Koolhaas incorporated the necessary computers, but they're tucked away under the main floor, just a few steps down from the ping pong tables. This is an acknowledgement of their importance, but they doesn't overwhelm (unlike the mass of computer stations at the Minneapolis Central Library where the books sometimes seem like an afterthought). Very nice.

The bookstore –– as you might expect -- had a great selection of architecture books. The IIT campus also has buildings designed by the legendary Mies van der Rohe.

2008-08-01T07:00:00.004-05:00

Homes by Architects
Tickets go on sale today for AIA Minnesota's Homes by Architects, a self-guided tour of 25-plus homes, scheduled for Sept. 20-21. All the residences on the tour were designed by architects, including Dale Mulfinger, Charles Stinson, David Salmela, Jean Rehkamp Larson, Geoffrey Warner, James McNeal and others. The house in the photograph is located at 20505 Linden Road in Deephaven and was designed by David Salmela of Duluth.

2008-07-29T08:40:00.003-05:00

Who'll stop the rain?
As rain continued to seep into historic structures at Fort Snelling, the cost of revitalizing those buildings has risen from $65 million to $80 million in just two years, according to preservationist Chuck Liddy of Miller Dunwiddie Architecture in an article in Finance and Commerce.

A peek at the video embedded into this blog post reveals the extent of the damage and Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin's reaction to the damage.

Some of that increased cost could have been avoided had Gov. Tim Pawlenty not vetoed a 2007 bonding bill that included money to stop the leaks. A 2008 bonding bill transfers $500,000 to the county to shore up 27 of 28 buildings at Fort Snelling's Upper Post.

Minnesota Public Radio also aired a report today on Fort Snelling.

2008-07-26T12:15:00.002-05:00

Solutions for the Other 90%

If you haven't spent time with Design for the Other 90%, the Walker Art Center exhibit on finding low-cost designs to help the world's poor, Thursday, July 31 is the day to get over there. At 7 p.m., the museum and Solutions Twin Cities is sponsoring "an evening of rapid-fire, media-rich presentations by Twin Cities designers working to bring sustainable solutions to the 90 percent of the world's population that has little or no access to ... water and energy." Yikes! That's a long sentence. Thursday's presentations will no doubt be more to the point. There's more information here.

2008-07-25T12:01:00.004-05:00

Moos Tower

One year ago, I asked Building Minnesota readers to weigh in on Moos Tower, that towering example of brutalist architecture on the University of Minnesota campus. I asked: Moos Tower: Love It or Hate It? and then posted a few photos, quoted critic Larry Millett and weighed in with own admiration for the building. Well, that little post has prompted a flood of opinions, including one just the other day. If you missed it in July 2007, see what all the fuss is about by following the link this paragraph.

2008-07-22T11:33:00.002-05:00

Red Square in Northeast
The world's most famous Red Square is in Moscow. Minneapolis' Red Square won't change that, but it could be pretty cool anyway. Construction on the solar-paneled commercial building, located at 1401 Centeral Avenue Northeast, is scheduled to begin soon. Designed by Locus Architecture, the building features many sustainable — or green — features, including "super insulation ... heat recovery ventilation, radiant heating ... [and] operable thermal doors," according to a City of Minneapolis document.

When completed in July 2009, the iconic building will house artists. Or at least that's the hope. The folks at Locus are already courting painters, sculptors and photographers with an announcement at mnartists.org. Office/retail space will rent for $13 square foot for units with 20-foot ceilings.

2008-07-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

Thursday night at the Circus
On a recent trip to South Dakota, I spent part of an evening looking for a coffee shop in Aberdeen's old downtown. I found the coffee shop, but it was closed. Silly me. I should have been looking for a bar. There were plenty of those, including The Circus Sports Bar & Grill. I still had miles to go on Highway 12 before reaching my destination, so I couldn't step inside, but I was able to take shots of its absolutely stunning neon sign. The second shot is of the alley next to the bar. If you have photographs of neon signs, streets, alleys or buildings during your summer ramblings, send them my way and I might post them on the blog.

2008-07-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

AIA Minnesota blog
John Dwyer of Shelter Architecture reports that the AIA Minnesota blog is being rejuvenated. Contributors are promising fresh content weekly. Recent posts include a farewell to the Theatre de la Jeune Lune building in Minneapolis' Warehouse District and a review of an article in the July/August issue of Architecture Minnesota. Check it out by clicking the link or scanning the blogroll in the right hand column of this page.

2008-07-15T13:34:00.004-05:00

Wallpaper* issues difficult-to-read list of top, young architects
If you subscribe to Wallpaper* (I don't), maybe you can answer this question: How does the super-sized magazine fit in your mailbox? And once it's in your apartment, condo or house, do you display it or stack it up with the other magazines in the corner? Also, why is there as asterisk at the end of the word Wallpaper*? What does that mean? Is it just a hip, graphic design thing? These questions popped into my mind as I tried to understand the excessively complicated Wallpaper* list of the world's top, young architects on its website. It is arranged by continents, in boxes. Click on a continent, and boxes of countries appeared. Click on a country and boxes of firms appeared. Click on a firm and — finally — something happened. A profile of a firm appeared. Geez. I don't think any Minnesota firms made the list, but I can't be sure. (Photo courtesy of Wallpaper*)

2008-07-15T13:11:00.003-05:00

Building Minnesota: A 'web gem'
What a surprise to return from a summer vacation to find a blurb in the Star Tribune about Building Minnesota. Reporter Rick Nelson called this blog "compelling, locally-focused reading." He especially liked the audio slide shows, which are grouped on the right hand column of this page. Take a never-leave-your-chair tour of Christ Church Lutheran, a Julie Snow-designed house (it's a two-part series) and the MacPhail Center for Music.

2008-07-03T12:24:00.002-05:00

Building Minnesota takes a vacation
While we're on holiday for the next couple of weeks, take the time to read the new blogroll posted on the right hand column. It's a compilation of architecture blogs. Let me know the ones you love and hate. Also feel free to drop me a note with architecture or preservation news. Cheers.

2008-06-28T07:00:00.003-05:00

Weird capital cities
In the U.S., state capital tend to be in smallish cities like Harrisburg and Lansing. Well, that ain't nothing compared to the capitals of the Myanmar and Brazil. The power-hungry military junta that rules Myanmar has moved the country's capital from Yangoon, which is near the coast, to a place that didn't exist until the junta created it: Naypyidaw.

People in nearby villages didn't catch on that the city was being built until Chinese engineers showed up in shops in nearby villages. The New York Times reports that the city is arranged like the Yellow Pages: all the hotels are on one street, all the restaurants are on another street, etc. The city's streets are extraordinarily wide and are devoid of pedestrians because — guess what? — only government bureaucrats and military men live there.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Schwartz reviews Oscar Niemeyer: Curves of Irreverence, a book about the architect responsible for Brasilia, Brazil. The review appears in The Atlantic Monthly. The book's author is Stylianne Philippou.

"To be sure, Philippou, a British architect and architectural historian, indulges in some academic gobbledygook (that marker of hip academese, “the Other,” makes its appearance far too often), but in authoritatively assessing Niemeyer’s work and its place in architectural and Brazilian cultural history, she has marshaled such diverse subjects as 18th-century colonial Portuguese architecture, bossa nova, the topography and cultural geography of Copacabana Beach, and the design-selection process for the UN headquarters. The book is also a marvel of presentation. Philippou fluidly explicates her narrative and arguments with detailed site diagrams and maps; drawings, plans, and elevations; photographic comparisons of buildings historically linked to Niemeyer’s; and her own lavish, precise photography of Niemeyer’s work, including both general views and details."

According to the review, Niemeyer never visited the site because he didn't want "reality to impinge on the purity of the original design." Wow.

2008-06-26T11:00:00.001-05:00

Teeners: An endangered building?
The June 20 edition of Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reports that a developer might knock down the former Skyway Theater, and surrounding buildings, in downtown Minneapolis. United Properties wants to buy the Skyway (now Barfly), Teeners, Shinders and the vacant building that once housed Chevys Fresh Mex.

For the deal to happen, United Properties "would need to gain control of surrounding land," wrote Sam Black in the Business Journal.

That might happen.

Two months ago, Ben Graves of Graves Hotels Resorts sat down for a meal with Mayor R.T. Rybak. According to the news report, the mayor says he wants to see the block developed.

But wait!

What about Teeners?

It's fantastic!

For the past year, I've been walking by the building or looking at it from the bus, thinking "I've got to do a story on that. It's empty. It's lovely. What's going to happen to it?"

And now this.

In his AIA Guide to the Twin Cities, critic Larry Millet wrote about the Girard (Teener) Building, 727-29 Hennepin Avenue, designed by Magney and Tusler in 1922.

"A sliver of a buidling, faced in terra-cotta and one of the last of its kind downtown. Many original downtown lots were only 20 feet wide, leading to clumps of narrow buildings that once formed highly varied streetscapes. It's anyone's guess how long this little gem will survive."

Here's hoping Millet ain't prescient.

2008-06-25T14:07:00.005-05:00

A halt to suburban sprawl?
Minneapolis is one of four metropolitan areas where suburban home prices are falling faster than urban home prices. (The other three are Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Francisco.) An article in today's newspaper focuses on how rising gas prices and energy prices are making some Americans reconsider those big homes in faraway suburbia.

Writes Peter S. Goodman in today's New York Times:

"But life on the edges of suburbia is beginning to feel untenable. Mr. Boyle and his wife must drive nearly an hour to their jobs in the high-tech corridor of southern Denver. With gasoline at more than $4 a gallon, Mr. Boyle recently paid $121 to fill his pickup truck with diesel fuel. In March, the last time he filled his propane tank to heat his spacious house, he paid $566, more than twice the price of 5 years ago."

Mr. Boyle isn't alone. In 2003, the average suburban American household (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) spent $1,422 on gasoline. In April, that number had jumped to $3,196. And back in April, gas sold for about $3.60 a gallon.

So, is the end of suburbia near?

In April, I moderated a panel discussion on that topic at the Walker Art Center. Called "Next Exit: The Shifting Landscape of Suburbia," a video of the discussion is available at the Walker Channel.

You might also want to read a piece (The Next Slum?) in The Atlantic Monthly by Christopher Leinberger. The article posits that there will be a shift back to cities. I remember liking Leinberger's Escape from New York reference, the apocalyptic city-is-hell film of the 1980s.

(Photo: Greg Stimac, Mowing the Lawn. The photo appears in the Walker Art Center's World's Away: New Suburban Landscape exhibit)

2008-06-25T14:06:00.003-05:00

Most Endangered Places of 2008

This isn't the most exciting video in the world, but it does highlight how the Lower East Side in Manhattan, the Michigan Avenue Streetwall and other places are threatened with destruction.

2008-06-25T13:56:00.002-05:00

Check out our blogroll
Here's some new Internet jargon for you: The blogroll or blog list. It's a list of blogs, with headlines and snippets, that appear on an existing blog. For example, I've just added one to Building Minnesota. It's in the right-hand column and it's called "Other architecture blogs." It's a way for you to stay informed about other architectural reporting. If you have a blog you'd like me to add to the Building Minnesota blogroll, drop me a note in the comments section. Or if you hate the whole idea of STILL MORE INFORMATION, say that too.

2008-06-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

Up, up and away (but rarely in the USA)
I want my next job to be at the Council of Tall Buildings. There's something so straightforward and strong about the title of that organization. Listen to it: The Council of Tall Buildings.

Anyway, the Council of Tall Buildings projects that by 2020, the U.S. will only have two skyscrapers on its Top 20 list of the world's highest buildings: One World Trade Center (now under construction in New York) and Chicago Spire (pictured above right, now under construction near the shores of Lake Michigan).

In 2020, the three tallest buildings will be in United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The fourth will be the Russia Tower in Moscow. The New York Times sussed out this world of futuristic skyscrapers in a recent article. (Image courtesy of the New York Times)

2008-06-20T16:25:00.005-05:00

Eames stamps: 42 cents of style
So while at the post office this afternoon, I asked the sullen woman behind the counter about their stamp offerings. "We have a Minnesota stamp and a Frank Sinatra stamp," she replied, showing me a lifeless version of each.

"Umm, anything else?"

Then she reached into her drawer and pulled out these amazing stamps (above) honoring the work of Charles and Ray Eames. "Wow!" I said, making little effort to conceal my excitement. I haven't seen stamps that look this fantastic since the Calder stamps of 1998 (my wife and I used them on our wedding invitations).

In addition to showcasing their furniture, one of the stamps is a still from the film "Tops" and another features a crosspatch fabric design, according to the Los Angeles Times.

2008-06-18T16:49:00.001-05:00

Building Minnesota has a cold ...
... or something. I've got lots of ideas for posts, but unlike the beautiful weather of the last few days, I'm a little under the weather. Hang tight. Architecture wonders coming your way.

2008-06-12T11:56:00.005-05:00

Architects: The highest paid artists
The National Endowment for the Arts has released "Artists in the Workforce: 1990-2005," a study on the impact of artists on the American economy. The report defines architects and designers as artists.

A few of the findings:

Median income for architects: $58,000, "the highest income of all artists."
Median income for male architects: $63,000
Median income for female architects: $46,300
Median age: 43
"Architects, writers and producers show the highest education levels."
"Women remain underrepresented in several artist occupations. Four out of five architects ... are men."
Top 10 states for architects (per capita): Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Vermont, Hawaii, New York, Connecticut, Oregon, Maryland and California.
Top 10 metro areas for architects (per capita): Santa Fe, San Francisco, Boulder-Longmont, Charlottesville, Seattle, Boston, Stamford-Norwalk, Danbury, Trenton, Oakland.
In 1990, there were 167,151 architects nationwide. By 2000, that number had jumped to 192,860. By 2005, it's estimated there were 198,498 architects. (U.S. census)

To read an executive summary or the full report, go here.

2008-06-12T11:43:00.006-05:00

City Hall roof goes green
The interior courtyard of Minneapolis City Hall and the Hennepin County Courthouse is going green. Scott Helmes of RSP Architects in Minneapolis conceived the project in 2005. When completed in July, the 5,000 square feet of newly inserted plants promise to capture storm water, mitigate the "urban heat island" effect" and other benefits.

2008-06-12T11:13:00.000-05:00

My Dad's house
Ben Raines isn't an architect yet. But he already has a house remodel under his belt. Raines, a recent graduate of the University of British Columbia, is a native Minnesotan who received his first commission from his father, who owns a house in Shoreview.

"Toward the end of the summer of 2005 my Dad approached me about re-designing his house. I was half way through a master's program for architecture, which is to say: completely inexperienced and almost unprepared. My father and his wife, Maribet, had been searching for a new house off and on for months, if not a full year. They made many low offers, but in the bubble, they’d had no takers. They had seen many houses and figured out what they liked. They also realized that their current location and neighbors, were close to ideal – they just hated their house."

Raines has launched a blog about the project, with photos and commentary. You can read about it here.

2008-06-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Foshay Tower party
Back in the 1980s, I worked at the Foshay Tower as a security guard. I was in college and often pulled the late shift, 11 p.m.-7 a.m. I remember sneaking into the wood-paneled penthouse suite once occupied by Wilbur Foshay, the businessman who built the obelisk skyscraper in 1929. Although I was the only one in the building at the time, I felt like I had to keep the lights off because I wasn't supposed to be in there. Still, it was a heady feeling, knowing this was the place ol' Wilbur smoked cigars and worried about his future as the stock market tumbled and he lost his fortune. (At least how that's I imagined it.)

On Friday, August 22, I'll have a chance to return to the Foshay Tower. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota is sponsoring "The Foshay Soiree: A Roaring 20’s Restoration" to celebrate the restoration of the Foshay, which reopens as a W Hotel on July 28. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $50 per person for Alliance members and $60 for nonmembers. You can register beginning July 1 at the Preservation Alliance website.

(Photo of the tower by Bobak Ha'eri. Photo of the elevator doors by Jim Winstead, Jr. Both courtesy of the Foshay Tower's Wikipedia entry.)

2008-06-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Coffee? Martini? Historic preservation?
Some people like to learn about preservation issues in the morning. Others like it in the evening. That's why Preserve Minneapolis offers both a "Breakfast with a Preservationist" and a "Happy Hour with a Preservationist" series. On Wednesday morning, John Start of Miller Dunwiddie Architects will lead a tour of the Mill City Museum. You're encouraged to arrive early and buy breakfast. Next month — on Wednesday, July 16 — Preserve Minneapolis is hosting an evening event at the Soap Box Factory, which is housed in the former National Purity Soap Factory building. Details about both events are here.

2008-06-07T13:58:00.003-05:00

Slideshow: The New, New City
The New York Times created a slideshow to accompany an article in the Sunday magazine on what it is calling "The New, New City." These are the cities that have sprung up with head-spinning quickness in the past decade or so. They don't have city centers. They sprawl. Their governments and their entrepreneurs are hiring the world's most ambitious architects (Holl, Koolhaus, Hadid, Reiser, etc.). You can read the article online or buy the paper tomorrow. Either way, don't miss the slideshow highlighting the growth in Shenzhen, China. Once a fishing village, it now includes both skyscrapers and super dense neighborhoods with "handshake" buildings, so named because you can reach your arm out the window and shake your neighbor's hand. (Photo courtesy of the New York Times)

2008-06-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Architecture Minnesota
In its May/June issue, Architecture Minnesota ponders the green revolution and asks, "Will it last?" After reviewing four sustainable projects, including the EcoDEEP Haus and E2 City Homes, the editors concludes that sustainability is here to stay.

Contributors to the issue include Linda Mack, Camille LeFevre, Phillip Glen Koski and Tom DeAngelo.

2008-06-06T15:49:00.005-05:00

The New, New City
Any time a writer can start an article with Rem Koolhaus whispering in your ear, he's off to a good start. Nicolai Ouroussoff does just that in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine:

“Don’t tell anyone,” Rem Koolhaas said to me several years ago as we headed down the F.D.R. Drive in New York, “but the 20th-century city is over. It has nothing new to teach us anymore. Our job is simply to maintain it."

If you can't wait for the magazine to land with a thud on your doorstep, check it out here.

2008-06-05T13:29:00.003-05:00

The Architecture of Happiness
Can a building make us happy? In his book The Architecture of Happiness (just released in paperback) author Alain de Botton explores that question. I picked up the book at the library yesterday and enjoyed the first chapter, which includes this sentence: "While an attractive building may on occasion flatter an ascending mood, there will be times when the most congenial of locations will be unable to dislodge our sadness or misanthropy."

Asking a building to provide happiness is a tall order. It's been my experience that few things consistently deliver on that promise, though cuddling a baby or a dog, making love and eating strawberry-rhubarb pie with a hot cup of coffee come close.

The book has seven chapters, each an essay of medium length and plenty of photographs. In the first chapter, there are black-and-white images of a Mies van der Rohe dining area, Philip Johnson's Glass House and Nazi Hermann Goring surrounded by beautiful paintings and the French ambassador. The author's point regarding Goring seems to be that appreciation for aesthetic surroundings and evil aren't mutually exclusive.

So far, his themes seem rather obvious.

Still, he's a damn fine writer and it's a bit of joy just to read his paragraphs. An example: "Suspicion of architecture may in the end be said to centre [Building Minnesota editorial comment: Don't you just love the English?] around the modesty of the claims that can realistically be made on its behalf. Reverence for beautiful buildings does not seem a high ambition on which to pin our hopes for happiness, at least when compared with the results we might associate with untying a scientific know or falling in love, amassing a fortune or initiating revolution. To care deeply about a field that achieves so little, and yet consumes so many of our resources, forces us to admit to a disturbing, even degrading lack of aspiration."

2008-06-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

Preservation Alliance expanding operations
The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota received a $110,000 National Trust for Historic Preservation challenge grant and an additional $110,000 from its members to hire a field representative. The Alliance is currently seeking applications for a field representative who will be based in St. Paul, but spend up to 10 days per month traveling the state on architectural historic preservation matters. The job pays $40,000 annually and is funded for a three-year period. For more information, go here.

2008-05-28T13:14:00.000-05:00

Where we live
An essay I wrote last year for mnartists.org has been reprinted by 10,000 Arts, a quarterly co-production of mnartists and Rake magazine. (Photo by Colin Kopp)

Here's the beginning of the essay: "I've been living in the same city for a long time. Maybe that's why I crave the unusual. I abhor cookie-cutter architecture, which is just as prevalent in urban areas as in cul-de-sac suburbia. How many three-story brick condos with railed terraces have you seen constructed in recent years?

I want buildings that curve, use everyday materials in strange ways, use strange materials in everyday ways, inspire fear, or give me pause. I like to nestle next to Moos Tower on a sunny day, bike under the Guthrie's blue-black cantilever at night, and duck into that new box buried behind the Walker Art Center that frames the winter sky.

I also like the dangerous: decrepit structures with peeling paint and collapsed roofs. Walking across the cracked, aging pedestrian bridge at I-94 near Augsburg College-with cars buzzing on the highway below-makes my heart beat a little faster. Crossing the Lowry Avenue truss bridge is thrilling when you poke your head out the window to look at the Mississippi River's waves through the steel openings of this 1955 landmark. (Let someone else drive.)"

You can read more here.

2008-05-27T14:10:00.003-05:00

In the papers ...
• Review: Psycho Buildings: Arists and Architecture (Building Design, UK)
• Psycho Buildings (Visit London website)
• Twisted Structures That Challenge The Imagination (Times of London)
• Split Rock lighthouse gets spiffed up (Star Tribune)
• Restoration at Split Rock Lighthouse (Minnesota Historical Society)
• Honoring those who preserve city's past (Star Tribune)
• A tiny masterpiece, unloved, faces threat (New York Times)
• Architect Jean Nouvel to build new Paris skysraper (AFP)
(Photo courtesy of Times of London)

2008-05-25T10:30:00.004-05:00

Japan Architect and other vintage magazines
Felix Burrichter, creator of PIN-UP, "a magazine for architectural entertainment," is smitten with sex and architecture magazines. From Playboy, Playgirl and Butt to l'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, Casabella and Japan Architect, he loves them all. Burrichter writes an essay in defense of the printed magazine in one of the those really thick magazines that is shoved into the Sunday New York Times. For some reason, I don't have mine today, just the regular magazine and all the other goodies in the Sunday Times. However, you must read the Burrichter essay and then go to Clip/Stamp/Fold, a website documenting a Princeton University show on vintage architecture magazines from the 1960s and 1970s. After you've done, come back here and tell me what post-metabolism means.

2008-05-20T13:00:00.001-05:00

Nelson and Peck: Eyesores of downtown
If you spent Sunday enjoying the sun and missed the Star Tribune, Rick Nelson and Claude Peck sent a shout-out to the ugliest buildings in downtown Minneapolis. (And Lord, we have a bunch of them.)

Says Peck, "Flashy architect Helmut Jahn did a bunch of cool designs in the Chicago loop, including the dazzling and popular State of Illinois Building. So why'd he leave us with the 701 Building, a forgettable midsize office tower with turquoise and salmon-colored accents and the personality of a toaster?"

Also on their list:

HHH Metrodome
Star Tribune addition
Normandy Hotel
Towle Building
Hilton Hotel
International Centre
Target Center
Hennepin County Medical Center
Salvation Army Apartments
100 Washington Avenue
Former Federal Courts Building, 4th Street

What did Nelson and Peck miss? Have any complaints about their list? Jot down a comment, please. (Photo of the Normandy Hotel courtesy of the Star Tribune)

2008-05-19T15:25:00.006-05:00

weeHouse Makes Big Splash
by FRANK JOSSI

Five years ago Stephanie Arado, a violinist with the Minnesota Orchestra, began discussing with architect Geoffrey Warner her dream of building a small, affordable home on atop a bluff in Lake Pepin, Wis. Warner embraced the challenge and went to work on a novel experiment to build a modular home for Arado and then transport it down to Lake Pepin on trucks where a team would put together the pieces.

A Star Tribune feature on the weeHouse in a 2003 generated enough interest from potential clients that Warner decided to turn the concept into a business which today falls under the rubric of his St. Paul-based firm, Alchemy Architects. The weeHouse line of prefabricated homes range in size from 350 square foot studios to 2,200 square foot, three bedroom units with price tags of anywhere from $79,000 to $245,000.

The weeHouse, blessed with a cute name and a compellingly modern boxy appearance, almost immediately captured the attention of the architectarti. In 2006, the Walker Art Center showcased the weeHouse in an exhibition on contemporary pre-fab homes, along with several California firms and the Minneapolis-based firm FlatPac Home. Soon to follow were articles in many magazines and newspapers, among them the New York Times, Dwell, MplsStPaul, TIME, Midwest Home and others.

The Macalester Groveland resident’s weeHouse line of modular homes offers simple shoebox shaped structures 14 feet wide and from 26 feet to 46 feet long. They can be set side-by-side with a deck between them or stacked on top of one another. One trademark of the line is a series of tall nearly floor-to-ceiling sliding door on one or more sides of the homes which often open on to a deck.

Buyers have plenty of siding and flooring options, though not as many as a traditional new home might have. Still, Warner notes that the weeHouse allows for plenty of customization on the exterior and within the confines of the box. Despite the prefabricated components, a typical weeHouse project still takes time to complete the planning, manufacturing to construction of the homes, he says.

“The whole process takes around nine months, though we’ve done them as fast as two to four months,” he says. The manufacturing, he adds, is done by pre-fabrication plants located in different regions around the country, reducing the distance from factory to clients’ sites.

Alchemy has built 15 weeHouses and has another 24 on the drawing board, says Warner. None exist in St. Paul, though Alchemy built one in for a client in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis. With so little land available in St. Paul, he’s not surprised a weeHouse client hasn’t stepped forward.

“We don’t want you to rip up your house and put up a weeHouse, that wouldn’t be very environmental,” he says with a grin. The majority of his clients are building weeHouses in the Hudson River Valley of New York as weekend escapes from the Big Apple or as their primary homes.

Yet despite the press interest in pre-fab homes trying to sell even cool ones in large numbers remains a daunting challenge. “If these homes were hugely popular there’d be dozens of people working in our office,” he says. “If this were really easy a lot of people would be doing it. But the whole building culture doesn’t lend itself to building this way.”

Warner, 43, grew up in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood, not from his current home, and graduated from Como High School and then earned a degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota. He worked just a few years for the Architectural Alliance in Minneapolis before winning a Dinkeloo Traveling Fellow Award, which he used to stay at the American Academy of Rome and study Carlo Scarpa, an Italian modernist who died in 1978.

For a time the disheveled-haired Warner dabbled in furniture making and fabricated materials from found objects. In the room of his office where he was interviewed slender light bulbs hung between the wires of a weathered box spring attached to a blue and white MnDOT car pool sign. Next to his chair was a metal tripod-like stand carrying a bowling ball on a bracket and a lamp attached to its apex.

Although the architect has captured plenty of interest in the weeHouse, Alchemy does business on a number of fronts. He points to a model of a proposed building for Specs Optical on Hennepin Avenue and mentions his design for a new 13,000 square foot building in northeast Minneapolis for Popular Front, an interactive agency.

A home in Clearwater he designed was highlighted as the Star Tribune’s Home of the Month in April. The home he shares with his wife, Dawn Dekeyser, an architect, and the couple’s two children, on Goodrich. The home has two smallish garages with a definite weeHouse influence.

Alchemy’s touch can be found in the building where it offices at Raymond and Hampton. Warner helped redesign the building for a host of creative tenants, including a landscaping firm and internationally renowned photographer Alex Soth, among others. Alchemy holds down the loading dock and has as windows two window-filled garage doors.

The attention paid to the weeHouse has brought other work from large companies such as Saturn, Volkswagen and Marriot, all who have tapped Alchemy for creative input on building pre-fab structures, says Warner. Yet despite the exposure the weeHouse has generated the concept of living small in a pre-fab house does not reverberate with a huge number of Americans.

In fact, Warner says, the company would be doing better in Europe, where small is embraced. For now, though, his focus is on changing the outlook for pre-fab in this country -- a significant challenge.” On our end we’re still retooling the way we do things and how we can do things better for our clients and for ourselves,” he says.

(Reprinted with permission of the Highland Villager newspaper and the author. Frank Jossi is a St. Paul-based journalist and editor.)

2008-05-13T11:01:00.002-05:00

A few of my favorite new words
One of my favorite sections in World's Away: New Suburban Landscapes, the book that accompanies the current show on suburbia at the Walker Art Center, is the lexicon of new words and phrases collected by Rachel Hooper and Jayme Yen. I'll list a few here, along with the definitions provided in the book, which was edited by Andrew Blauvelt, design director at the Walker. By the way, at the Walker's website you can add your own creations or do it in the comment section of this blog.

Ball pork: A stadium hosting privately owned sports teams and built primarily with public funds.

Edifice rex: An extremely large new house, often built in an older suburb of smaller homes, characterized by an ostentatious, over-size façade. (See also: McMansion, monster home, starter castle, tract mansion)

Garage Mahal: A large or opulent garage or parking structure

Snout house: A house from which the garage protrudes like a nose from the main residence toward the street.

Drive ‘til you qualify: A phrase used by real estate agents whereby potential homebuyers travel away from the workplace until they reach a community in which they can afford to buy a home that meets their standards.

Nerdistan: An upscale suburb or suburban city in which a large percentage of the population is employed by nearby high-tech industries,

Patio Man: A satirical term coined by David Brooks to describe a suburban Republican man who lives with his wife (dubbed Realtor Mom) and is obsessed with backyard leisurely pursuits and the latest in outdoor grilling technology.

2008-05-13T10:50:00.003-05:00

Spotted: Architectural models in downtown Minneapolis

If you're in downtown Minneapolis this week, stop by the TCF Bank atrium (8th Street and Second Avenue) and check out the architectural models on display. The exhibit offers a close-up view of the high-profile construction projects and initiatives that will shape the Twin Cities’ urban environment.

Titled “Building Community: Visuals and Models of the New Urban Community,” the event is organized by Minneapolis-based Community Enhancement and Organizing. The event’s major sponsors include Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) and Hennepin County Housing, Community Works and Transit.

The exhibit closes at 2 p.m., Friday, May 16. A series of noon and afternoon receptions are also scheduled, featuring notable speakers, door prizes and catered food.

On Wednesday, May 14, architect Rick Carter of LHB and Robert Gibbons of Metro Transit will discuss eco-friendly buildings and buses. On Thursday, May 15, CPED's Tom Streitz and Aeon president Alan Arthur will speak. Streitz will discuss new city housing programs and projects and Arthur will discuss nonprofit housing developments. Also on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Klingel will discuss new downtown hotels and preparations for the Republican National Convention in St. Paul this fall.

The Downtown Journal wrote a brief article about the exhibit.

2008-05-08T09:20:00.007-05:00

Down To The Studs: A Green Remodel
by FRANK JOSSI

A home on Pinehurst Avenue in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood represents one of the more ambitious attempts in the area to create a totally “green” home.

Much of the house has been ripped down to the studs to incorporate new energy efficient windows, thick insulation, eco-friendly wood, Energy Star appliances and a solar hot water heater are installed and a 1,400 square foot addition is built.

When completed the construction zone of a home will be transformed into the EcoDEEP Haus, as its creator calls it, an eye-catching white and gray metal modern home with a roof filled by solar panels and a green garden. The mastermind behind the house is architect Kevin Flynn, who will live in it with his wife, fellow architect Roxanne Nelson, and the couple’s three children.

Flynn says the remodeling project will make the home twice the size of the original house yet use only half the energy. And it might even have used less energy if he, say, had an unlimited budget. “We could have spent a lot more on the appliances,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of remodels where the refrigerator alone is $6,000 – that was our entire kitchen appliance budget.”

The house, at 2199 Pinehurst, is among a growing number of green remodeling projects being done in the Twin Cities. The most ambitious one, in Minnetonka, was completed recently by Peter Lytle, executive director of Live Green, Live Smart, an organization promoting green building practices. WCCO anchor Don Shelby followed Lytle’s remodel for the station’s Project Energy series.

Jimmie Sparks, residential energy program manager of the Neighborhood Energy Consortium, says he’s seen “five or six” homes being remodeled in a fashion similar to the EcoDEEP Haus in the Twin Cities, among them Lytle’s house. He’s visited the home a number of times and serves as third party validation for the home, which Flynn hopes will be designated a Minnesota Green Star remodeling project.

“We are seeing a lot more green remodels,” says Sparks. “There’s a couple of reasons why – the locations (of the homes) are good, there’s good transportation options and shopping options close by and less of a commute than if they (homeowners) lived in the suburbs.”

Flynn will not have much of a commute since his office will be in his home, which in and of itself will become a showcase for sustainable architecture and materials. His family currently lives on the West Side but plan to move once the remodeled is done in June.

The 46-year-old architect has been active in sustainability circles for decades and now serves as the vice-president of the Mississippi Headwaters Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. He founded EcoDEEP, a firm that has worked as a sustainability consultant for projects such as the Blue Earth Justice Center, Cargill’s corporate headquarters, the City of Woodbury, East Los Angeles College, St. Paul’s Phresh Salon and Spa.

To generate interest and draw clients, Flynn also maintains a blog charting progress on the home. While green approaches have been around for years, he believes the difference now has been a greater public embrace of sustainable products due to concerns over global warming and the building industry’s improvement in creating green product lines.

“Industry wasn’t prepared in the past with good, high performance products for builders,” he says. “The industry has finally caught up with the demand.”

Flynn says he and Roxanne spent a year in a search of a house they wanted to live in and could transform into an eco-house. They were drawn to the 1940s one and a half story Cape Cod house because it needed updating and could be modified into a more modern, he says.

The couple decided to add an addition – a kitchen on the home’s west side, a two story bedroom addition on the backside that connects to the existing second story –that will bring the size to 3,000 square feet. The addition uses particle board-style studs and other framing pieces from wood grown in sustainable forests certified by the Forest Stewartship Council.

In looking at how to save energy in any house, Flynn says insulation and windows can make a huge difference, along with energy efficient heating and cooling systems. The house uses triple-paned Toronto, CA-based Inline Fiberglass windows that he says “outperforms wood, metal or vinyl frames” and have with “Low E” ratings, a measure of their ability to reduce heat loss and allow for solar gain in winter.

Making the house as “tight” as possible reduces energy. To that end, home will be insulated a “closed cell” spray foam with that fills any open gaps and requires no plastic vapor barrier used in traditional construction. Closed cell insulation is “more environmentally friendly” and provides a more air tight seal than other environmental foam sprays.

Sealants are being used throughout the house to close any potential gaps. With tight homes come the risk of mold but Flynn says the EcoDEEP Haus will have an air exchanger that keep indoor air refreshed constantly.

The kitchen will have all Energy Star-rated appliances and generally finding those proved no great challenge except for the refrigerator. Flynn did not want an automatic ice maker and exterior water or water dispenser and few refrigerators come without them, though he finally found one.

The home’s wood floors will be reinstalled in the remodeled home, saving money since Flynn won’t have to buy any new products. The carpeting that will be in a few rooms will come from Interface Flor, Inc. and have a high recycled content, he says.

Solar panels will cover part of the home’s roof. One section of panels will supply hot water for use in the home, another section will produce electricity, he says. The solar panels will be accompanied by a green roof garden of native grasses and vegetation, says Flynn.

Meanwhile, inside the home he plans to reduce water consumption by adding aerators to faucets and shower heads and low having low flow toilets.

For years builders and architects have tried to create momentum for a sustainability movement with middling success. Yet Flynn believes, finally, the time has come for green remodeling to become mainstream. Energy prices will not be falling anytime soon and concerns over global warming will likely only grow.

“For years and years and years I was the eco-guy but now we’re seeing more and more architects getting interested in this,” he says. “It’s in the newspapers, in magazines, and there’s a lot of attention being paid by corporations to sustainability. It’s here to stay.” (Reprinted with permission of the Highland Villager newspaper and the author. Frank Jossi is a St. Paul-based journalist and editor.)

2008-05-06T12:24:00.003-05:00

Help Myanmar rebuild
A cyclone has killed tens of thousands of people in Myanmar, also known as Burma, located in southeast Asia. Death tolls continue to rise. Aid organizations are offering help. (This BBC video from Rangoon during the cyclone shows its overwhelming force.) And so is Architecture for Humanity. The nonprofit is attempting to raise $10,000 to provide "design services to communities affected by the disaster."

2008-05-05T11:09:00.002-05:00

I-35W construction update
"Six months ago there was nothing here," says Kevin Gutknecht of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. "It's a testament to man's ingenuity." See it for yourself with the help of this MinnPost video.

2008-05-01T12:00:00.003-05:00

Minnesota's Top 10 most endangered for 2008
An abandoned jail, a small town bank, below ground resources, and a mid-century Modern icon represent just a few of the diverse sites named to the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota’s 2008 list of the Ten Most Endangered Historic Places.

This list, the 15th annual compilation the Alliance has released, profiles the state's most endangered historic sites.

The 2008 Ten Most Endangered Historic Places List includes:

St. Louis County Jail, Duluth
Historic Mantorville Normal School, Mantorville
McGrath Old State Bank, McGrath
Layman’s/Pioneer and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, Minneapolis
Oakland Apartments, Minneapolis
Peavey Plaza, Minneapolis
St. Anthony Falls Historic District Archaeological Resources, Minneapolis
Floral Hall (Olmsted County Fairgrounds Building #31), Rochester
St. Matthews (Rock of Ages) Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Paul
Buch House, Shakopee

The Ten Most Endangered program is designed to spotlight historic properties that face imminent danger through demolition, neglect, severe alteration, or inappropriate public policy. Through this program the Alliance seeks favorable outcomes that can be achieved through a preservation approach. Of the 122 places listed over the life of this important program, two-thirds have been saved in part through the awareness generated by its listing. Success stories include Minneapolis’ Midtown Exchange and the Ivy Tower, St. Paul’s Head and Sack House, the Stillwater Lift Bridge, the former Red Wing High School, the Litchfield Opera House, and Virginia’s B’Nai Abraham Synagogue. A full listing of previous Ten Most Endangered properties, and more information about the Alliance’s work to preserve, protect, and promote Minnesota’s historic resources, can be found here.

A photographic exhibit featuring the Ten Most Endangered Historic Places for 2008 — created by Doug Ohman, Pioneer Photography, Kodet Architectural Group and Drumminhands Design — will be displayed at museums, libraries and other public places throughout the state during 2008. (Source: Preservation Alliance of Minnesota press release)

2008-04-29T10:06:00.002-05:00

Tour the vacant houses of Dayton's Bluff
It's been said that the average American moves every seven years. I've lived in my current home for 10 years and whenever I get antsy, I dream of moving to another country or the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul. With its hills, its mix of stately and dilapidated Victorians, old churches and all kinds of people — rich and poor — it wields power in my imagination. This weekend, I'll have a chance to tour 10 vacant homes in the neighborhood, which is located north of the city's downtown. The Star Tribune notes that another 225 homes are vacant in the area and that local activists want to show off the good deals: One house is on the market for $98,900.

To check it out, go to 798 East Seventh Street for free trolley rides to the vacant houses. Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 t0 5 p.m. on Sunday. There's more information at the Dayton's Bluff website and at MPR.

2008-04-23T12:55:00.003-05:00

Modernist walking tour
Preserve Minneapolis will be hosting a four-hour walking tour of the city's downtown. Called the "Gateway to Greenway Tour," the event takes place on Saturday, May 3 and is a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization.

Tour stops include:

Bridge Square/Gateway Park
Minneapolis Public Library
IDS Center
Peavey Plaza
Loring Greenway

To register, check out the Preserve Minneapolis website.

2008-04-22T11:00:00.003-05:00

Split Rock Lighthouse gets spiffed up
Spring seems to have settled in here in the Twin Cities. Just two weeks ago, a blizzard generated 60 m.p.h. winds and dumped about 10 inches of snow in Two Harbors, Minnesota. That slowed work on the preservation work that's underway at the Split Rock Lighthouse, a North Shore icon that overlooks Lake Superior and is managed by the Minnesota Historical Society.

Collaborative Design of Minneapolis is overseeing an overhaul of the building, which includes repainting "the interior and exterior of the 'lantern' or top portion of the lighthouse," writes Lee Radzak, site manager at the lighthouse.

Here's a more items on Collaborative Design's to-do list:

Painting the metal windows and doors on the Fog Signal building
Cutting and pointing on the three dwellings including installation of a shear wall and anchor system to stabilize failing walls
Rebuilding select porches
Rehabilitating the doors, windows sashes, storm windows and screen windows
Repair of the barns, including painting
Re-roof and siding repair of the Well House

The Associated Press reports that the cost of the project is $900,00 and is being paid for through the state's bonding bill. Work should be completed by about May 15.

2008-04-22T10:32:00.006-05:00

VJAA building wins spot on AIA Top Ten green project list
Vincent James Associates Architects' (VJAA) Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life at Tulane University in New Orleans has been selected as one of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment’s (COTE) Top Ten Green Projects for 2008.

The selected Top Ten Green projects address significant environmental challenges with designs that thoughtfully weave architecture, technology, and natural systems. This year’s jury was convened in Seattle, Washington and included 2002 Pritzker Prize recipient Glenn Murcutt of Australia.

A VJAA press release says the design for the Lavin-Bernick Center "incorporated balconies, canopies, shading and courtyards to create layered spaces similar to New Orleans vernacular architecture, which permit variable exchanges of air, light, and programmatic activities. Natural ventilation was supplemented with custom fans and large solar vents."

VJAA is a Minneapolis-based firm. We wrote a lot about them in 2007. See here and here.

2008-04-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

Rapson Memorial Service
I missed the Ralph Rapson memorial service, which took place earlier today at the Guthrie Theatre. Please share your thoughts on the service in our comments section. Thanks.

2008-04-21T12:36:00.005-05:00

Washburn Grain Elevator Complex Reuse Study: A Case of Extreme Preservation?

by BOB ROSCOE

Perhaps a sign that historic preservation is raising its building-saving success level, a 215-foot-high complex of concrete cylinders supporting a nearly inaccessible five story concrete structure, are now being studied to find reuse possibilities that can keep the complex a productive component of the Minneapolis Historic Riverfront. Now that rehabilitation of brick warehouses has become a routine activity, the preservation movement may be readying itself for what could be called “extreme preservation.”

The Washburn Grain Elevator Complex Reuse Study was conducted by Thomas R. Zahn & Associates and Miller Dunwiddie Architects, and was prepared for the Minnesota Historical Society and the Mill City Museum.

No. 1 Elevator was built in 1906-1908, consisting of 15 cylindrical reinforced concrete shafts 120 feet high with a 750,000 bushel capacity, topped with a steel and concrete 95-foot-high head house. Within the head house, incoming grain was machine-cleaned, then
transported by a sizeable horizontal conveyor to the nearby A mill for processing into flour. Saint Anthony Falls Rediscovered, a 1980 publication by the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Coordination Board, notes the reinforced concrete cylinders were built with a slip-form method that facilitated the construction. A smaller elevator with 15 storage shafts were built in 1928, between #1 Elevator and the A Mill.

The Washburn Grain Elevator Complex design became a true application of “Form follows function,” the cardinal architectural dictum promulgated by the Early Modern Movement a decade or so later. Here the milling process determined the shape and structural configuration of the complex, an innovative change from design and construction of the grain processing facilities that preceded this project.

The Washburn Grain Elevator Complex, once part of one of the largest industrial areas in the world, experienced over seven decades as grain storage for nearby flour milling facilities. The elevators became empty in the early 1980s after their grain storage use was halted, and now used now as a habitat for some stray pigeons and raccoons. The unusual architecture of this empty site evokes an eerie feeling for the few people who enter this place that is no longer intended for human presence As John Crippen, director of Mill City Museum with oversight of this study, remarked, “There seems to be an illicit sense about the place.”

As if seeking to make the reuse study as difficult as possible, the team mandated a high level of preservation principles. No window openings would be cut into the unbroken curved surfaces of the bin shafts, and no entrances providing access would penetrate public view sides facing West River Parkway and the Chicago Avenue plaza. The exterior shell is to be kept as near original as possible.

The study encountered several formidable challenges. On one hand, the volume of space is very large, yet the 30 round concrete cylinders built as closed containers with diameters of 13’-9” and 18’-0” clustered together repel the typical historic building reuses such as living units, office spaces or other functions needing relatively large flat floor plates with convenient access to corridors and exits. As if not attempting to pound a square peg in a round hole, team
members’ study of the bin shafts placed minimal work on uses requiring floors and instead investigated storage type uses. No specific uses for the bin shafts were identified that could be readily applicable for these cylinders, but several in-the-future potential ideas were examined, such as coolant water stored for district air conditioning. But can “nothing” be a possibility – that is, emptiness itself have a function? A highly unusual possibility for this nothingness factor, already in operation elsewhere in the nation, would be a series of aural chambers in which avant garde music could be enhanced by empty space giving sonic reverberation to sounds induced into the shafts. Storage of what could be called archival materials is another possibility.

The building component called the head house, the tall rectangular form, five stories stepping down to three stories, that looks like a typical building situated on top of the cylinder cluster, does have typical floors and series of windows. In Crippen’s words, “This is the part of the complex that has a human scale.” The total head house floor area totals 1,750 square feet, enough for multiple functions, augmented by ceiling heights ranging from 17 to 20 feet. The long and narrow profile of this structure situated high above the adjacent mill district structures, presents panoramic views of the river on one side and downtown Minneapolis on the other. Possible uses such as condominiums, prestige office spaces, events facilities and other uses seemed feasible given the height and floor areas. A shortcoming of head house reuse is access – elevators and exit stairways would present more difficulty than retrofit in typical multi-story buildings, but the team located a means of constructing them that was workable and within an area where the grain elevator complex abuts the adjacent Mill Museum building. Another shortcoming is the lack of on site parking, but two city ramps are within short walking distance.

What may be an important re-use in general terms is for expansion of Mill City Museum that is out-growing its present facility, as more museum storage and ancillary spaces is being considered. Perhaps more significant, Mill City could use the complex in an as-is condition as an interpretive center, with guides leading tour groups through this unusual outlay of spaces and volumes that still contains much of the original operating machinery. Several mining towns and industrial sites have turned to visitor interpretive use, keeping their facilities untouched, with rust and dust all around, to present the raw original workings of the site for guided tours.

In the meantime, Mill City Museum is planning to embark on a necessary first step — to develop a stabilization plan to repair exterior concrete surfaces. Otherwise, in terms of current maintenance, the sheer simplicity of these large volumes requires no repair.

The Washburn Grain Elevator Complex Reuse Study provides Mill City Museum with the task of making the reuse recommendations set in place. Right now, the mill building complex exists as an anomaly – a towering but mute presence in the center of an important and most vibrant surrounding neighborhood.

(For more information on Bob Roscoe, go to Design for Preservation)

2008-04-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

Is Ouroussoff the next Kakutani?

I delight in reading Michiko Kakutani, the New York Times' most feared book critic. You won't find her in the Sunday paper, but rather in the Monday-Saturday editions. When she hates a book, she let's you know. (Kakutani recently called Martin Amis' new collection of essays "a weak, risible and often objectionable volume."

On Saturday, I got around to reading Nicolai Ouroussoff's review of the Newseum, a new Washington, D.C. museum promoting the First Amendment and journalism. The review begins: "How many mediocre buildings can one city absorb?" In this excerpt, Ouroussoff describes the building's facade, designed by Polshek Partnership Architects.

"A marble slab etched with the words of the First Amendment is suspended on one facade like an ancient Roman tablet. An expansive window setback in the center of this facade frames a gigantic video screen in the lobby, evoking a TV screen. (An early sketch even envisioned the building as a row of newspaper sections.)
The intent, one suspects, is to conjure the rapid pace at which information is gathered and transmitted in the Internet age. But there’s nothing new or spectacular about this kind of high-tech billboard. And the heaviness of these forms is light years away from the multihued, fluid world of the Internet. Instead, the effect is as cringe-inducing as watching a neophyte nervously trying to navigate a computer screen."

To see a slideshow of the Newmuseum, click here. (Photo courtesy of the New York Times)

2008-04-12T14:15:00.001-05:00

Lazor on 'hip' architecture
The last time I was at the Turf Club, I wore what I thought was a hip, old school fedora. After sucking back a beer, I went to the bathroom. And there was a much younger guy, also with a hip, old school fedora. Hmmm.

I'll have a chance to repeat that experience on April 22 when architect Charlie Lazor offers up an overview of mid-century modernism at the Turf Club, lcoated near the corner of Snelling and University Avenues in St. Paul. Called History of Hip: Design, the event is sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society and costs $6 (or $5 if you're a member). It's part of their History of Hip series, which also includes an upcoming talk on jazz, also scheduled for the Turf Club. There will be an open bar at both events.

2008-04-09T11:42:00.002-05:00

A fun house for eternity
Daniel Libeskind loves slanted walls. Frank Gehry favors curvy exteriors. Those proclivities seem tamed compared to Madeline Gins and Arakawa penchant for curved floors. Gins and Arakawa — a married couple who produce art and architecture together — believe that death is avoidable through a process known as "reversible destiny." Reversible destiny can be achieved, they believe, by keeping people off-balance, focused on life and ageless. "It's immoral that people have to die," Gins told a New York Times reporter.

Few Gins/Arakawa projects have been completed. Exceptions include apartments in Mitaka, Japan and an unoccupied house in Long Island, New York (above, with photo by Eric Striffler). The article also quotes Lawrence Marek, a New York architect, as saying that, "Arakawa does believe that if you build things the way he says to build them, life will be prolonged. I don't know if it will or not." But, he added, "the house has a way of making people happy — it's a feeling you don't get from many buildings — and we should be studying how that happens."

The Times website includes an audio slideshow that's worth watching.

Oh, and don't miss the Gins/Arawka website. It's totally weird, cool, I'm not sure what to make of it. When your browser lands on its homepage, you'll encounter these words:

"ARCHITECTURE AGAINST DEATH.

REVERSIBLE DESTINY.

WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO DIE."

People who use all capital letters make me nervous.

2008-04-08T15:32:00.002-05:00

Three more perspectives on Rapson
One from Chris Steller in Minnesota Monitor on the demise of the Pillsbury house, a really cool slideshow at Architectural Record — it includes a helicopter hoving over a modernist house and a photo of the original Guthrie with the cool facade — and an edited version of a Rapson essay from 1958, republished in the Star Tribune.

2008-04-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

Rapson memorial on April 21; Fisher lecture on April 15
The Star Tribune reports that a memorial service for architect Ralph Rapson is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, April 21 at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. After the service, there will be a reception at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture. The university has arranged for bus service between the two venues.

Thomas Fisher, dean of the UM College of Design, will deliver a lecture on the architect who died one week ago today. Called Ralph Rapson: Playful Modernist, that talk is slated for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15 at the Minneapolis Central Library. (Photo of Cedar Riverside and Rarig Center — both designed by Rapson — by Todd Melby)

2008-04-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Alcoa open house tonight (Friday)
Before you rush out for dinner and movie tonight, you may want to make your way to St. Louis Park to see a 1957 Alcoa Care-free House. I toured the house a couple of days ago with architectural historian Charlene Roise, who is a big, big fan of mid-century modernism. You can listen to a 3-minute audio tour and see photos at MinnPost.

2008-04-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

Rapson gets a Times obit
It took the New York Times a few days, but darn it, the Old Gray Lady came through with an obituary on Ralph Rapson, a famed Minneapolis architect who died on Saturday at age 93. The Times obit, written by Robin Pogrebin, included material that I'd read in several other places in recent days, but it did offer a couple of graphs on the Rapson Rapid Rocker that I hadn't seen elsewhere. A mid-1940s Bloomingdale's ad called the chair an "innovative and attractive modern take on a traditional piece." Frank Lloyd Wright bought two chairs for $99.50 each. And if you have one of the originals, the Times says they fetch as much as $8,000 today.

The Los Angeles Times and MinnPost also published obituaries in recent days. The Los Angeles Times article includes an interview with Toby Rapson, Ralph's son, who is also an architect. The MinnPost piece was written by Linda Mack.

2008-04-01T18:35:00.000-05:00

UM discussion on suburbs schedule for Thursday
The Walker Art Center isn't the only one examining suburbia these days. The University of Minnesota College of Design is hosting a discussion entitled The Arts and the Built Environment: Changes in Suburban Life at 6:30 p.m. at Coffman Union. The speakers include John Archer, Kate Solomonson, Becky Yust and Tom Fisher. It's free, but registration is required.

2008-04-01T13:51:00.000-05:00

Jean Nouvel and the Pritzker
Here in Minneapolis, Ralph Rapson's death overshadowed the news of Jean Nouvel winning the Pritzker Prize, architecture's top award. The French architect designed the midnight blue Guthrie Theatre on the Mississippi River.

The Los Angeles Times writes that "Nouvel's finest work, unabashedly theatrical, makes the case that his profession's most important contribution to the larger culture is its ability to use the most unyielding and practical of materials and forces — steel, glass, sheetrock, physics — to elicit genuine emotion among visitors. In certain projects by Nouvel, the arrangement of those materials, paradoxically enough, seems to cause the physical world to recede, giving ground to desire and memory. He has often compared himself to a film director, and the experience of walking into one of his buildings is not unlike entering a darkened movie theater."

While the award is given to a single architect, such men and women are far from soloists. In addition to teaming with talented people at their own firms, they also work with structural engineers and others. Which is why Slate is questioning why the Pritzker is awarded to stars like Nouvel instead of firms or teams. "The Pritzker Prize promotes the fiction that buildings spring from the imagination of an individual architect—the master builder," writes Witold Rybczynski.

For an interview with Nouvel, check out this story in Design Boom. A video excerpt appears below.

2008-04-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

2008-04-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Rapson redux
A day after the announcement of Ralph Rapson's death (at age 93 on Saturday), people continue to reflect on his legacy. Bob Roscoe, historic preservationist with Design for Preservation, e-mailed me his thoughts:

"Of all the bright stars in the local firmament of architects, by far the brightest and longest shining, has been Ralph Rapson. Space, that intangible aspect of built enclosure that architects shape, was defined with no greater grace and spirit than by Rapson in the heyday of modernism. His work became guiding principles for the local community of practicing and aspiring architects during his very long career, and his reputation has been known worldwide. What most Minnesotans are not aware of is his architectural projects far from here, such as a housing complex on the Charles River in Boston, embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen, embassy staff apartments in Paris, a University of California Santa Cruz Performing Arts Center and many others.

"What is well known by Minnesotans, and once much loved, is his spectacular design for the Tyrone Guthrie Theater on Vineland Place in Minneapolis. For a building that could be seen and experienced in its many complexities from various, if not an infinite number of viewpoints, its function as a place for performance evoked the essence of simplicity — in drawing the spectator into the art being created on stage amidst the shroud of dark just beyond. Its razing by the Walker Art Center will long remain a tragedy, of real proportions more poignant than those of the Shakespearean vogue — or the plaints of Mance Liscomb and other blues musicians who performed there."

Yesterday, I wrote an obituary on Rapson for The Bridge, a monthly newspaper that covers Southeast Minneapolis and other nearby neighborhoods. Today, the Pioneer Press reports that the family hasn't finalized funeral plans yet and that UM College of Design Dean Thomas Fisher will deliver a lecture on Rapson's career at 7 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library. (Photo of the Rapson Cube courtesy of Architectural Digest)

2008-03-31T13:31:00.000-05:00

Ralph Rapson dies
The Star Tribune is reporting that architect Ralph Rapson has died at age 93. I'll always remember the Rapson retrospective at the Weisman Art Museum and Minneapolis Institute of the Arts several year ago. It really opened my eyes to the greatness of Rapson's designs and drawings. From furniture to buildings to rethinking the modern city, Rapson leaves an amazing body of work behind. In Minneapolis, Rapson designed the original Guthrie Theater (1963), Rarig Center (1971) and Riverside Plaza (1973). His most famous furniture design was the Rapid Rapson Rocker, which is "available for a limited time" at Ralph Rapson and Associates. (Photo courtesy of Rapson Architects, Inc.)

Stories about Ralph Rapson and other resources:

Burl Gilyard's 2002 profile for Minnesota magazine
Star Tribune obituary
Star Tribune 2003 video interview
Ralph Rapson Wikipedia entry
MPR interview with son Rip Rapson
Afton Society Historical Press, publishers of two Rapson-related books ("Ralph Rapson: Sketches and Drawings from Around the World" and "Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design")
Marianne Comb's 2005 profile on MPR
Midwest Home article, May 2007
Linda Mack's story on the Guthrie Theatre design
Architecture Week article on Rapson Cube, August 2007

Ralph Rapson quotes:

"I really don't talk well without a pencil in my hand." (Star Tribune video, 2003)
"I hope they carry me out on my drawing board. I'd like them to pile it up with models ... and put me out on the river or lake or some place and set fire [to it] in the old Viking fashion." (Star Tribune video, 2003)
On the Walker Art Center's destruction of the original Guthrie: "I’m very disturbed and disappointed that an organization such as the Walker, which obviously has been a great force in the art world, would be so negative about what really is a very significant building." (Minnesota magazine, 2002)

What's your favorite Rapson building? What was Rapson's contribution to modern architecture? Share your thoughts in our "Comments" section.

2008-03-31T13:22:00.000-05:00

Worlds Away at Walker Art Center
I thought of the Walker Art Center's Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes while listening to a NPR story this morning about an Atlanta couple who moved from the city to the suburbs. Both husband and wife commute more than one hour each way, every day. Gulp.

The Walker Art Center show opened in mid-February and doesn't end anytime soon (mid-August). But the show has already had two architecture related discussions, both of which I missed. Luckily, technology has saved me. It can save you too. You can catch both Drawn Here: Teddy Cruz and Drawn Here: Sean Griffiths of FAT on the Walker Channel, an online video service.

Up next in the Worlds Away series is a panel discussion I'll be hosting. Called Next Exit: The Shifting Landscape of Surburia, the April 24 discussion features Lance Nekar of Metropolitan Design Center, Dan Bergin of Twin Cities Public Television and Michael Lander of Lander Group. (Photo courtesy of Walker Art Center)

2008-03-28T08:51:00.001-05:00

Can't get enough of Dwell? If you're addicted to high design, you can get your fix of the monthly magazine on YouTube now. Dwell has uploaded 22 videos to its YouTube channel, including this one, a feature on Della Valle Bernheimer, one of the magazine's "emerging designers." In typical Dwell-style, the video is accompanied by jazzy music from the Bad Plus and an annoying ad for a luxury SUV.

2008-03-26T13:32:00.000-05:00

Haven't you always wanted a care-free house?
Imagine never having to paint your house or put on a new roof. Wouldn't that be great? After World War II, Alcoa — the world's third largest aluminum manufacturer — tried to sell America on the idea of living in an aluminum house. The company set up sales offices around the country in an attempt to sell "care-free living." I don't know whether this project was a success (perhaps someone can point me to a few resources), but Sotheby's is trying to sell an Alcoa Care-Free unit in St. Louis Park for $575,000. The house features an "aluminum roof, exterior doors and windows," an open floor plan and "California rambler style living."

Crazy, baby! I love it!

Now, where did I put that cocktail?

Your chance to see the house is on Friday, April 4 at 5:30 p.m., according to Preserve Minneapolis and Sotheby's International Realty. The exact address is 8000 Westwood Hills Drive. Directions are on the Preserve Minneapolis website.

To learn more about the Alcoa Care-Free house, go to Mid-Century Mike's Modern Capital blog. He lives in a similar house near Washington, D.C.

(NOTE: This blog entry was updated on April 3, 2008 to reflect the fact that Preserve Minneapolis is co-sponsoring the open house, not the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. Sorry.)

(Photos courtesy of sfp237's flickr page)

2008-03-26T13:07:00.000-05:00

'I'm walkin' here!'
That line ricochets through my head every time some bozo nearly clips me in a crosswalk. For those of you that aren't movie buffs, "I'm walkin' here! I'm walking here!" was shouted by Ratso Rizzo (played by Dustin Hoffman) in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. And a damn, fine film it was. But the reason I bring it up is that Minneapolis is finally getting around to attempting to assert its state-given pedestrian rights. From 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. tonight, the city is hosting a Pedestrian Master Plan Open House at Minneapolis Central Library. People are invited to share their horror stories and make suggestions for how to improve automobile-pedestrian relationships. The Strib weighed in the topic this morning with a story written by a journalism student.

2008-03-24T08:49:00.000-05:00

Grand slam for historic preservation
Denny's is known for its hefty "Grand Slam," "French Toast Slam," and its meaty "Lumberjack Slam" breakfasts. In Seattle, one of its former buildings has made news. The Seattle Times reports that the local Landmarks Preservation Board declared that a 1964 restaurant with swooping roof lines and odd-shaped pillars is worth of preservation. The building, which originally opened as Manning's Cafeteria and was later purchased by Denny's, reminded many people of the TV show "The Jetsons." Called Googie, the style is known for its "bold angles, colorful signs, plate glass, sweeping cantilevered roofs and pop culture imagery," according to Googie Architecture Online. (Photo courtesy of Dean Rutz, Seattle Times)

2008-02-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

VJAA on KFAI
On Thursday night, listen to a feature on Vincent James Associates Architects on KFAI's "Art Matters." The story will air at about 7:15 p.m. KFAI is located at 90.3 FM in Minneapolis and 106.7 FM in St. Paul. You can also stream the station online and if you miss the show, listen in on the KFAI archives.

2008-02-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

Mike Schrock, 53, dies
Michael Schrock, a Minneapolis architect who recently joined LSA Design, died on Monday. He was hit by a pickup truck while walking on a busy street in Fargo, N.D.

Schrock, a gentle man who was active in the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), was in Fargo with relatives to plan for his father's funeral. According to the Fargo Forum and Dickinson Press, Schrock was heading northbound on University Drive under I-94 when the accident occurred at 6:30 a.m. There was no sidewalk on that side of the street.

From 1997 to 2007, Schrock partnered with Michael DeVetter to form Schrock DeVetter Architects, a firm that shared offices with Close Architects at 31st and Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis.

"It was a very happy marriage to have him in the building," said Gar Hargens, president of Close Architects. "I loved having him with us."

Hargens hired Schrock DeVetter to work with him on several projects, including River Tower Condominiums plaza, Louis Warren Hill House at 260 Summit Avenue and the Seward Co-op. On the River Tower project, which won a Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Award in 2006, Schrock realized that an important piece of the original plaza didn't have to be replaced, saving the client a significant amount of money.

"He was always ready to help whether it was changing a light bulb or doing a drawing," Hargens said.

Schrock was quick to volunteer his time at Minnesota AIA. He was the organization's president in 2000, co-chair of its public awareness committee in 2005-2006 and champion of Building Minnesota, the blog, podcast and public radio series.

"It was his idea," said Sara Dick, a former Building Minnesota reporter who now works as a minister at Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton, Kansas. "He was someone who would take an idea and run with it without ego."

Matt Johnson, principal of DLR Group, served with Schrock on an AIA committee. "Mike had this energy about him that always seemed to re-energize me and make me want to strive to be better," he said.

Born in Casselton, N.D., Schrock earned a bachelor of arts from Goshen College (Goshen, Ind.) and bachelor of architecture at North Dakota State University (Fargo, N.D.).

Chris Steller, a Minneapolis freelance journalist, worked with Schrock at Cuningham Architects for five years in the 1990s. He called Schrock "engaging" and interested in "people, ideas and city stuff." The pair played on the company soccer team together.

"[Schrock's] family came along to a game, his boys and wife all with red hair at least as I think of them now," Steller said in an e-mail. "A comment he made that day stuck in my head. They had just been to Disneyland or some family vacation, and he told me that while there his boy had taken his hand silently, spontaneously, without thinking, like a kid does. And Mike said -- in way that was simultaneously sentimental and realistic and spoke to me about what fatherhood is -- that he treasured that moment because his son was old enough that that was probably about the last time he would do that.

"There's something tragic, just completely wrong, about a caring architect like Mike dying due to skimpy public design. He was an alert guy, upright when he walked, but focused too, probably focused on where he was going, what he had to do that day. I can just see Mike taking his long strides at 6:30 in the morning. I imagine he gave a thought to how crappy it was to let the sidewalk die on one side of the street then confidently went on his way," Steller said.

Schrock is survived by his wife, Erin Geiser, and two sons, Atlee and Haven, both of whom also chose to study at Goshen College, a "college of the liberal arts and sciences rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition."

Schrock was an active member of Faith Mennonite Church, located in the Seward neighborhood in south Minneapolis. According to the church's website, a memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Luther Seminary of the Incarnation in the Olson Campus Center, 1490 Fulham Street, St. Paul.

NOTE:

In 2007, I interviewed Schrock at Twin Lakes Elementary School in Elk River for a Building Minnesota podcast on the subject of sustainable design. You can listen to that podcast here.

“LEED drives a lot of the design,” Schrock said at the time. “There’s so much decided before you start your building. I think that’s really confining for a lot of architects, but I really like it.”

powered by ODEO

2008-01-31T10:41:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-23T14:34:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-18T08:53:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-16T19:24:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-16T17:28:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-15T16:28:00.000-06:00

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)

2008-01-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

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)

2008-01-09T14:04:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-09T10:55:00.000-06:00

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.)

2008-01-08T13:57:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-08T13:36:00.000-06:00

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?

2008-01-08T12:45:00.000-06:00

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."

2008-01-03T16:05:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-03T13:27:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-02T12:51:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

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."

2007-12-27T18:08:00.000-06:00

Walker Art Center to examine the suburbs
The Walker Art Center plans to dive into the world of McMansions, strip malls and women in pink bathrobes staring at clouds in their expansive backyards ... beginning February 16. That's when Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes opens at the Minneapolis modern art museum. The Walker's PR folks say the show is "the first major museum exhibition to examine both the art and architecture of the contemporary American suburb and its catalytic role in the creation of new art." Worlds Away is organized by the Walker in association with the Heinz Architectural Center, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh. The show will feature "more than 75 works ranging from paintings and photographs to architectural models, sculptures and videos that explore a variety of suburban conditions." The photo accompanying this post is by Angela Strassheim.

2007-12-21T22:26:00.001-06:00

New look for '08
It's not 2008 yet, but we decided to get a head start on things with a new look for the Building Minnesota blog. It's white. It's sleek. It's modern. What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Post your comments. And thanks for your support.

2007-12-20T15:50:00.000-06:00

All I want for Xmas ...
I asked a couple dozen architects and preservationists what book they'd like to most give or receive this holiday season. A few of them took the time to jot down their favorites, which are listed below. I'd like to hear from you, too. Add your selections in the comments section.

Jim Dayton, James Dayton Design
I love Michelangelo's huge new monograph from Taschen. He was the master of all things. And he's still an inspiration. Architecture Now! 5, also from Taschen. (Taschen makes really good glossy books.)

I'm also inspired by movies. I love the documentary film Helvetica. We should all be as simple and elegant as these designers.

Other choices: Diller + Scofidio (+ Renfro): The Ciliary Function. This book highlights some of the best work in the world today.

Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster, by Mike Davis. Mike has been writing ecological criticism for a long time, way before it became hip. This is scary stuff.

Carlo Scarpa: Architecture and Design.

David Adjaye: Making Public Buildings.

And most of all, The Simpsons Movie.

Bob Roscoe, Design for Preservation
In How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built, Stewart Brand, also known as the creator of the Whole Earth Catalog, instructs us the materiality of those structures in which we spend so much of our time somehow seem to possess an animate ability to find ways to seek transformation into new uses. Is this a survival mechanism that buildings have, that can overcome the vicissitudes of time, weathering, whims of fashion, maladroit alterations, and human indifference to find ways (occasionally) that we can love them? For people who appreciate buildings for their accommodation, history and beauty, I don't recommend reading this book -- I demand it.

Geoffrey Warner, Alchemy Architects
I'm reading Memorial: A Novel, by Bruce Wagner.
It centers around some lucid and perverse "starchitect" observations. I checked it out at the library because I liked the cover (of course!) and laughed out loud at the internal dialogues that the main character had about Zaha Hadid and her kin.

John Dwyer, Shelter Architecture
I'd have to go with Geographies of New Orleans, by Rich Campanella. It's the only book I've ever read that really gives a full understanding of New Orleans, its relationship to Katrina, and the role of design in the Future Geographies of the city. A must read for any American citizen.

Charlene Roise, Hess, Roise and Company
How about the 2008 Minnesota Historic Architecture Calendar? OK, so it is not a book, but with a gorgeous photo of a wonderful historic building every month, it is indeed a gift that keeps giving. There are two photos of the Washburn A Mill that I really like. One was taken by John Stark, before it was renovated, with re-bars sprouting from the tops of freestanding columns like a bad-hair day. The other, by Pete Sieger, is a straight-on shot of the ragged wall of the old mill with the sleek curtain wall behind; it is a masterful photo of a masterful rehab that combined an elegant modern design with the rusticated remnants of a nineteenth-century monument. I look at those photos and rejoice that the building was saved.

Beth Nelson, Alchemy Architects
I recommend The Smallest Book in the World, by Joshua Reichert and Planned Assault: The Nofamily House, Love/House, Texas Zero, by Lars Lerup. Both are beautifully produced -- as great as "objects" as they are content-wise. The tiny one is just ridiculously cool; I don't know what else to say about it (Did you see the picture of the tweezers holding the book? INSANE!). The Planned Assaults book is one you can read over and over again and find something new each time. It's so clever, but in a perverse, devious way that particularly appeals to weirdo architects. So I guess the first one could be a "give" or a "receive," but the second is more of a "receive," or "give, but mostly to other architects."

Jennifer Yoos, VJAA
My new favorite coffee table-type design books this year are Naoto Fukasawa (pictured at left) and Structure As Space: Engineering and Architecture in the Work of Jurg Conzett and Partners. Naoto Fukasawa is a designer of products and environments -- formerly with Ideo, plusminuszero and then Muji. His work is beautiful and he sees function as intuitive and sometimes humorous.

Two other recent favorites: In the Bubble: Designing in A Complex World by John Thackera and Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature by Susanna Hagan.

Bryan Carpenter, Alchemy Architects
Bernd & Hilla Becher did a number of photographs of "Typologies," (grain elevators, water towers, blast furnaces. ..) all industrial structures of the past century. The interplay of the collective images, the starkness of the black and white photographs, and scale of project and body of work is truly mesmerizing. They are not "architecture" books per se, but any fan of architecture will enjoy this body of work.

2007-12-20T12:56:00.000-06:00

Endangered New Orleans
In 2006, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that all20 historic districts in New Orleans were part of its Most Endangered Historic Places list. Nicolai Ouroussoff, New York Times architecture critic, believes it's almost too late to save many buildings in America's funkiest city. Ouroussoff reports that the federal government wants to knock down nearly all public housing projects in the city, even well-built, historically significant apartments constructed during the New Deal era.

"If the government gets its way, a rich architectural legacy will be supplanted by private, mixed-income developments with pitched roofs and wood-frame construction, an ersatz vision of small-town America. That this could happen in a city that still largely lies in ruins is both sad and grotesque," Ouroussoff writes.

The New York Times article is available here.

2007-12-19T16:11:00.000-06:00

Charlene Roise: Why we should save the Metrodome
Charlene Roise of Hess, Roise and Company ponders what historic buildings might be endangered in Minneapolis in the January issue of Minnesota Monthly. Her picks might strike some readers as quirky because her definition of what's worth saving isn't based solely on age or aesthetics. She believes many newer buildings, including the Metrodome, Minneapolis Public Service Center and Orchestra Hall, may be worth protecting from demolition in the decades ahead.

About the Metrodome, she says, "We shouldn’t just toss it out without talking about it." After all, its roof is an engineering feat.

Roise and Minnesota Monthly aren't the only ones contemplating the Metrodome's future. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, the public agency that operates the Minneapolis domed stadium, hired a consulting firm to write a report on its future. The commission is also sponsoring a series of public meetings on what to do after the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Gophers depart. (Actually, the commission points out that the rent paid by the Minnesota Vikings -- $6 million annually -- is enough to keep the building open for less popular events like high school football tournaments, etc.)

Here's the open house schedule:

Moorhead -- Tuesday, Jan. 8
St. Cloud -- Wednesday, Jan. 9
Duluth -- Thursday, Jan. 10
Marshall -- Tuesday, Jan. 15
Minneapolis -- Wednesday, Jan. 16

What do you think? Should we save the Metrodome? What's your favorite part of the stadium -- the fluffy roof or the swooshing air-forced doors? What's your least favorite part of the stadium -- the nosebleed seats, the crink-in-your-neck third base baseball seats, the carpet, the poofy right field wall, the metal urinals in the men's room, the concrete, the concrete or the concrete?

2007-12-19T15:19:00.000-06:00

Development Update: St. Louis Park and Uptown Minneapolis
The Star Tribune reports that St. Louis Park's West End development got the green light from its city council earlier this week. Duke Realty is planning to build a $400 million hotel, office and retail complex on a site near the corner of I-394 and Highway 100. St. Louis Park sees this as a "gateway" to the city.

News isn't as upbeat in Minneapolis. Stuart Ackerberg of the Ackerberg Group told a Star Tribune reporter that his firm would decide in the next 12 days whether it plans to proceed with Mozaic, a fancy hotel/condo/movie complex slated for the Lagoon Theatre site near Lagoon and Hennepin Avenues. "We plan to tell people who have put down deposits by the end of the year if we're going to be able to proceed with condos. ... I'm not optimistic," he said.

2007-12-11T11:37:00.000-06:00

Student ideas for the future of St. Paul's Ford plant
Architecture students at the University of Minnesota will present their proposals on what to do with a soon-to-be-defunct Ford Motor Companies Twin Cities Assemblies Plant. Ford is due to stop manufacturing pickup trucks at the Highland Park site in St. Paul in 2009.

According to a press release from the university, "The final-year students, from professor Lance Neckar's Landscape Architecture studio and professor John Comazzi's architecture studio, have spent the semester creating research and design proposals for the plant. With a focus on remediation of the site, the students have considered in-situ processes such as phyto-remediation, bio-remediation, engineered solutions and ground and surface water cleaning."

You can see the designs for yourself on Wednesday evening (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.) at Rapson Hall, 89 Church Street SE, Minneapolis. More information is available here.

2007-12-10T16:21:00.000-06:00

'I Bought a Little City'
Until a few months ago, I'd never heard of the short story writer Donald Barthelme. The New Yorker fiction podcast clued me in to this absurdist minimalist and his story "I Bought a Little City," published in 1974. Barthelme, who died in 1989, was raised in a modern house, designed by his architect father. And in "I Bought a Little City," you get a sense of this worldview.

The story, which is collected in a book called Sixty Stories, available at Micawbers bookstore in St. Paul and by that soulless corporate giant Amazon, centers on a narrator who buys a little city (Galveston, Texas) and goes about changing it, slowly. He adds a park. But to do that, he needs to kick people out of their homes. So then he needs to build them new homes.

Here's an excerpt from "I Bought a Little City":

"So what kind of a place would you like to live in?" I asked him.
"Well," he said, "not too big."

"Uh-huh."
"Maybe with a veranda around three sides," he said, "so we could sit on it and look out. A screened porch, maybe."
"Whatcha going to look out at?"
"Maybe some trees and, you know, the lawn."
"So you want some ground around the house."
"That would be nice, yeah."
"'Bout how much ground are you thinking of?"
"Well, not too much."
"You see, the problem is, there's only x amount of ground and everybody's going to want to have it to look at and at the same time they don't want to be staring at the neighbors. Private looking, that's the thing."
"Well, yes," he said. "I'd like it to be kind of private."

Writer Donald Antrim reads the whole darn story in the New Yorker podcast, which is available at iTunes.

2007-12-07T16:14:00.000-06:00

weeHouse open house
Don't get invited to enough holiday parties? Well, you might want to check out Alchemy Architects open house at its mega-weeHouse, which will take place from 4 - 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14 at 4221 Ewing Avenue South, Minneapolis. I interviewed Geoffrey Warner of Alchemy Architects two years ago about his firm's tiny prefab. "The ideal promise is you can go into a store or press a button on a website and have a house delivered," Warner says. Or you can customize your weeHouse, like the owners of the Ewing Avenue house did (as pictured in photo, above). I look forward to seeing you there; I'll be the guy with the camera in one hand and a beer in the other.

2007-12-07T16:12:00.000-06:00

Edina's 'monster homes'
Major changes in neighborhoods are tricky. Sometimes it's progress. Sometimes it's an eyesore. Depends on your point-of-view. A lot of the people on Oaklawn Avenue in Edina are angry that a new 5,400-square-foot "monster house" is being built on their street. (See Star Tribune story and watch the YouTube video, posted above.) Earlier this week, it appeared that the Edina City Council was ready to place a moratorium on the construction of these very large houses in neighborhoods populated by midsize, 20th century homes. But at its December 4 meeting, the Star Tribune reported that the council choose not to act on the issue.