Category: Mid-Century Modern

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Columbus Square Downtown Housing Mid-Century Modern Pruitt Igoe

"Historic" Cochran Gardens

by Michael R. Allen

One local television station’s report on today’s fire at one of the Cochran Gardens buildings on Seventh Street north of downtown called the building “historic.”

The use of that adjective was bittersweet. The six red brick apartment buildings — including two buildings reputed to be the first high-rise public housing buildings in the city — are a handsome example of relatively sensitive mid-century design. Designed by George Hellmuth and completed in 1953, Cochran Gardens was the city’s third federally-funded housing project built by the St. Louis Housing Authority. It also was the scene for one of the nation’s earliest and most successful tenant management programs. For better or for worse, Cochran Gardens survived its contemporaries, form Pruitt-Igoe to Darst-Webbe. Tenant management helped, as did a modern design much more humanely scaled than the successor projects with uniform heights and building types.

Demolition of Cochran Gardens is currently underway, with five of the six buildings slated for eventual demolition. One of the taller buildings will remain. The replacement HOPE VI project is under construction, and seems better-designed than many recent examples. One wonders what sort of viability the Cochran Gardens buildings could have had in today’s downtown housing market. Next door, the stunning rehabilitation of the Neighborhood Gardens Apartments demonstrates that much can be done to creatively transform mass housing, and that there is demand for the end products. Whereas the intended tenants of high-rise public housing may have desired housing more along the lines of what HOPE VI projects provide, some people do choose to live in basic, sturdy spaces off of the ground. After all, the transformation of the wholesale buildings of Washington Avenue into desired housing suggests that just about any kind of building can be someone’s house. Why not a building design for housing in the first place? No matter — we lost the chance with Cochran Gardens. Next time?

Categories
Demolition Mid-Century Modern South St. Louis St. Louis Hills

St. Louis Hills Office Center to be Rehabbed, Not Fully Demolished

by Michael R. Allen

Fans of mid-century modern design had already mourned the loss of the St. Louis Hills Office Center, that multi-story brick office building at Chippewa and Watson in St. Louis Hills. Eloquent prose and loving photographs are online at Toby Weiss’ B.E.L.T. and Rob Powers’ Built St. Louis. Demolition work is underway, with the parking garage heavily destroyed and the office building notably damaged. However, an article in yesterday’s Southwest City Journal reports that the elusive owners are in fact renovating the office building, not demolishing it. Only the parking garage will be completely removed.

However, given the damage to the office building the new version will certainly be something less that what was there before. The eulogies may still prove apt.

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Downtown Historic Preservation Mid-Century Modern National Register

Plaza Square Apartments Listed on National Register of Historic Places

From Landmarks Association of St. Louis:

The Plaza Square Apartments Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 2007. Located between 15th, Olive, 17th and Chestnut Streets in downtown St. Louis, the district includes St. John the Apostle & Evangelist Catholic Church from 1860 and Centenary Methodist Church from 1870 as well as the signature high-rise apartments completed in 1961. The Plaza Square apartment complex, the cornerstone accomplishment of the city’s first Urban Renewal project, was designed by the newly formed Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum architectural firm in collaboration with Harris Armstrong—an acclaimed leader of the Modern Movement in the Midwest. Evenly divided into two different configurations with a total of 1,090 apartments, the six buildings utilized native limestone, brick, concrete and colorful enameled metal panels (most now painted tan) to create a sleek contemporary aesthetic enhanced by balconies, landscaped grounds and underground parking

Although the “skyscraper home in a garden” initially attracted urbanites of all ages, Plaza Square soon experienced increasing vacancy rates. In 1965, Building # 60 at the southeast corner of 17th and Olive Streets was sold to Bethesda General Hospital which converted it into the Town House retirement community. Now dubbed BLU CitySpaces by a new owner, Building #60 is being converted to condominiums utilizing historic rehab tax credits. Thanks to the National Register nomination prepared by Landmarks Association for that developer, the other five buildings (which have been subjected to repeated foreclosures) are also prime candidates for reinvestment.

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Events Mid-Century Modern

Tomorrow: Raimist Lecture on Harris Armstrong at the Ethical Society

Summer Solstice talk

As Platform Speaker at the Ethical Society, Andrew Raimist will be speaking on “Architecture of the Sun” on Sunday 24 June 2007 at 11am. The audio-visual presentation will address climate, sustainability, and solar issues in the architectural designs of Saint Louis modern architect Harris Armstrong. In addition, refreshments, food, and other outdoor activities will follow the talk. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy an exhibit of architectural photographs by the speaker.

The Ethical Society is located at 9001 Clayton Road in St. Louis County.

Architectural Photography exhibit

An on-going exhibition will have its opening following the talk. Featuring architectural photography in color and black & white by Andrew Raimist, the exhibit will present interpretations of the work of Harris Armstrong, other modernist architects, and selected examples of architectural excellence from the Midwest. The exhibit will be on display through 15 August.

Raimist’s extensive writings on Harris Armstrong can be read online at Architectural Ruminations.

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Downtown Mid-Century Modern

Gentry’s Landing Spared from Make-Over

by Michael R. Allen

Word on the street says that the owners of the Gentry’s Landing apartment building have scuttled the plans to “re-skin” the building and demolish the adjacent three-story office building for a new condominium tower. Looking at renderings that someone posted to Urban St. Louis, I am relieved. The old plan was a travesty of brick veneer, EIFS and European pretense — dominant tendencies of the style I’ll call post-postmodern (because that sounds as ridiculous as examples of the style look).

The new plan is to rehabilitate the existing buildings, completed in 1967 as part of the Mansion House Center project designed by Schwarz & Van Hoefen. While certainly not an original work of modern architecture, and flawed from an urban-functionalist standpoint, Mansion House managed to achieve the simplicity of form and material as well as drama of site that typifies good modernism. Over forty years later, the buildings maintain a graceful occupancy of the site just west of the Arch grounds. In the face of one of the hardest modernist acts to follow, they don’t take the stage — they are a part of it. Sometimes, architecture need not make a huge point about anything. Sometimes, it needs to provide visual support for something else — another building or a natural setting. As a lesser contemporary example, Mansion House provides excellent visual support to the Arch as well as that excellent little essay of a building, the Peabody Coal Building.

Of course, Mansion House does manage to make one innovation: the rooftop of its attached parking garage (actually the biggest drawback since it creates a blank wall facing the Arch)
is landscaped as a contemplative garden. The garden is one of downtown’s best hidden assets, and a great use of what would otherwise be a wasted and rude parking deck. Also, Mansion House has steadily provided affordable apartments in the heart of downtown. In 1966 and in the condo-crazed 21st century, this service is much needed.

Split ownership at Mansion House forestalls preservation planning. Still, perhaps one day the other owners will make some wise choices, including making more of the garage roof.

Categories
Downtown Events Mid-Century Modern

Celebrate Mid-Century Modern This Friday at "Blu"

This Friday, enjoy a free drink and cool mid-century architecture at Blu CitySpaces, one of the Plaza Square Apartment buildings downtown currently under rehabilitation.

Completed in 1961, the six Plaza Square Apartment buildings formed a unique urban renewal project that used the sleek modern design of Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum and Harris Armstrong to retain city residents amid rapid suburban growth. In contrast with previous large-scale urban renewal housing projects in St. Louis, Plaza Square Apartments forged a deliberate and successful connection with the surrounding urban environment. Before Busch Stadium and the remaking of the eastern end of downtown, the project brought innovative modern design from acclaimed architects to the city’s urban renewal efforts. Now the apartments are a unique part of a new wave of city living.

Celebrate the renewal of this mid-century modern landmark with your hosts, Silverstone Development and the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.

Friday, May 18, 2007
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Olive and 17th Streets (SE corner)
FREE

Reservations required: 314-421-6474.

Categories
Mid-Century Modern Midtown

Praising Pius XII Memorial Library

by Michael R. Allen

Last week The University News, St. Louis University’s campus paper, published a letter to the editor that I wrote about proposed changes to Pius XII Memorial Library, a fine work in the Modern Movement style.

Here is the text of the letter:

I read “University Librarian Staines addresses Senate: with great interest. As an architectural historian, I am concerned that St. Louis University does not recognize the value of Pius XII Memorial Library. Built in 1959 from plans by Leo Daly and Associates, Pius Library is an exquisite example of how modernist architects used repetition and juxtaposition of material, minimal ornamentation, clear forms and open space to create dramatic and functional spaces. To some, Pius Library may seem like an outdated facility, but to others very unique qualities are evident. Here we have a carefully-detailed and well-preserved mid-century library containing such fine details as matched wood species between desks and doors, ample natural light in the upper reading areas and widespread use of colorful ceramic tiles and marble to punctuate wall expanses. The furniture itself is architect-specified and an integral part of the interior harmony.

Very few strong modernist university libraries have survived renovation projects like the one Staines envisions without significant loss of historic integrity. At the present time, historians like myself are involved in reinterpreting the mid-century architectural legacy that includes buildings like Pius Library. There is growing scholarly appreciation of buildings from 1930-1970, but there is also rampant demolition and alteration hampering efforts to record and study what was built in that period. Thankfully, St. Louis has responded to this reappraisal by showing interest in thoughtful preservation of modernist buildings. From the cherished Ethical Society building to the under-renovation Plaza Square Apartments, mid-century architecture has found some respect here.

Many universities have newer libraries that are comfortable but not as significant as Pius Library. St. Louis University should consider the legacy left by a careful, sensitive renovation that enhances the qualities that make Pius Library part of our city’s architectural heritage. The very fact that St. Louis University retains its modernist library in such fine condition sets it apart, and is worth celebrating.

Built St. Louis and B.E.L.T. have extensive photographs of one of the region’s best mid-century university buildings.

Categories
Historic Preservation Mid-Century Modern

Duffy on the Lambert Terminal Renovations

Robert Duffy, former art and architecture critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has a commentary on the proposed Lambert Terminal renovations in the March-April issue of the Landmarks Letter, the newsletter of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.  Read the commentary here (in PDF format).

Categories
Mid-Century Modern North County SHPO St. Louis County

Two North County Municipalties Making Progress in Preservation, Design Review

by Michael R. Allen

Black Jack creates architectural review board – Brian Flinchpaugh (Northwest County Journal, March 13)

Critics including Toby Weiss and I have long lamented the lack of preservation review in parts of St. Louis County where mid-century buildings lack protection and appreciation. Others have lamented the lack of sound planning policies in the county, and pointed to the inherent difficulty of creating meaningful policy amid 91 different municipalities. At least Black Jack is making the best of the current system.

Program could help Normandy preserve historic structures – Sonia Ahuja (North County Journal, March 13)

Meanwhile, Normandy is examining participation in the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office’s Certified Local Government program. The mayor and several aldermen are already backing participation, which would entail the establishment of a preservation commission.

Categories
Mayor Slay Mid-Century Modern

Lambert Terminal Will Be Rehabbed — Carefully

by Michael R. Allen

According to a post on MayorSlay.com, the $100 million airport terminal reconstruction project will “carefully rehab” airport’s landmark main terminal by Minoru Yamasaki. As the region’s most widely used modernist building, the integrity of the terminal is an extremely important expression of local stewardship of mid-century design. Alongside rehab, the terminal could be enhanced by removal of some of the intrusive canopies in front and other later alterations. While full restoration is unlikely, a sympathetic rehabilitation could restore much of the modern character of the terminal that is a worldwide gateway to the city (just like another modernist icon).