tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24990965251320341942024-03-18T03:16:24.623-06:00Knorr Architecture BlogExploring every facet of architecture.Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-73276496606379791152023-02-28T11:07:00.006-07:002023-02-28T11:23:16.128-07:00Palm Springs, Modern Architecture, and Herb Greene<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtvxXKEAda1uf4F9JmBXBU7qrYEPaPjPMYEVpn7S4pO5Vqo-MrclLYSRknWLsgroEc8bYYBUG03he9GlZARwwIfpFxekIn71_cPdMdNeolJzm5uHgj3BfRGN3WYZoKE5nK4xO9GhquxbBX5F27uQSmy4wxgYFOyUU8z0fRSmgwKGLOGZtRVoeYOkpHA/s4032/IMG_2408.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtvxXKEAda1uf4F9JmBXBU7qrYEPaPjPMYEVpn7S4pO5Vqo-MrclLYSRknWLsgroEc8bYYBUG03he9GlZARwwIfpFxekIn71_cPdMdNeolJzm5uHgj3BfRGN3WYZoKE5nK4xO9GhquxbBX5F27uQSmy4wxgYFOyUU8z0fRSmgwKGLOGZtRVoeYOkpHA/w300-h400/IMG_2408.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Moderator with Alan Hess, Lila Cohen, Craig Lee.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div>Modernism Week, celebrated annually in Palm Springs, is a melange of housing tours, cocktail parties, and lectures. It is one of the biggest tourism opportunities for Palm Springs and a chance to disseminate its unique modern image to the world. For aficionados of Modern architecture, the 2023 offerings did not disappoint. During the event I served as part-time docent at Desert Lanai, a Charles Dubois-designed condo project from 1965. Andy Farr and five other Desert Lanai residents opened their homes to an international audience seeking a glimpse of mid-century modern architecture not normally available to the public. (Pictures below.) For me, the highlights of the week were the many lectures covering minutiae of modernism with a high level of academic discipline. Topics like “Googie” architecture were treated with depth and respect not usually associated with the subject. Another panel explained in detail the restoration of architect Paul Williams’s home in Los Angeles. And my personal favorite was a panel discussion on <b><a href="https://herbgreene.org/architecture/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Herb Greene</span></a></b>, who studied architecture under<span><span style="color: red;"> </span><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Goff" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Bruce Goff</span></a></b></span> at the University of Oklahoma (my alma mater) in the 1950s. </div><div><br />The Herb Greene panel was important because it broadened the discussion of Modernism in significant ways. It is easy to reduce Mid Century Modern (MCM) architecture and lifestyles to a bundle of cliches: flat roofs, breeze block, martini bars, starburst wall clocks, and <i>Mad Men</i> color schemes. These are cliches worth loving—don’t get me wrong—but there is much more to Modern architecture. An examination of Herb Greene’s work lifts Modernism out of a stylistic rut. In fact, I believe we should stop thinking about Modernism as a <i>style; </i>it is more correctly understood as a <i>philosophy</i>. The pioneers of Modern architecture believed they were creating a new way of living with open floor plans, connections to nature, and optimism for the future. They prized innovation, creativity, and experimentation. Unlike most styles, where you can choose from a pattern book of approved architectural elements to create an acceptable simulacrum of Colonial or Gothic architecture, Modernism demands that we look at deeper connections between client, site, and materials. </div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1qT71L1hg6LHVD8tiZsiAzUEzUDDUlMdJFMIafxcVNawFAvjf1f9TIIc71azGZRtjZzGvQmzkGx6NIItyK4c_Z2W_CPItKUGIZHMTFjilAJ9rZZaj-cjRdHiKOLZhn_4M58VDOS-w5YfOtHCtVcZah1IWcIRq8kT_IhkTFt4G3NiCveR_8Q1gxHC1w/s6160/GreeneEdit2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3855" data-original-width="6160" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1qT71L1hg6LHVD8tiZsiAzUEzUDDUlMdJFMIafxcVNawFAvjf1f9TIIc71azGZRtjZzGvQmzkGx6NIItyK4c_Z2W_CPItKUGIZHMTFjilAJ9rZZaj-cjRdHiKOLZhn_4M58VDOS-w5YfOtHCtVcZah1IWcIRq8kT_IhkTFt4G3NiCveR_8Q1gxHC1w/w400-h250/GreeneEdit2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herb Greene's Prairie House, Norman, OK. (1960)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2jkDGEqRv9KrYRAEUlFwgLD1jKV1sSuG_NFrzgqQRRJGDycaVpc7ff1xG50SrkjzNfV52CUibHfe50xqlCkwVVerryJKLhu-wfOWUnPOqD4BibaDgiV3XYmVnYBSdb5lzAnfaTdxRNEBKFLuC-W4KlFkZ18cKwNMpLyPOSupYUvmoiilvBdB0uRNIA/s6191/GreeneEdit.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4016" data-original-width="6191" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2jkDGEqRv9KrYRAEUlFwgLD1jKV1sSuG_NFrzgqQRRJGDycaVpc7ff1xG50SrkjzNfV52CUibHfe50xqlCkwVVerryJKLhu-wfOWUnPOqD4BibaDgiV3XYmVnYBSdb5lzAnfaTdxRNEBKFLuC-W4KlFkZ18cKwNMpLyPOSupYUvmoiilvBdB0uRNIA/w400-h264/GreeneEdit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prairie House detail.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpeASCqzbJhVABCyrpwAtHNGbQk48ZNMq_eUFWKmejribWcG8ndJoaGmn79UYve7FhOugLnCa9E1YowWWOYEWtfBFiXq6JxhoFjUjflhqOOaCGISiL_ggsAuNPxzdoRC_oO-p7RejUpU-IrOMQ4UoyIwjt_W6O1A-scr-XWV4Dq-cGCE-Bomhh7C0rg/s4032/IMG_2405.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpeASCqzbJhVABCyrpwAtHNGbQk48ZNMq_eUFWKmejribWcG8ndJoaGmn79UYve7FhOugLnCa9E1YowWWOYEWtfBFiXq6JxhoFjUjflhqOOaCGISiL_ggsAuNPxzdoRC_oO-p7RejUpU-IrOMQ4UoyIwjt_W6O1A-scr-XWV4Dq-cGCE-Bomhh7C0rg/s320/IMG_2405.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herb Greene pictured with Lila Cohen.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div>The centerpiece of the Herb Greene panel was a film (a work in progress) by Greene’s niece, <b><a href="https://rememberingthefuturewithherbgreene.com/team" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Lila Cohen</span></a>,</b> <i>Remembering the Future with Herb Greene</i>. Architect and nascent filmmaker Cohen presents Greene and his work as an ongoing exploration of the meaning of shelter. Greene started that exploration as a young man by traveling to Oklahoma to meet Bruce Goff. He came out of that meeting saying, “I have met my first genius.” I can personally attest to the genuineness of that sentiment, because that was exactly what I said after my first meeting with Goff some years later. </div><p></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1mjNEzYz__VQwMwW-rKxCK7ks5tZ9M_eXqTA9omBKeKI32XCnHcQi7bCHDDsGcUxfuzAtL0_XM34H_zSIgzvw-C76sona3Imck1qeK731jc148aRJo_l1_SS7hssySLW0Bsg5ZGyb_gPTCLAGVTE4Qy1ic58tTY-Qxsxhr0xieXeFMgCW8XKY3Wx9wg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="3153" data-original-width="3882" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1mjNEzYz__VQwMwW-rKxCK7ks5tZ9M_eXqTA9omBKeKI32XCnHcQi7bCHDDsGcUxfuzAtL0_XM34H_zSIgzvw-C76sona3Imck1qeK731jc148aRJo_l1_SS7hssySLW0Bsg5ZGyb_gPTCLAGVTE4Qy1ic58tTY-Qxsxhr0xieXeFMgCW8XKY3Wx9wg=w400-h324" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce Goff with unidentified <span style="font-size: 11px;">student at Greene's Prairie House. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Greene studied under the genius of Goff and went on to create a body of work uniquely his own. Greene’s work can be startling when first encountered. It uses materials in unexpected ways. Interiors can be transparent or cavelike, depending on the desired mood. His architecture is blithely non-orthogonal, demanding critical thinking by the user to be understood, but it rewards the effort with a new sense of what architecture could be. In addressing what could be, it looks to the future. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2dUe5JR28sCfMY5Hew0st8bWbCf2znFOhBBjaJvWPhtT_7u7XbFLqfr28_LFfKF_9qvLbJuLbmQmPo8awDrFFDnPZmA3rk591kV7RZLvvcV9ZM-7rZx--a4c7OH4LYdSzpazQD_qp4SeBIaf_tntmcofy2j5Lhh5vpbfBA6xUvMSKIPD8_lfg1xg_Q/s4731/Cunningham.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4731" data-original-width="4640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2dUe5JR28sCfMY5Hew0st8bWbCf2znFOhBBjaJvWPhtT_7u7XbFLqfr28_LFfKF_9qvLbJuLbmQmPo8awDrFFDnPZmA3rk591kV7RZLvvcV9ZM-7rZx--a4c7OH4LYdSzpazQD_qp4SeBIaf_tntmcofy2j5Lhh5vpbfBA6xUvMSKIPD8_lfg1xg_Q/w394-h400/Cunningham.jpg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herb Greene's Cunningham residence. (1962)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Lila Cohen’s advisors for the film project include historian <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hess" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Alan Hess</span></a></b>, author of over twenty books on architecture, and <b><a href="https://www.artic.edu/authors/50/craig-lee" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Craig Lee</span></a></b>, curator of the Goff archives at the Art Institute in Chicago. Both gentlemen were on the panel and provided context on Greene’s rightful position in the panoply of modern architects. Hess linked Greene to an American architectural lineage that goes back to the nineteenth century: Sullivan, Wright, Goff, and the mid century generation that includes Lautner, Neutra, Dubois, and Greene. Lee emphasized the importance of the Goff connection. The built works of Goff and Greene do not look anything alike. But in their shared opposition to the conventional architecture of the time, it is obvious that Greene fully absorbed Goff’s assertion that “there should be as many styles of architecture as there are clients.” It would be difficult to find any definition of individualism more fine-grained than that. <br />There is an MCM revival going on right now. It seems to be a national phenomenon in residential architecture. And, in commercial architecture, Modernism never went away. This is an ideal time to reassess what we mean by Modernism. Herb Greene and his work point toward an alternative to the pattern book approach. Modern architecture, thought of as a philosophy rather than a style, is an ongoing revolution that invites continuing examination. Lila Cohen’s documentary film is part of that examination. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcHNDWiz6DP_KqxNj7bYXZ5ZKsE4knMVxKfReC8XyoN2GHm9V7oC46hefmGnIKXatawMd0LM02WEjQc87xTZSUKdPU-KlpI7cbbhYUc8YSNRItpafNA52DlqZQ8F5qIz370iTw_7R5c-UQHs3CY_9QpyT_DNOtc68uP_2ACU4o9ltRvGwi_TZqYHQjw/s4032/IMG_2391%202.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcHNDWiz6DP_KqxNj7bYXZ5ZKsE4knMVxKfReC8XyoN2GHm9V7oC46hefmGnIKXatawMd0LM02WEjQc87xTZSUKdPU-KlpI7cbbhYUc8YSNRItpafNA52DlqZQ8F5qIz370iTw_7R5c-UQHs3CY_9QpyT_DNOtc68uP_2ACU4o9ltRvGwi_TZqYHQjw/w300-h400/IMG_2391%202.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy Farr residence at Desert Lanai. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd7Umqn8kSnE47fsHvCXpqwfDgHQbKCUkJjXqS5Mb-0s3OcIwghxyQvoBDWQTRxk0BZftw2gegEAfca_jeYm98eb7EL3Q21EGHziW1QWdRhDXk7VvY8AL-VEBgR3jPu4GtzhFgE0M9ubtVp7Cedb1KiaZ7hjVPwal234E7RcCwa_O3XxojP1aSwqcAkw" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd7Umqn8kSnE47fsHvCXpqwfDgHQbKCUkJjXqS5Mb-0s3OcIwghxyQvoBDWQTRxk0BZftw2gegEAfca_jeYm98eb7EL3Q21EGHziW1QWdRhDXk7VvY8AL-VEBgR3jPu4GtzhFgE0M9ubtVp7Cedb1KiaZ7hjVPwal234E7RcCwa_O3XxojP1aSwqcAkw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles DuBois's Desert Lanai. (1965)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrXiwIu0mtZNo7jdz6DicBlXXJJWlC8LDzJw2ud1HCA3wXJ44m81lCTYWaRgHNFxEEm6Kd2Xxl7eKv_AXz0ABRePGXcP-Ilfwko2E_qxzp372MUSZoAMYGub7TmvoyJwpxlcF4JZ2sRLzsoWCZBcGx-Vz8coqcmAYjTI_lgimdx6XbulE6yzXJwt-Lcw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd7Umqn8kSnE47fsHvCXpqwfDgHQbKCUkJjXqS5Mb-0s3OcIwghxyQvoBDWQTRxk0BZftw2gegEAfca_jeYm98eb7EL3Q21EGHziW1QWdRhDXk7VvY8AL-VEBgR3jPu4GtzhFgE0M9ubtVp7Cedb1KiaZ7hjVPwal234E7RcCwa_O3XxojP1aSwqcAkw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-22246780294543745712023-01-26T13:09:00.000-07:002023-01-26T13:09:56.207-07:00Las Vegas "Mediterranean Estate"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZH5oDtTovtZpdkUXTky7BVsjEx_CUfACW4cxDC16bw1NMR16bNSzd2EgVRrZn9ix2CcjnmTnuVkuQCxybT8F-XldBW3pZ3eSQzGRGFAAN4hb_mcbIcROvXWreQ5EY_Z9XhRsrI8MWtePKw6GH5eCxU5dvK7qgSBk8QKhxbxcmnC0obKDOqw5ZeOVUQ/s1633/DickersonRendering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1633" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZH5oDtTovtZpdkUXTky7BVsjEx_CUfACW4cxDC16bw1NMR16bNSzd2EgVRrZn9ix2CcjnmTnuVkuQCxybT8F-XldBW3pZ3eSQzGRGFAAN4hb_mcbIcROvXWreQ5EY_Z9XhRsrI8MWtePKw6GH5eCxU5dvK7qgSBk8QKhxbxcmnC0obKDOqw5ZeOVUQ/w640-h232/DickersonRendering.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>There is a video on YouTube of one of my Las Vegas projects. Apparently, the video has been posted for quite a while; an associate recently brought it to my attention. Described as a <i>Mediterranean estate,</i> the home is built around a courtyard which includes a swimming pool, bridge, waterfall, and towering palms. Other features are a putting green, wine cellar, and indoor basketball court. The sprawling residence is located on a large, wedge-shaped piece of land with the entry gate on the narrow end of the wedge. From the street, there are few hints that this property fans open to allow so many luxury features. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=IQn84hUG8y8&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Follow this link</a> to see the video. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgHaB6WjF1jn7DYYUHlZNqt_Ns51tVhsBu5-fZ-OggzGm-4iAGkGxtKPOI3_CQ-vRoV81MEQH8A6zSVQ144y3Ivy5wlenBV-a61l_sZBv3AYDuTJrJBsMhXayYYDvuszGO0Zeb5X1eCoceNnUD8CV9w2yZOOYNiwF5aD0x21Cuf2xUq8cslPxmaoTMg/s2048/02Entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgHaB6WjF1jn7DYYUHlZNqt_Ns51tVhsBu5-fZ-OggzGm-4iAGkGxtKPOI3_CQ-vRoV81MEQH8A6zSVQ144y3Ivy5wlenBV-a61l_sZBv3AYDuTJrJBsMhXayYYDvuszGO0Zeb5X1eCoceNnUD8CV9w2yZOOYNiwF5aD0x21Cuf2xUq8cslPxmaoTMg/w400-h266/02Entrance.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry gate.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7GHBHm05ueb5mc4uxNjpdmn9sa-6tnlKj5EMO4GtpLAZ1yAem-sBlKpTA7y6LTW18t8m-0gb5LB70rxFbG0249fEVcJ9pNiYywhGWddxbMdRUrZJmx7JAMoXx9ErWgqUBw5L7YNt9TRTYmQ6WlJtsTnFBQw8qM7ZTrRsT-_I8iZV4DIk6MyI9Q3yaA/s2048/29Stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7GHBHm05ueb5mc4uxNjpdmn9sa-6tnlKj5EMO4GtpLAZ1yAem-sBlKpTA7y6LTW18t8m-0gb5LB70rxFbG0249fEVcJ9pNiYywhGWddxbMdRUrZJmx7JAMoXx9ErWgqUBw5L7YNt9TRTYmQ6WlJtsTnFBQw8qM7ZTrRsT-_I8iZV4DIk6MyI9Q3yaA/w400-h266/29Stairs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main stairway.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYr252NvBT8QRXsWVsv3L3guCq66kCC2i-QhIFJ8__yoCs-skkS0FdxjTsYYYmY14kItxCUB_HwHmgXj-N-HOeiafPKxAO-o8jN4w8NLzhs1ONVBHf_d-DxoCxSdVxus-GbwWOdhE84sGG26r3NCeVc9qu28kxZcw_wU5O0OsVgguWzuVwh26QhIUgQ/s2048/01Front1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="2048" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYr252NvBT8QRXsWVsv3L3guCq66kCC2i-QhIFJ8__yoCs-skkS0FdxjTsYYYmY14kItxCUB_HwHmgXj-N-HOeiafPKxAO-o8jN4w8NLzhs1ONVBHf_d-DxoCxSdVxus-GbwWOdhE84sGG26r3NCeVc9qu28kxZcw_wU5O0OsVgguWzuVwh26QhIUgQ/w400-h226/01Front1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streetscape.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOeaLP6Kd3izowa3Uw3-Ytwz0F56F8w3PzLWR8aIItveL8fu2qiin2ujZ7tgXSOnptvrHFzB6OqMTx4kGMu2ZGfkRfU_wkNNNxmzjnATNExU3jdTPLMKEK9oFmkmaLe2DiqitAUBVG8A4D0DzNsFQDw5ETQpzI3_tiZa4NHRxUif-kwdRAZZ5TJpVrA/s2048/43DayPool2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOeaLP6Kd3izowa3Uw3-Ytwz0F56F8w3PzLWR8aIItveL8fu2qiin2ujZ7tgXSOnptvrHFzB6OqMTx4kGMu2ZGfkRfU_wkNNNxmzjnATNExU3jdTPLMKEK9oFmkmaLe2DiqitAUBVG8A4D0DzNsFQDw5ETQpzI3_tiZa4NHRxUif-kwdRAZZ5TJpVrA/w400-h266/43DayPool2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-42310340140232014362022-12-21T13:28:00.000-07:002022-12-21T13:28:40.327-07:00New Video Channel: ARCHITECTURE MINUTE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhl2OljkzoTdfPFh7WfisjIsXk_NPfBsx0DeawPZRyZzI7CVDvqghd-Cmmg5rJcFi5UqDqCTh2DR8E3SWcM717PQsNxzKBjzAFauEOqUc1Wr94Zjb6ccyP4chMHpsE9SpRqqRFa7SyGONncm-xLo9vSVFM9N6gKsYsNArcjDaROO2z4DSnKiCTBAupXQ/s2560/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhl2OljkzoTdfPFh7WfisjIsXk_NPfBsx0DeawPZRyZzI7CVDvqghd-Cmmg5rJcFi5UqDqCTh2DR8E3SWcM717PQsNxzKBjzAFauEOqUc1Wr94Zjb6ccyP4chMHpsE9SpRqqRFa7SyGONncm-xLo9vSVFM9N6gKsYsNArcjDaROO2z4DSnKiCTBAupXQ/w400-h225/1.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Launched this month is my new YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ1W0BCH2NZ6DFh2WG_foIg" target="_blank">Architecture Minute</a>. Like this blog, the channel explores all facets of architecture, including architectural history, philosophy, and new ideas. Iconic buildings and important architects are also part of the mix. The great thing about a video format is, of course, the expanded ability to present the visual aspect of architectural appreciation. </p><p>There are many vlogs about architecture, including some with similar titles. (There are only so many pithy words you can combine with architecture!) It would be a great help to my efforts if, once you find my videos, you LIKE (the thumb-up icon) and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. If you're like me, it's kind of an annoyance to be asked to commit to yet another electronic "like". But that is the only way my YouTube channel will be searchable through the inscrutable algorithems of Google and YouTube. Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. It costs nothing. Sincere thanks!</p><p>The first season of Architecture Minute is ten episodes. In truth, with introductions and end titles, each episode is more like two minutes, but "architecture two minutes" is not very catchy. Forgive my temporal license. Architectural concepts explored in the first season are rhythm, focal points, and articulation. Also discussed are three architects responsible for inventing Mid Century Modern architecture: Mies van der Rohe, Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Each episode is a simple lesson in architecture. It is my hope that everyone who has an interest in architecture will find something of value. In particular, young people starting out in architecture, or simply curious about it, will find this a great introduction to what architecture is or could be. </p><p>Naturally, I invite your comments and suggestions. And please remember to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHNk9ENNRvdIFZFi1o4nATtuhhAJoRahUHZCuf4SnQe6np1N_g_M1ZbG5jRF4o4CrVZgEFEKm1o2TJX3r4K7MQ1ydFb5-22fJ5m8mIpWo8Hs4KuYrPO9tAhPuiANo-flVjlHzBZbZsX-uTDXEX6u2U13GFueHubLfdiuH_BI1xTQuDPJfgXYsZFQWzw/s4714/FLIW%20Misc%20AZ%20Projects%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4714" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHNk9ENNRvdIFZFi1o4nATtuhhAJoRahUHZCuf4SnQe6np1N_g_M1ZbG5jRF4o4CrVZgEFEKm1o2TJX3r4K7MQ1ydFb5-22fJ5m8mIpWo8Hs4KuYrPO9tAhPuiANo-flVjlHzBZbZsX-uTDXEX6u2U13GFueHubLfdiuH_BI1xTQuDPJfgXYsZFQWzw/w408-h640/FLIW%20Misc%20AZ%20Projects%20011.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpC2WTBTyXbk0YkxK3eB6wH7CuRXdHbzEdtxgJDR6EHuIcKF-JNeiFKxasGBLc2q06hs95Y0PKZkLlI0U2eOpfxi2k6d1AEJcvZzJwGGrGicngXMDDjOt65xu0b9F1gsTCcBrAvRjoL0ebzSTW96DMBtjlkYd9KB9t6IhuKB_lIN_QnhCWnF_68SYRw/s5634/Front%20Landscape%203308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3753" data-original-width="5634" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpC2WTBTyXbk0YkxK3eB6wH7CuRXdHbzEdtxgJDR6EHuIcKF-JNeiFKxasGBLc2q06hs95Y0PKZkLlI0U2eOpfxi2k6d1AEJcvZzJwGGrGicngXMDDjOt65xu0b9F1gsTCcBrAvRjoL0ebzSTW96DMBtjlkYd9KB9t6IhuKB_lIN_QnhCWnF_68SYRw/w400-h266/Front%20Landscape%203308.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQsgovqNZPTqM1zwgjOoMcz135wMbxBcaWhRdjPdNVjhXXjCnywwQoE6pnhLi_gaB2FQunkj2wx0CMfXyXEKX0XVkzMzE_2zZf0moRXNQoyUIT13Zv8kCDi0aKVYcJWCmYSIfa8QzdHk5VcmmZAw1-Y1fmV-kB-vHoTRIEHlbxifwpaTQfhbtX32h1Q/s6160/Knorr001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="6160" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQsgovqNZPTqM1zwgjOoMcz135wMbxBcaWhRdjPdNVjhXXjCnywwQoE6pnhLi_gaB2FQunkj2wx0CMfXyXEKX0XVkzMzE_2zZf0moRXNQoyUIT13Zv8kCDi0aKVYcJWCmYSIfa8QzdHk5VcmmZAw1-Y1fmV-kB-vHoTRIEHlbxifwpaTQfhbtX32h1Q/w400-h260/Knorr001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-7622559897356099662022-04-02T17:41:00.008-06:002022-04-02T19:02:33.731-06:00War, Race, and Onion Dome Architecture<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjqWCv__x-xS60t5e9sIg-uJdtmagJFoGPK0I6SHl1R2FyyOiU9nq9br3Df3cwSOyDiKomzf3eKs7tJ6Z7vpzejhsfswyxDvX2YHdCV0taYSPZMbJ0FxzrTP6wGGIOYiF6ZbhRNyYDMnQmWOd_XsanCfyUDzCzKGheRqNaY0kswcrEj8sGNcng6duwQ/s1200/1200px-80-391-9007_Kyiv_St.Michael's_Golden-Domed_Monastery_RB_18_(cropped).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjqWCv__x-xS60t5e9sIg-uJdtmagJFoGPK0I6SHl1R2FyyOiU9nq9br3Df3cwSOyDiKomzf3eKs7tJ6Z7vpzejhsfswyxDvX2YHdCV0taYSPZMbJ0FxzrTP6wGGIOYiF6ZbhRNyYDMnQmWOd_XsanCfyUDzCzKGheRqNaY0kswcrEj8sGNcng6duwQ/w400-h300/1200px-80-391-9007_Kyiv_St.Michael's_Golden-Domed_Monastery_RB_18_(cropped).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Michaels Ukrainian Orthodox Monastery, Kyiv, Ukraine.</td></tr></tbody></table><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><br /></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I cry everyday for Ukraine. Dead bodies on live TV, ninety-year-old babushkas stumbling toward safety, crying children, bombed buildings, starvation. All the horrors that Vladimir Putin has unleashed are broadcast every day. Like most Americans, my impressions of Ukraine before the war -- on the rare occasions we might have thought about Ukraine at all -- were fleeting thoughts of onion domes and a buttery chicken dish from Kyiv. Sort of a little Russia, by history and similar language. Now, despite the onion domes and an alphabet with funny-looking letters, we know Ukraine is less like Russia and more like any familiar Western European country. </div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond the onion domes is the real, twenty-first century Ukraine. Because of war, we have received a crash course on the country. On TV we see what had been vibrant and historical cities much like those we might visit on holiday throughout Western Europe. In normal times Ukrainians enjoy their cafes and coffee shops. They have their own language, their own heritage, and their own aspirations quite apart from those of Russia. Ukraine was a ping pong ball of European history, hit with invasions from every side since medieval times. Ukraine was actually controlled by Russia (or the Soviet Union) for relatively short periods, but under duress. In reality, Ukraine is more like us. We share with Ukraine a Western European system of justice which emphasizes individual human rights. We share a Greco-Roman approach to civic life rooted in democracy. They, like us, have an innovative and highly successful cyber industry. Their rich croplands look like Iowa or Minnesota. Ukrainians cast their gaze westward, not backward to the east or the Russian empire that Putin dreams of. Those are objective facts. The subjective facts are even more important. We have learned that we share the same values. President Volodymyr Zelensky started as an actor and was presented with a role to play he never could have imagined. In accepting that role, he has led and inspired Ukrainians to stand firmly in defense of their land and their democratic values. Doing so, he and all Ukrainians have reminded us of what our values actually are. When offered an exit out of Kyiv, Zelensky said, "I don't need a ride; I need more ammunition." With those words he ignited a fierce, value-based defense that may actually win this David-Goliath war. Zelensky's words and actions are echos of our own long-held values. <i>Give me liberty or give me death </i>was spoken by Patrick Henry at the American revolution. They could easily be Zelensky's words. <i>Don't tread on me </i>was a phrase on an American warship flag in 1775; it could be Ukraine's battle cry. <i>Live free or die</i> is the state motto of New Hampshire. It is a phrase Ukrainians would viscerally understand. <i>One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all</i> is asserted in our Pledge of Allegiance. It is asserted now by all Ukrainians. </div><div><br /></div><div>The western world has responded to these events with massive sanctions aimed at Russia's economy, aid to Ukraine's military, and refuge for millions (<i>millions!</i>) of fleeing Ukrainians. In the United States, sheltering refugees is a controversial subject. Trump, with the help of his minion Steve Miller, devised immigration laws that were unwelcoming to refugees who are black, brown, or Muslim, no matter how dire their situations. Some Ukrainian refugees, fleeing from equally desperate conditions, are now prevented from entering the U.S. by these same laws. Meanwhile, Americans, who want to welcome these mostly white, Christian freedom lovers, find themselves ensnared by our own prejudicial policies and are trying to figure out how to justify past opinions in the wake of new conditions. I wonder, though, how much of our reluctant concern for the plight of people from Guatemala is the reversed mirrored image of empathetic concern for the situation of Ukrainians. Ukrainians are like us -- but not solely as a matter of race. We see our<i> values</i> reflected in Ukrainians. I confess that my visceral response to the war in Ukraine is stronger than I can remember for Afghanistan, Guatemala, Nicaragua, or Yemen. Is that a sign of ethnic prejudice? Certainly a possibility, but we are also observing a war in Ukraine that looks like many World World War II movies we've seen on TV. We are very familiar with movies about the bloody battles fought in France and the air raids in London, with masses huddled in subways used as bomb shelters. And Putin's theft of the Crimea and eastern Ukraine is exactly like Hitler's uninvited annexation of Czechoslovakia that ignited the Second World War. This is a familiar war we can relate to, fought over issues we understand. My dad fought in World War II and we know what it was about. Putin has put in with the ranks of evil villains like Hitler. Between his raw, unprovoked aggression and the noble response of the Ukrainians, it is obvious which side we must be on. And it is obvious that we must help Ukrainian refugees, just like we would not have hesitated to help the desperate refugees filtering through Rick's Cafe in <i>Casablanca</i>. I think we feel this dire situation more than others for reasons like that. Because we have seen this all before. </div><div><br /></div><div>Look again at Volodymyr Zelensky. At 5'-6" he stands taller than most men. He displays no fear in walkabouts through the streets of Kyiv. He demands, not begs, from Western leaders the help required to defend shared values. He is as tough as the soldiers he commands. He acts like a super hero. Don't we all want to honor super heroes or, in our Walter Mitty fantasies, believe we ourselves would act like super heroes given similar circumstances? Wouldn't we all hope to be as courageous as Zelensky and the Ukrainians? Critics see racial discrimination in our response to Ukrainians versus other afflicted countries. I have no doubt that is a part of it. Most (but definitely not all) Ukrainians are white Christians. Is that why people seem more enthusiastic about welcoming them? Maybe. For some. But there is another explanation. Ukrainians are like us. Not because they're white, but because they hold the same values. Also, has there ever been a war with such clear distinctions between what we value as good and what we abhor as evil? Again, it is obvious which side we must be on. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a boy, I used to think the inscription for the Statue of Liberty was a policy of the United States. <i>Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.... </i>But this is not U.S. policy, it is just an inscription. Maybe, in the end, Zelensky's super power will be reminding us to do a deep read of that inscription and look at how we treat<i> all</i> refugees and immigrants. That may be wishful thinking. But I would like to believe in the possibility that we are capable of welcoming equally <i>all </i>huddled masses that yearn to breathe free -- even when the reasons are not as sharply drawn as they are here. How many times do we need to be reminded that there is only one Human Race and that all sub-divisions are artificial constructs? The tears shed on this war are partly a reaction to Putin's psychopathic cruelty and partly for frustration over the stupidity of the politics behind the war. Trump's playing politics by withholding aid to Ukraine during the 2020 campaign is the most obvious example of the intersection of Ukraine and American politics. The next close example is our immigration and refugee policies. Maybe, now, we can see that this must change. Maybe in Ukraine there is a seed of hope for that kind of future. </div><div><br /></div><div>One added thought: </div><div><br /></div><div>Trump trumpeted that there was no war between Russia and Ukraine while he was in power because he is such a genius peacekeeper. Are you kidding me? The war didn't start during Trump's reign because Putin got everything he wanted from him: withholding military funding from Ukraine, taking Putin's word that he didn't interfere with the U.S. election, countenancing the poisoning and imprisonment of Russian dissidents. Trump acquiesced to these Putin escapades and much more. Genius! Trump trumpets his prowess as a strong leader. Look at Trump and then look at Zelensky and tell me which is the more capable, brave, and strong. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisf58rPfYa7LRRR6t-yzAg0_tO-fRV4Yst_RYQNfc5ihE4ND1hczvUIfxKuSGdV8hJANR9fkxTky0Z7sLyU61BfBcC_Gm1DPSbxE52bNo_0JK-8V8uaPDnebzJszxWTkx1toLAyn6Vs9fuIZUumciowXmO5Id6AVe_G_m9ajtAjzmLr1rorMGwuDU-FA/s223/170px-St._Andriy's_Church_in_Kyiv.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisf58rPfYa7LRRR6t-yzAg0_tO-fRV4Yst_RYQNfc5ihE4ND1hczvUIfxKuSGdV8hJANR9fkxTky0Z7sLyU61BfBcC_Gm1DPSbxE52bNo_0JK-8V8uaPDnebzJszxWTkx1toLAyn6Vs9fuIZUumciowXmO5Id6AVe_G_m9ajtAjzmLr1rorMGwuDU-FA/w305-h400/170px-St._Andriy's_Church_in_Kyiv.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Sophias Cathedral, Kyiv, Ukraine.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-66393505891252508092022-02-26T13:18:00.002-07:002022-02-26T13:18:43.964-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJMzPrlXz3i3uVpfjsQDeUk2HA3s-nBfEZTpya5WD-949fzbwPN5Pl6b2v4NZdWGzuXRpV4xeJ-979aacr7KMUhHOU0-LsKED7teR4OFXHp0rbwIS9Lf57CPXdiJ1nC8s84URWYmA5e9vZrNfdRmBpm3YbVkd5HcVeURnMsu2xdO-fiaGMdQ1eHpNQBA=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="900" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJMzPrlXz3i3uVpfjsQDeUk2HA3s-nBfEZTpya5WD-949fzbwPN5Pl6b2v4NZdWGzuXRpV4xeJ-979aacr7KMUhHOU0-LsKED7teR4OFXHp0rbwIS9Lf57CPXdiJ1nC8s84URWYmA5e9vZrNfdRmBpm3YbVkd5HcVeURnMsu2xdO-fiaGMdQ1eHpNQBA=w400-h354" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-14487069823801810112021-03-16T16:16:00.000-06:002021-03-16T16:16:00.925-06:00Architectural Symbolism and the Sacking of the Capitol<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HFwikWKx5kg/YFEdeJwEPVI/AAAAAAAAF1s/a57XTEk-NxMyGzq8lEfdctsxBAXwdycoACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/government-icon-premium-creative-capitol-building-logo-vector-design-iconic-landmark-illustrations-administration-america-american-158041013.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HFwikWKx5kg/YFEdeJwEPVI/AAAAAAAAF1s/a57XTEk-NxMyGzq8lEfdctsxBAXwdycoACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/government-icon-premium-creative-capitol-building-logo-vector-design-iconic-landmark-illustrations-administration-america-american-158041013.jpg" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">In the past I have criticized the architectural merits of the <a href="https://knorrarchitecture.blogspot.com/search?q=US+capitol" target="_blank">United States Capitol</a>. In playing architectural critic, I cited the bloated nature of the building: numerous additions have resulted in muddy (at best) proportions and a structure that no architect in his right mind would have created from scratch. But I also acknowledge that it is impossible to offer a fair critique of the Capitol architecture because the symbolism of the building overwhelms objective architectural criticism. The Capitol has long symbolized freedom, democracy, homeland, patriotism, truth, justice, and the American way. Architectural values have little relevance next to the abstract power of the Capitol of the United States of America as an </span><i style="text-align: left;">icon</i><span style="text-align: left;">. Whether on network news or the letterhead of a congress member, the mere outline of the Capitol Dome instantly communicates the high value people have attached to it -- all architectural criticism aside. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0LE6xCWRPA/YFEevSM2wFI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/yZVV8PQVNSkLu7VDqVSGALnwXtj4r0zzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s753/360_F_127748057_424siEey4VlCpNCCcJqzcSXraFuBu8qo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="753" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0LE6xCWRPA/YFEevSM2wFI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/yZVV8PQVNSkLu7VDqVSGALnwXtj4r0zzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/360_F_127748057_424siEey4VlCpNCCcJqzcSXraFuBu8qo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrcVNn43bqw/YFEeoNKormI/AAAAAAAAF2I/nOEW8QgLpxEq0zYYpzysJici1n__dMjSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s528/John_Kelly__1490370980.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrcVNn43bqw/YFEeoNKormI/AAAAAAAAF2I/nOEW8QgLpxEq0zYYpzysJici1n__dMjSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/John_Kelly__1490370980.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jmPCfxIT3e0/YFEepaYdAjI/AAAAAAAAF2M/QUts-BzteNYDZ1Xcl4nJlCfw8bEwUkh8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1224/brumidi-corridors.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jmPCfxIT3e0/YFEepaYdAjI/AAAAAAAAF2M/QUts-BzteNYDZ1Xcl4nJlCfw8bEwUkh8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/brumidi-corridors.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MldVHP7wVM/YFEedc6-A4I/AAAAAAAAF2E/94xzTvMdzxIsp5lxw6tjG3SgoME_7D7XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s279/images-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="279" height="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MldVHP7wVM/YFEedc6-A4I/AAAAAAAAF2E/94xzTvMdzxIsp5lxw6tjG3SgoME_7D7XwCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h207/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>This symbolic nature of the Capitol is only more clear after the 6th of January day of infamy. The sacking of the United States Capitol carries more weight than any run-of-the-mill riot or building defacement. It was an attack on every value that our democracy <i>is</i>. That is why, in the aftermath of the insurrection, shocked politicians and citizens expressed their dismay about the attack using words usually reserved for religious feelings. It was an assault on the "hallowed halls" of democracy. The building is described as "a sacred space" or "a revered sanctuary" or "a shrine of democracy." None of this, of course, has anything to do with the physical architecture of the place. It has everything to do with the architectural symbolism of the building. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NhbFYvKmMiE/YFEfx5i5oxI/AAAAAAAAF2o/bouVmvcyFsYsTOfbM3U77QG_yFopjRMbACLcBGAsYHQ/s276/images-6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NhbFYvKmMiE/YFEfx5i5oxI/AAAAAAAAF2o/bouVmvcyFsYsTOfbM3U77QG_yFopjRMbACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/images-6.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n9RbCw4Rcs4/YFEfw6w7rkI/AAAAAAAAF2k/t9-6G_tOgiULi3LFxQXwKFcCppBXjtU0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1022/capitol-dome-ynews.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="1022" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n9RbCw4Rcs4/YFEfw6w7rkI/AAAAAAAAF2k/t9-6G_tOgiULi3LFxQXwKFcCppBXjtU0QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h233/capitol-dome-ynews.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6kWxaasEL4/YFEfq-MmgjI/AAAAAAAAF2g/7rvB5PkVN_UuXBS45K9PHL_WbBu4bX20QCLcBGAsYHQ/s261/images-3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="261" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6kWxaasEL4/YFEfq-MmgjI/AAAAAAAAF2g/7rvB5PkVN_UuXBS45K9PHL_WbBu4bX20QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/images-3.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p>During the Civil War, President Lincoln was urged by Congress to stop construction work on the new United States Capitol building. War funds were depleting the treasury and many saw the construction project as unnecessary spending in dire times. Lincoln saw things differently. He knew that the American people needed the symbolism of a completed Capitol. Construction continued. Lincoln, of course, was right. He knew what leaders have always known: people need a tangible representation of their most valued beliefs. The Catholic Church understood this in its ascendancy and used mammoth cathedrals to attract and impress the masses. Queen Victoria understood this when she moved her seat of power to Buckingham Palace where it would be visible to all Londoners. The pharaohs certainly understood this when ordering monuments big enough to ensure their influence even after death. Architecture can be a lasting and powerful tool around which to organize ideas and inspire devotion or -- at least -- respect. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D3C3y1i7wNY/YFEgAYOfHCI/AAAAAAAAF24/Fj2XVTbtKowaLKWbF-QlB1GRzgP2SbtjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s275/Unknown-2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D3C3y1i7wNY/YFEgAYOfHCI/AAAAAAAAF24/Fj2XVTbtKowaLKWbF-QlB1GRzgP2SbtjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Unknown-2.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrw8PY9wMMo/YFEf--fbTtI/AAAAAAAAF2w/bCwF3TLvynsdumi2xMlWQaBz-GdfQD0LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s540/360_F_64916268_MQFN6j9nq1Eh2AONqNMMaoBMmKbcL7YY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrw8PY9wMMo/YFEf--fbTtI/AAAAAAAAF2w/bCwF3TLvynsdumi2xMlWQaBz-GdfQD0LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/360_F_64916268_MQFN6j9nq1Eh2AONqNMMaoBMmKbcL7YY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>From TV reporting and a flood of video images, the average American now has more architectural understanding of the Capitol than ever before. We have seen how Officer Eugene Goodman, with his knowledge of the Capitol floor plan, deliberately led marauders away from the Senate chamber. Away from Vice President Pence as the mob frothed with "hang Mike Pence, hang Mike Pence..." We have seen numerous replays of angry white males bursting into the senate chamber, invading private offices, and smashing doors and windows with abandon. All within the gravitas of marble halls, colonnades, and classical details that we recognize as our United States Capitol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZEBz2VJzes/YFEgQoIewmI/AAAAAAAAF3M/Wf2ctXQ-dAg7aKfAu2imx1Ye4QmHBI2RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1120/hat5xvhajwxwxoq5vp2a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1120" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZEBz2VJzes/YFEgQoIewmI/AAAAAAAAF3M/Wf2ctXQ-dAg7aKfAu2imx1Ye4QmHBI2RQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/hat5xvhajwxwxoq5vp2a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcXpsm7Qt7s/YFEgNR_1oxI/AAAAAAAAF3A/x8albpu2meA4zXxK2YqL9p_8MBh2TXc4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s512/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcXpsm7Qt7s/YFEgNR_1oxI/AAAAAAAAF3A/x8albpu2meA4zXxK2YqL9p_8MBh2TXc4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Is there some other form of architecture that could carry the weight of all this symbolism other than the Classical Revival building that has been bequeathed to us by history? Of course. Had the Capitol been designed in the twentieth century with modernist materials and details we would probably be in thrall by whatever that building looked and felt like. Or, perhaps, some Art Nouveau confection would be our inheritance. Or maybe a late-Gothic, spire-encrusted building like the British Parliament. Whatever it might have been, if it housed our government it would eventually grow into a symbol of our government and a symbol of who we are as a people. A symbol beyond the reach of architectural criticism. But our founding fathers and subsequent leaders decided that the proper receptacle for a democratic government was Greco-Roman architecture because the Greeks invented democracy. So there we have it. That architecture has been established, repeated, and embellished over the years. As a powerful and rich nation we have had the resources to build and maintain the Capitol architecture in top-notch form. What we see today on TV is a legacy from the past that is alive today.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rIQ3aGpQvq8/YFEghxw4KNI/AAAAAAAAF3Y/vznJfwLTPC0LFaIJdOy1v-xPL8pgUXL2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Senate-Pediment.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="1920" height="75" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rIQ3aGpQvq8/YFEghxw4KNI/AAAAAAAAF3Y/vznJfwLTPC0LFaIJdOy1v-xPL8pgUXL2ACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h75/Senate-Pediment.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIEtpinsNjw/YFEgbjhZ2kI/AAAAAAAAF3Q/n9ubuk4vQDkNUJNnY9LDmEWoHMZWOa7iwCLcBGAsYHQ/s259/Unknown-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIEtpinsNjw/YFEgbjhZ2kI/AAAAAAAAF3Q/n9ubuk4vQDkNUJNnY9LDmEWoHMZWOa7iwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /> All buildings have a spirit in some sense. We have warm feelings about home, religious devotion in church, feelings of excitement in an arena. Under the best circumstances, architecture supports and encourages such feelings. That is the purpose of architecture, as opposed to merely encasing these functions in an ordinary building. For any architect fortunate enough to author a major public building, one hopes they are up to the honor. The symbolism they establish with architecture can be long lasting and very serious. And perhaps it would be good to remember that any outrage we may feel about the January 6th sacking of the Capitol, any fondness we may have about the lavish architectural details, and any heartbreak we have about the desecration of that building is not about the physical construct at all. Our outrage is about the defilement of the ideas which that building symbolizes after centuries of standing unmarred by internal political strife. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5V_LICCVqA/YFEeId4l7WI/AAAAAAAAF14/X6LqKoS7Uf46Im5E6TyhRquOhl1ptVkZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/8634589371_0f56eb81bd_b_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="681" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5V_LICCVqA/YFEeId4l7WI/AAAAAAAAF14/X6LqKoS7Uf46Im5E6TyhRquOhl1ptVkZQCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h400/8634589371_0f56eb81bd_b_1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-85043143159409534112020-10-25T09:57:00.003-06:002020-10-25T09:57:31.280-06:00Trump Thinks He Knows Architecture and Design<p>Architect Greg Walke sent us this meme circulating on the web. 'Nuff said. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2sAjS7UP_Y8/X5WflIcPg6I/AAAAAAAAFrY/3MWeptGqfyI8bV6g9IkSwhjqOeWsklQsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/output.JPG.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="750" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2sAjS7UP_Y8/X5WflIcPg6I/AAAAAAAAFrY/3MWeptGqfyI8bV6g9IkSwhjqOeWsklQsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h264/output.JPG.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-9093205182147124732020-09-19T12:28:00.000-06:002020-09-19T12:28:40.181-06:00Architect Walter Weberhofer<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_xX3GfecCA/X2ZD02I-1BI/AAAAAAAAFmc/i2CTEmqrp-ABhUodjD791r0Y7dKAML3TACLcBGAsYHQ/s900/53ff53dc-bf68-4aa5-a67b-4cbc6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_xX3GfecCA/X2ZD02I-1BI/AAAAAAAAFmc/i2CTEmqrp-ABhUodjD791r0Y7dKAML3TACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/53ff53dc-bf68-4aa5-a67b-4cbc6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Casa Fernandini by Walter Weberhofer (1957).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I don't know why I have never heard of Walter Weberhofer (1923-2002) at some time during my architectural education. Weberhofer was a prolific modernist architect working in Peru. I recently stumbled across images of his <i>Casa Fernandini</i> (1957) built on the beach at Santa Maria del Mar, Peru. I am embarrassed to admit this design eluded my awareness for so long. It is a dramatic and romantic architectural work of art — worthy of inclusion in any history of Mid Century Modern design. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WCQI38jsejw/X2ZEEdFZGcI/AAAAAAAAFmo/eIv59jOKdU0yIM2NH138M3SnRrwJVYx6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s528/53ff5404-d428-4fa5-9d2f-4c396d7b5e1b_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="528" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WCQI38jsejw/X2ZEEdFZGcI/AAAAAAAAFmo/eIv59jOKdU0yIM2NH138M3SnRrwJVYx6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/53ff5404-d428-4fa5-9d2f-4c396d7b5e1b_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Casa Fernandini.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2SjVCXexRM/X2ZEEipYsSI/AAAAAAAAFms/c2byLm677Oc2yIHy2zbsfok6-6GUsfvfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s710/53ff57ff-ca0c-49b2-9da7-4ccf6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-21z9UCD6Qlg/X2ZFOIDmZTI/AAAAAAAAFnY/O88iBbVZiTMFTK9llsAinXbPUUZppw1YQCLcBGAsYHQ/s710/53ff57ff-ca0c-49b2-9da7-4ccf6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="519" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-21z9UCD6Qlg/X2ZFOIDmZTI/AAAAAAAAFnY/O88iBbVZiTMFTK9llsAinXbPUUZppw1YQCLcBGAsYHQ/w234-h320/53ff57ff-ca0c-49b2-9da7-4ccf6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Casa Fernandini.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSV8wWF70gM/X2ZFfiC9_iI/AAAAAAAAFnk/SD4ix2PLW7Ex8UvL0VhwxjWoQITYdLD9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/53ff586e-6014-4e91-be75-4c396d7b5e1b_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="900" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSV8wWF70gM/X2ZFfiC9_iI/AAAAAAAAFnk/SD4ix2PLW7Ex8UvL0VhwxjWoQITYdLD9wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h244/53ff586e-6014-4e91-be75-4c396d7b5e1b_original.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Weberhofer's manually-drafted elevation for Casa Fernandini.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOlE6ijoD1Q/X2ZFfyCGA6I/AAAAAAAAFno/YyOW5I7JV8YaWuTfwE9XXR2XoJdw1dANQCLcBGAsYHQ/s888/53ff58aa-7fa0-4764-b796-4cbb6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="888" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOlE6ijoD1Q/X2ZFfyCGA6I/AAAAAAAAFno/YyOW5I7JV8YaWuTfwE9XXR2XoJdw1dANQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h306/53ff58aa-7fa0-4764-b796-4cbb6d7b5e1b_original.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Floor plan, Casa Fernandini.</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></a></div><p></p><p><i>Casa Fernandini,</i> with its cantilevered decks and horizontal emphasis, is obviously influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's <i>Fallingwater </i>(1939) at Bear Run, Pennsylvania. However, it is not just a knock-off of Wright's work. <i>Casa Fernandini</i> hints at the New Brutalism movement about to emerge as well as being extremely vigorous with angular tension and structural panache. The house also reminds me of sets for the film version of Ayn Rand's <i>The Fountainhead </i>(Warner Brothers, 1949.) The set designs by Edward Carrere were panned at the time by the architectural press as a perversion of modern architectural principles. Admittedly they were cartoonish and hyperbolic, but also viscerally enjoyable. Weberhofer's work is like that. Over the top, but fun. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GoBJD1-lRR0/X2ZKwotHqXI/AAAAAAAAFn4/8Hc53VSLKr0cxUc_pfY_Jwp9vdn_FqPaACLcBGAsYHQ/685b2f84712b5e5bd6cc2dc0f4d09a54.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bVnUmLeuY6g/X2ZKy5fpxUI/AAAAAAAAFn8/XWpLU4Cty1sEdr_uo929UGz6FdXxUkJQgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="412" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bVnUmLeuY6g/X2ZKy5fpxUI/AAAAAAAAFn8/XWpLU4Cty1sEdr_uo929UGz6FdXxUkJQgCLcBGAsYHQ/w321-h400/image.jpeg" width="321" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Set design for <i>The Fountainhead.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KdIdOK_GbSQ/X2ZLOr5IndI/AAAAAAAAFoI/J-fOGxYiTpsB0xQBN-q8TdKBMSkZOQZTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/ec092f1a74e127eb738d2637efabbafb.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="981" data-original-width="1280" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KdIdOK_GbSQ/X2ZLOr5IndI/AAAAAAAAFoI/J-fOGxYiTpsB0xQBN-q8TdKBMSkZOQZTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h245/ec092f1a74e127eb738d2637efabbafb.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Set design for <i>The Fountainhead</i>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></span></p>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-89021855787376145182020-07-22T10:19:00.000-06:002020-07-22T10:19:04.612-06:00Architecture in the Mountains (Grand Lake, CO)Working in the mountains is inspiring. It can also be challenging. Out latest high country project is set on a steep site at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, overlooking the town of Grand Lake, Colorado. An inspiring site, but, with a daunting grade change, a worthy challenge. Throw in a megalithic rock and a strict budget and the challenges multiply.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DK-aX7UEbgU/XxYded3rlqI/AAAAAAAAFhY/sOot2Ka5SrI6ft_MnS-v4BbQ2h_GqMH3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CharcoalRendering.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2048" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DK-aX7UEbgU/XxYded3rlqI/AAAAAAAAFhY/sOot2Ka5SrI6ft_MnS-v4BbQ2h_GqMH3gCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h308/CharcoalRendering.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">House by the Rock, Grand Lake, Colorado. </font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The rock, about the size of a "tiny house", sits partially in the building envelope and partially in the setback area. Incorporating it into the structure was a tempting option, but its position was not amenable to that approach. Instead, we used the geographical feature to form a sort of entry court at the front door. Our name for the design, House by the Rock, embraces the rock as a welcome natural element. It also pays homage to one of our favorite renegade works of architecture, Alex Jordan's House on the Rock. Also in mind was a project by Frank Lloyd Wright we have always admired: the Hardy House. <br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b5mToG4viKg/XxYZ0fpdqcI/AAAAAAAAFgo/lOnXkzWZIG0JRFIv6ZSctpdRI7gAg8HIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/GrdLkNorthREV.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b5mToG4viKg/XxYZ0fpdqcI/AAAAAAAAFgo/lOnXkzWZIG0JRFIv6ZSctpdRI7gAg8HIwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h255/GrdLkNorthREV.jpeg" width="400" /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rWOnc4IDvtc/XxYdUBrZ5EI/AAAAAAAAFhU/mGCXuIRzim8Xt_V8C_9gwiueON5VVDEmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/GrndLkSouth.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rWOnc4IDvtc/XxYdUBrZ5EI/AAAAAAAAFhU/mGCXuIRzim8Xt_V8C_9gwiueON5VVDEmQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h255/GrndLkSouth.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Front and rear elevations.</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /></div><div>The rear of the house is stabilized by a series of retaining walls and terraces with a cantilevered balcony above. Three levels of outdoor living "rooms" (the upper deck, lower terrace, and hot tub patio) look out on the primary views. All major interior spaces also focus on the panorama of mountains, lakes, and forest. </div><div>Groundbreaking is scheduled for the spring of 2021. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5GO4euAFE8/XxYabahMtFI/AAAAAAAAFg4/1xt0EzO2kuQIVYLrpaLf2HLcQK1QKOVTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4296.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The eponymous rock." border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="2048" height="445" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5GO4euAFE8/XxYabahMtFI/AAAAAAAAFg4/1xt0EzO2kuQIVYLrpaLf2HLcQK1QKOVTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h445/IMG_4296.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Surveying the site. </font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hs1-pLGyZUE/XxYawMj_GAI/AAAAAAAAFhI/yRqL40lNswUeSWH4M1VfS_fBUVzix5_JACLcBGAsYHQ/s369/images.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="137" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hs1-pLGyZUE/XxYawMj_GAI/AAAAAAAAFhI/yRqL40lNswUeSWH4M1VfS_fBUVzix5_JACLcBGAsYHQ/w149-h400/images.jpeg" width="149" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House, located in Racine, WI. <br />Illustration by Marion Mahoney. <br /></font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-18829144656754681412020-06-27T10:23:00.000-06:002020-06-27T10:23:15.647-06:00LaVerne Lantz Architectural Biography Now Available on iBooksMy updated and expanded monograph, <b>LaVerne Lantz -- An Architectural Biography</b>, is now available on iBooks. This is Apple's book ap, also known as Apple Books or Books. If you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) the ap is available for free in the ap store. Find this book by searching <i>Michael Knorr</i> or <i>LaVerne Lantz</i>. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tkyEIAdSDbw/XvdxaQNuaEI/AAAAAAAAFcE/JOSvgyLe2LwWtA7KquBgkPybvCPWBJ9ZgCK4BGAsYHg/s1624/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-06-26%2Bat%2B9.35.11%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1624" data-original-width="1244" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tkyEIAdSDbw/XvdxaQNuaEI/AAAAAAAAFcE/JOSvgyLe2LwWtA7KquBgkPybvCPWBJ9ZgCK4BGAsYHg/w306-h400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-06-26%2Bat%2B9.35.11%2BAM.png" width="306" /></a></div><div>This monograph was originally inspired by a tour of architecture in southeastern Wisconsin by Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin, Inc. The tour, dubbed <i>Wright and Like -- Driving Mr. Wright</i>, was held in June of 2014 and is an annual event. The 2014 tour featured two Frank Lloyd Wright homes as well as projects by other architects who are "like" Wright. Included were five homes by a relatively unknown home designer, LaVerne Lantz. </div><div><br /></div><div>The current version of this "architectural biography" has been expanded with additional text as well as more photographs and drawings. </div><div><br /></div><div>The mid-twentieth century saw an effusion of modern architecture. Mid-Century Modern design was in the air across America when LaVerne Lantz started to become aware of architecture. After completing a few fledgeling projects, his commissions came to him by word-of-mouth referrals. He never compromised his design philosophy; as a result, every Lantz design is a clear testament to his well-developed sense of what a house should and ought to be. Every Lantz home is a confident expression of internally consistent design principles and coherent themes. Despite the high quality and integrity of LaVerne Lantz's body of work, it is largely undocumented. This monograph serves to remedy that omission in architectural history. Any fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and aficionados of Mid-Century Modern design will appreciate LaVerne Lantz's original take on the principles of organic architecture. </div></div>Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-11011580529205674572020-05-14T11:16:00.000-06:002020-05-14T11:16:40.395-06:00Sacred ArchitectureI have been spending some time recently on ecclesiastical designs and sacred architecture. I will be posting the results from time to time. Here is a church design for 500 people.<br />
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Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-53718073351641545612020-05-10T17:05:00.000-06:002020-05-10T17:05:17.894-06:00Roy Horn, 1945-2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week we lost Roy Horn of the Las Vegas entertainment team of Siegfried and Roy. He was a victim of Covid-19.<br />
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As readers of this blog may remember, Siegfried and Roy provided my office with one of our most interesting architectural opportunities: designing a compound on forty acres they owned on the north side of Las Vegas. We had already been working on a large addition to their <i>Jungle Palace</i> complex for fund raising events and entertainment. In 2003 that project was suddenly brought to a halt when Roy was seriously injured during a performance at the Mirage resort. Roy experienced a stroke on stage; one of their white tigers, Montecore, rescued him and dragged him to safety. According to Roy, the tiger saved his life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabana and pool. </td></tr>
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We heard again from Roy a year later. Facing a lengthy recovery, Roy decided he needed a new retreat on one level and Siegfried wanted to live close by to supervise his care. We designed a series of pavilions clustered around an existing weekend cabin. The compound consisted of a cottage for Roy, another for Siegfried, a commons building for entertainment, and a chapel. All was connected by vine-covered trellises and surrounded by fountains, waterfalls, and a spring-fed lake. Over the years, our work also included a poolside cabana, storage facilities for their stage productions, a ten-car garage and entrance gate, and a wild animal habitat. I mention all of this because when I think of Roy Horn I am flooded with memories of this extraordinary project and the many meetings we had with him and his staff of talented people. It was also an opportunity to work with my friend Mickey Akerman and his team at Amirob Studios who created the interior design themes for the project.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LrxFX_gjts/XriEKbmi9II/AAAAAAAAE3Q/1tuaLw03Uzk-FIOTTxnlqERw2M-ZBplDQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC06224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LrxFX_gjts/XriEKbmi9II/AAAAAAAAE3Q/1tuaLw03Uzk-FIOTTxnlqERw2M-ZBplDQCEwYBhgL/s400/DSC06224.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roy's pavilion with chapel in background. </td></tr>
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Roy was a demanding client, but his creative talents inspired and encouraged the best work from all those who surrounded him. The experience of working with him is something never to be forgotten and never to be repeated. We will miss Roy Horn. The world is diminished without his presence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz7nervv4M4/XriEHBWkjNI/AAAAAAAAE3g/iKnKtvxY7mEKUATby4YhxkliP7U-X3OSQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC01988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz7nervv4M4/XriEHBWkjNI/AAAAAAAAE3g/iKnKtvxY7mEKUATby4YhxkliP7U-X3OSQCEwYBhgL/s400/DSC01988.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commons pavilion. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6LSfb8tBaI/XriEAI1rkMI/AAAAAAAAE3Y/IIGfU4YGFs02ApMPkZ7jdUYj1-4JdbGiACEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC01998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6LSfb8tBaI/XriEAI1rkMI/AAAAAAAAE3Y/IIGfU4YGFs02ApMPkZ7jdUYj1-4JdbGiACEwYBhgL/s400/DSC01998.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West water feature. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eTGbJi8iTw/XriEIHCoOyI/AAAAAAAAE3k/uMDMNHnZ-pYxvSzEt5eIny643-tmVXdBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC02003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eTGbJi8iTw/XriEIHCoOyI/AAAAAAAAE3k/uMDMNHnZ-pYxvSzEt5eIny643-tmVXdBQCEwYBhgL/s400/DSC02003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapel bell tower. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DubkGsgnuWM/XriEE-9-03I/AAAAAAAAE3c/XKpd8SNMDIwIW6iDhLkXC5APXU0lnOIvwCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC06215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DubkGsgnuWM/XriEE-9-03I/AAAAAAAAE3c/XKpd8SNMDIwIW6iDhLkXC5APXU0lnOIvwCEwYBhgL/s400/DSC06215.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complex connected with vine-covered trellises and surrounded by water. </td></tr>
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<br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-24711476517032248362020-04-14T16:18:00.001-06:002020-04-14T17:31:22.150-06:00Trump, Speer, and the Queen of Hearts<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In February 2020, <i>Architectural Record</i> reported that the Trump White House was considering an executive order entitled “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.” While few would disagree with such an innocuous-sounding goal, Trump’s fiat is intended to put a noose around creativity until it sings Trump to the high heavens. Not so innocuous when you see the hubris behind the decree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">The draft for the executive order mandates that “the classical architectural style shall be the preferred and default style” for new federal buildings. Unnoticed by the general public in this time of corona virus, the EO may seem trivial on its face. Most people don’t understand why architects would be agitated by the proposal. Generally, the public does not care about this issue. Who can blame them when there are so many immediately obvious threats hanging over our health, our democracy, the world economy. Too many important things to occupy our worried minds. But “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again” is loaded with so many political and philosophical cluster bombs it stands — whether actually enacted or not — as a glaring emblem for all that is wrong with Trump World. There is so much malevolence in this one EO it is difficult to unpack all of its dangers. But we will try.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">In 1931 a German architect named Albert Speer joined the Nazi party. In short order he became Hitler’s confidant and chief architect. Possessing great natural talent and a flare for the dramatic, Speer orchestrated extravagant architectural backdrops for Hitler’s Nazi domination fantasies. Some of Speer’s creations were so grandiose they were unbuilt or unbuildable. Like the proposed <i>Volkshalle</i> intended to seat 150,000 people under a vast Neoclassical dome 820 feet in diameter and nearly as tall as the Empire State Building. Here <i>der Führer</i> could address his adoring fans with rousing speeches composed of lies, impossible promises, and impassioned pleas to make Germany great again. (Need we even ask if this sounds familiar?) Another unbuilt design was <i>Deutsches Stadion</i> which would have accommodated 400,000 people for Nazi rallies in an outdoor venue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Other Speer buildings did actually get built. One of his most brilliant designs was little more than a stage set: what came to be known as the Cathedral of Light. For his annual mass rally in 1933, Hitler wanted a huge new stadium. But time ran out before the stadium could be completed. Speer punted by creating a virtual space. He commandeered 152 massive searchlights from the <i>Lufwaffe</i>. Arranged around the stadium at 39 foot intervals, their powerful 5-foot-diameter lenses were aimed straight up to make a colonnade of light. It could be seen from five miles distant. The monumental effect stirred German pride in service to the Third Reich. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Speer was adept at eliciting powerful emotions from his brick-and-mortar designs as well. The German Pavilion at the 1937 World Fair in Paris and Hitler’s Chancellery headquarters in Berlin were both designed to intimidate. A Nazi architectural style emerged, incited by Hitler’s megalomania and executed by Speer with relish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Nazi architecture had two characteristics. First, everything was up-scaled to impress. Columns were taller than they needed to be, rooms were vast, processional hallways long and grand. Second, the style was invariably a pared-down version of Classical architecture. Intending to borrow the authority of timeless Greek and Roman forms, this bare-bones classicism was also influenced by then-current Art Deco modernism. But the real intent was to shock and awe. Hitler wanted an architecture that would legitimize his power and Speer was happy to oblige. Nazi architecture had a dystopian edge from the very beginning. Somber, cruel, dreadful. Dreadful in the real sense of the word: one is full of dread just gazing at pictures of the evil empire’s architectural fever dreams. Hitler understood that the glorification of his ego through public works could manipulate people as effectively as his finely-crafted speeches. It was all theater. (Again, does this sound familiar?)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JhYaZ0on2E/XpY02OnWHyI/AAAAAAAAE08/5ZIavjlD02w678kTQZou8G4iGFoZlhNMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/nazi-cathedral-of-light-76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1000" height="283" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JhYaZ0on2E/XpY02OnWHyI/AAAAAAAAE08/5ZIavjlD02w678kTQZou8G4iGFoZlhNMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/nazi-cathedral-of-light-76.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Albert Speer's "Cathedral of Light".</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Politics and architecture intersected in Nazi Germany. Architecture was manipulated to produce results amicable to the regime. The same impulse is the motivation behind the executive order being considered by the White House. The White House clearly perceives Classical architecture as a symbol of power and authority. We know this because Trump has already used the most vulgar forms of traditional architecture to display his wealth and establish his authority. (Try Googling images of his Trump Tower lair with its gilt excesses.) This shouldn’t be a surprise; every two-bit potentate has employed the same strategy. But Trump is an amateur. Speer celebrated Nazi corruption with fearless panache; the White House proposal is just a feeble grasping at perceived bygone glory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">To avoid confusion, let’s be precise on exactly what type of transgression we are criticizing. Architects are not incensed that Trump thinks the only “good” style is Classical. There are many practitioners who still specialize in Neoclassical architecture and approach it with sincere reverence. I have myself dabbled in the field and enjoy the occasional Doric column as much as the next guy. But even diehard proponents of classical architecture are dismayed by Trump’s EO. One, Michael Lykoudis, dean of architecture at Notre Dame, claims it “reduces an entire architectural philosophy to caricature.” What is wrong here is the imperial willfulness of the Trump regime. Nobody cares if Trump’s personal tastes skew to the antique; it is his desire to impose his tastes on everybody — architects, government agencies, postal patron that rankles -- and his assumption that imperial architecture will convince everyone of his imperial-ness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">When Alice was in Wonderland she encountered the Queen of Hearts. The Queen, being a queen, only wanted things one way: her way. Her preferred color for roses was red, not white. So her minions painted the roses red. A game of croquet in the Queen’s realm was never what it seemed. At the queen’s orders, flamingos acted as croquet mallets while terrified hedgehogs avoided being the targets. For all who defied the Queen’s wishes it was “off with their heads!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Trump wields his executive orders like the Queen’s scepter, forcing all of us through the looking glass into Trump World. When I mention this particular executive order it is met with disbelief. <i>Surely, that’s not true</i>. Or, <i>maybe you misunderstood</i>. But for over three years we all have witnessed his attempts to create a bizarre world built on autocratic fantasy. This is true, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. In the realm of the Queen of Hearts, all orders, no matter how irrational, must be obeyed. Otherwise it is “off with their heads!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Trump’s proposed EO almost seems whimsical, but he has already put in place the mechanisms to enforce it. Architecture in Washington passes before the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts (CFA). One might think their review would provide a certain amount of protection against such arbitrary rules. But Trump has already appointed a new member to the CFA, Justin Shubow. Mr. Shubow is not even an architect, but he is president of the National Civic Art Society (NCAS), an organization devoted to the promotion of Classical architecture. The NCAS web site proclaims that “contemporary architecture is… a failure.” Mr. Shubow’s organization believes architecture should “return to its pre-Modernist roots.” Trump reinforced Mr. Shubow’s appointment by adding two additional NCAS members to the CFA. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">I usually avoid any discussions that conflate architecture with politics. They are not related in any way, but there are times in history when it is made to seem so. Art movements come and go, are reviled or proclaimed, promoted or suppressed. But one can be certain that anytime the state gets involved in such distinctions, it is a sure sign of bigger shenanigans going on. Now, as in Nazi Germany, politics and architecture once again intersect. Not in exactly the same way, but with the same amount of hubris and megalomania. With overwhelming dismay from architects, this proposed order may never see the light of day. But it should be (yet another) warning sign that something is amiss in Washington. Trump does not have at his command the talent of an Albert Speer, but he is crashing around the hallowed halls of government like a drunken Queen of Hearts. How much damage can our institutions endure under such relentless attack? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">God save us from the Queen. </span></div>
Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-74178448265959659082019-10-03T13:57:00.001-06:002020-04-14T17:26:13.705-06:00Knorr Website<div class="" style="font-family: helvetica;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">To Our Friends and Clients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We have been working hard in recent months to redesign, update, and improve navigation on our web site. With the help of e-wizard Craig Freeman, we have finally launched our new look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Some of you will recognize your own project, which we feature with gratitude for your support. Other projects did not have enough high-quality photos to include, but know that we always approach our work with respect and enthusiasm regardless of size or budget. Whether a large custom home or a backyard addition, we like every project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">On the updated site you will find examples of our contemporary, classic, multi-family, mountain, and commercial work. You may be surprised at how versatile we have been over the years. Please explore, provide feedback, and spread the word that we aim to create living architecture that enhances the experience of being in this world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Our newly revised website can be seen here: <span class="" style="font-size: small;"><a class="" href="http://www.michaelknorr.net/">www.michaelknorr.net</a></span></span></div>
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Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-51948272904450701922019-06-19T10:11:00.000-06:002019-06-19T10:11:02.942-06:00Update: Lloyd Wright's ArchitectureThis blog has several times covered Lloyd Wright, the overshadowed architect son of Frank Lloyd Wright. Most recently we wrote about his design for the Sowden residence on Franklin Avenue in Los Angeles. It has been reported in the press that the house has been sold to cannibis entrepreneur Dan Goldfarb and his wife Jenny Landers. What an appropriate custodian for this dreamlike fantasia! It will be used to host charity events.<br />
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Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-2202838976823944252019-05-05T14:10:00.002-06:002019-05-05T14:11:34.876-06:00Knorr Architectural Design Sets Record<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QSorAPhy0k/XM8-yQgkL8I/AAAAAAAAEkA/35Bd9lh20QoMF1LbQVOq_NZqm7mpMdHkQCLcBGAs/s1600/Glauser-5589Play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="433" height="295" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QSorAPhy0k/XM8-yQgkL8I/AAAAAAAAEkA/35Bd9lh20QoMF1LbQVOq_NZqm7mpMdHkQCLcBGAs/s400/Glauser-5589Play.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front elevation, 460 St.Paul Street, Denver, CO.</td></tr>
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This past month one of our architectural designs in the Denver Cherry Creek neighborhood went on the market for $14 million. There is no decimal point missing in that number; at $14 million it is the highest price ever asked for a residence in Cherry Creek and nearly double the previous high. We've always been quite proud of this design. It combines rectilinear geometry with sweeping curves. A series of interconnected courtyards introduce greenery and the sound of water to a compact urban<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhLhWEQ5f6Q/XM8_OBvmaaI/AAAAAAAAEk0/R0yh7m-6nPU8lP2Ud9e84XbQ0SNR9MtpQCLcBGAs/s1600/Glauser%2Bliving%2Brm.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhLhWEQ5f6Q/XM8_OBvmaaI/AAAAAAAAEk0/R0yh7m-6nPU8lP2Ud9e84XbQ0SNR9MtpQCLcBGAs/s400/Glauser%2Bliving%2Brm.tif" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room fireplace. </td></tr>
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site. The house was designed by our office and built by Paul Kobey in 1999. The house was sold to its current owner after a few years. They then purchased a 35'x125' adjacent parcel and asked us to design a gym addition. This resulted in a dramatic multi-level space that makes a beautiful private gym, but would also make an excellent art gallery should the next owners be serious collectors.<br />
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Click this <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/460-Saint-Paul-St_Denver_CO_80206_M28599-62669" target="_blank">link to the realtor's listing</a> containing a detailed description with additional pictures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r6ubmdSXQJk/XM8-w9gijRI/AAAAAAAAEj4/Ei2InB_3kA4q_DT16qHt_Yy4NYKzvMaHQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cabin%2B026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="504" height="394" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r6ubmdSXQJk/XM8-w9gijRI/AAAAAAAAEj4/Ei2InB_3kA4q_DT16qHt_Yy4NYKzvMaHQCLcBGAs/s400/Cabin%2B026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lounge area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhBxtwuwqb8/XM8-vf-zTVI/AAAAAAAAEj0/htfD86x5oL8MgYm0xmfFly7C5PAWrexNQCLcBGAs/s1600/Addition%2B004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhBxtwuwqb8/XM8-vf-zTVI/AAAAAAAAEj0/htfD86x5oL8MgYm0xmfFly7C5PAWrexNQCLcBGAs/s400/Addition%2B004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skylight over gym juice bar.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qgBpJUrF1s0/XM8-vGOUPZI/AAAAAAAAEjw/gRhgEm6rxuQBeuib6u9sOMqjormhJaTagCLcBGAs/s1600/Addition%2B006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qgBpJUrF1s0/XM8-vGOUPZI/AAAAAAAAEjw/gRhgEm6rxuQBeuib6u9sOMqjormhJaTagCLcBGAs/s400/Addition%2B006.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two story gym.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sSgxq3X6J0/XM8-w_skjeI/AAAAAAAAEj8/sABT__-axLcetCfUsb0kYOJ8veFGwTzSgCLcBGAs/s1600/Cabin%2B018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="504" height="287" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sSgxq3X6J0/XM8-w_skjeI/AAAAAAAAEj8/sABT__-axLcetCfUsb0kYOJ8veFGwTzSgCLcBGAs/s400/Cabin%2B018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koi pond.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z99KjnLejEg/XM8-6aULMDI/AAAAAAAAEkc/3ly2BeALQbABfVlLHrAyRUXodBJwjiipACLcBGAs/s1600/RobFullSize%2B049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z99KjnLejEg/XM8-6aULMDI/AAAAAAAAEkc/3ly2BeALQbABfVlLHrAyRUXodBJwjiipACLcBGAs/s400/RobFullSize%2B049.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skylight over main stairway. (Used for our blog title page.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qMnMT09jjf8/XM8-1oXqhYI/AAAAAAAAEkM/HhNCJDBUb6UEyFpDj91NkSCa6wJ95xGXQCLcBGAs/s1600/RobFullSize%2B037_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qMnMT09jjf8/XM8-1oXqhYI/AAAAAAAAEkM/HhNCJDBUb6UEyFpDj91NkSCa6wJ95xGXQCLcBGAs/s400/RobFullSize%2B037_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard between gym (left) and main house (right).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1DqqjgqIOw/XM8-0HH_1iI/AAAAAAAAEkI/Q1CWqgVPsYILJenOmVmD-Faxv10RbguQACLcBGAs/s1600/Living.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="1600" height="313" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1DqqjgqIOw/XM8-0HH_1iI/AAAAAAAAEkI/Q1CWqgVPsYILJenOmVmD-Faxv10RbguQACLcBGAs/s400/Living.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8k22efSIX4/XM8-yWrCmQI/AAAAAAAAEkE/tlp0xnvhWQEqE96TjiEgARhN6xl6EPS-QCLcBGAs/s1600/Glauser-5606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="504" height="195" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8k22efSIX4/XM8-yWrCmQI/AAAAAAAAEkE/tlp0xnvhWQEqE96TjiEgARhN6xl6EPS-QCLcBGAs/s400/Glauser-5606.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gym left, main house right. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GfG1Z43dAQg/XM8-6OlxkMI/AAAAAAAAEkY/pzNEzIaN2dsk22g-JW2X1RRDvSvvoLwnACLcBGAs/s1600/Scan19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="980" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GfG1Z43dAQg/XM8-6OlxkMI/AAAAAAAAEkY/pzNEzIaN2dsk22g-JW2X1RRDvSvvoLwnACLcBGAs/s400/Scan19.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steps from sunken garden.</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Images: Rob Munger.</span></i></div>
Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-44884767522846513772018-12-05T17:20:00.001-07:002018-12-05T17:32:03.046-07:00Lloyd Wright Architecture on TV<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2UNtjKOEmk/XAhhMMGKmPI/AAAAAAAAEbo/0lDOb1UgW_8Fal3ZWIcNAXbS7KdDCaLoACEwYBhgL/s1600/ft_5256d81bd08f8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="980" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2UNtjKOEmk/XAhhMMGKmPI/AAAAAAAAEbo/0lDOb1UgW_8Fal3ZWIcNAXbS7KdDCaLoACEwYBhgL/s400/ft_5256d81bd08f8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The central courtyard of the Sowden residence. </td></tr>
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I caught a brief flash of architecture during a promo spot for the upcoming TV series <i>I Am the Night </i>starring Chris Pine and Patty Jenkins. It was the Sowden residence designed by Lloyd<br />
Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright's son. It looks like the house features prominently in the limited series starting January 28, 2019 on TNT.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5pOGFSLs4Kk/XAhhd9Vt0pI/AAAAAAAAEcE/VAz4qgstIawVq6E0Xf7Gb6i72FS0HU9rgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Fretz004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1564" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5pOGFSLs4Kk/XAhhd9Vt0pI/AAAAAAAAEcE/VAz4qgstIawVq6E0Xf7Gb6i72FS0HU9rgCEwYBhgL/s400/Fretz004.jpg" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first time I saw this Lloyd Wright masterpiece, before renovation. </td></tr>
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The Sowden residence, built in 1926, is a quirky landmark on Franklin Avenue. This is the Los Feliz neighborhood, contiguous to Hollywood and not far from the senior Wright's more famous projects, the Ennis house (1924) and the Hollyhock house (1921). You may notice similarities to the Ennis house in my previous blog entry.<br />
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The Sowden project is an enigmatic landmark, with only a glimpse of the facade visible from the street. The architecture, usually described as Mayan revival, is closed and secretive. Exotic and mysterious, shrouded in thick vegetation it could easily be a pagan temple from an Indiana Jones movie. Rarely are its interior secrets revealed to the public; it looks like they will be fully exposed in this new TV production. The plot is a fictionalized account of the notorious Black Dahlia murder mystery of 1947.<br />
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The Sowden house has endured several ownerships. At the time of the Black Dahlia case it was owned by a corrupt Hollywood doctor, George Hodel, who was actually a suspect. That sordid tale is recounted by Hadley Meares in an fascinating on-line <a href="https://la.curbed.com/2015/10/28/9906764/sowden-house-george-hodel-black-dahlia" target="_blank">article</a>. This is worth reading before seeing the TV series, just to keep the facts straight.<br />
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The Sowden residence was recently restored and listed for $4.888 million. You can explore the house virtually by clicking this link to a <a href="http://craigsauer3d.com/3d-model/john-sowden-house/fullscreen/" target="_blank">3-D walkthrough</a> used to market the house. Another interesting thing to try is exploring the Sowden residence form the air using Google Earth (5121 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles). What appears to be a very complicated piece of architecture in photos is actually quite simple. The schema is a rectangle with a flat roof. A courtyard is carved out of the center with all major rooms opening to it. This explains the blank walls on most of the exterior. Front and rear, two high-pitched roofs animate the architecture with Churrigueresque-like decoration against planar surfaces.<br />
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The Sowden residence is one of the most unusual homes in America. But it is a perfect fit for Los Angeles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KgnKvPRVIrA/XAhhlOZ5MBI/AAAAAAAAEcI/VxELjjQFHWo8aF3Fq0g11n5rS0TroAVewCEwYBhgL/s1600/John_Sowden_House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="968" height="248" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KgnKvPRVIrA/XAhhlOZ5MBI/AAAAAAAAEcI/VxELjjQFHWo8aF3Fq0g11n5rS0TroAVewCEwYBhgL/s320/John_Sowden_House.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bBMI8c7-gcc/XAhhldkZzKI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/OpSMMoQ-DP4MToJDzgu1RFPQbDTnDBiUwCEwYBhgL/s1600/5ae4ae4578f5ef62d1804ce042aedf06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="900" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bBMI8c7-gcc/XAhhldkZzKI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/OpSMMoQ-DP4MToJDzgu1RFPQbDTnDBiUwCEwYBhgL/s320/5ae4ae4578f5ef62d1804ce042aedf06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lloyd Wright's floor plan and east side elevation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTjPGY9XWeE/XAhhlgjkp5I/AAAAAAAAEcM/m2SQzfgO-vMyaYxnyW_f-6YHZi3BRpX4ACEwYBhgL/s1600/b7d9beac07e1daca6ea35008c9515727--cool-architecture-spanish-architecture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTjPGY9XWeE/XAhhlgjkp5I/AAAAAAAAEcM/m2SQzfgO-vMyaYxnyW_f-6YHZi3BRpX4ACEwYBhgL/s400/b7d9beac07e1daca6ea35008c9515727--cool-architecture-spanish-architecture.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent photo from the courtyard looking in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeco8-7Vt_4/XAhhlQvSnKI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/0dLerL5sX9M0dfapkkhbuWXDUibuskcegCEwYBhgL/s1600/Inside-Lloyd-Wrights-Sowden-House-For-Sale-in-Los-Feliz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="720" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeco8-7Vt_4/XAhhlQvSnKI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/0dLerL5sX9M0dfapkkhbuWXDUibuskcegCEwYBhgL/s400/Inside-Lloyd-Wrights-Sowden-House-For-Sale-in-Los-Feliz.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The living room. </td></tr>
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<br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-27467469539363475112018-07-24T17:17:00.000-06:002018-07-25T08:45:39.512-06:00Architecture For Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite houses is for sale. If only I had $23 million.</h3>
The 1924 Ennis house in Los Angeles, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is on the market. It is recognizable to many people from films, playing prominently in <i>Bladerunner</i> (the original) and <i>Day of the Locust, </i>among many others. It was even used in a Michael Jackson music video. The house is very noticable from the streets below its perch in the Los Feliz district of LA. The Ennis house, named for the original client, looms above Sunset Boulevard like a Mayan temple. It is one of several concrete block houses designed by Wright for Los Angeles clients in the 1920s. It is also the biggest.<br />
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The Ennis house was in danger of being lost to architecture afficianados due to earthquake and mudslide damage. For a time the city of Los Angeles owned it, but never found the resources to adequately restore it. The current owner and seller, billionaire Ron Burkle, has pumped a sufficient amount of money into stabilizing and restoring this classic design. By Los Angeles standards it is no doubt worth the asking price.<br />
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I don't know why this is one of my favorite houses. There is something very exotic -- almost decadent -- about it, even for Wright. I feel a little guilt for liking it. The decorative light fixtures and original furnishings have been attributed to Wright, but they don't look like his work to me. I believe they might have been designed or selected by Lloyd Wright, his son and also an architect. Lloyd assisted his father on the concrete block projects and acted as his local representative. The younger Wright's work tended to Hollywood theatricality, so this makes sense. Other non-Wrightian features are beamed ceilings (Wright almost never used exposed beams), black-and-white ceramic tile in one of the bathrooms, red and black tiles in another, and white travetine in a main gallery. Wright's color schemes were normally earth toned. Perhaps an interior decorator co-opted some of these decisions. Those design details are a mystery to me. It is no wonder that so many movies have used this Mayan palace as code for intrigue and mystery.<br />
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If you have the wherewithal to make an offer, <a href="https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ca/los-angeles/2607-glendower-ave/pid_25804564/" target="_blank">click here for the realtor's website</a>.<br />
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Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-38590258867890003702018-04-03T09:43:00.000-06:002018-04-03T09:50:16.569-06:00An Architect Abandons FacebookI have never been a big fan of Facebook. Years ago the conversation among business people was insistent: "You <i>have </i>to be on Facebook. It's a sure-fire way to generate business leads." The advice was so relentless that I started to feel guilty for not having a presence on Facebook. Eventually, I opened an account, posted a few things about my architectural practice, and let it sit there as a little-visited on-line presence. If people commented on my material I hardly noticed because I seldom visited Facebook. I did gain a few re-connects with some old friends. That was nice, but they probably would have found me anyway with a Google search. The rest of what I noticed on Facebook was mostly pictures of people's dinner food or brags about their vacations. I understand that many people use social media as a way of staying in touch with family and friends. I also hear about people with rare diseases getting information and support they might never have found without Facebook. There are many good and useful reasons to enjoy Facebook. In my case those were not strong incentives. So, when comes the recent revelations of Facebook facilitating unsavory political activity by Cambridge Analytica it was not difficult for me to jettison Facebook from my collection of aps. I thought it would be a good way to protest the insidious and over-sized influence of this platform. A way of removing a thumb from the scale of political debate. I realize for me it was not a great sacrifice; others will have a difficult time cutting the Facebook tether. It won't be the right thing to do for everyone. <br />
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I killed my Facebook account last Wednesday. (By the way, account death does not happen immediately. Apparently, Facebook needs time to ruminate over my decision. Weeks, in fact. I don't know why.) That afternoon I heard commentary on the radio that for every 100,000 users in the United States who may quit Facebook, there are 100,000 new users in India who replace us <i>every day</i>. Outrage and protestations in the U.S. are not going to put a dent into the <i>billions</i> of users Facebook profits from worldwide. My feeble protest felt like a finger in the dike against a tsunami of mis-information threatening the foundations of reality.<br />
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That last sentence is not hyperbole. Think about what Facebook actually allowed to happen: Cambridge Analytica mined tidbits of Facebook data to identify (through psychographic profiling) those likely to be influenced by false and/or one-sided information in support of presidential candidate Donald Trump. This statistical knowledge was used to create an on-line environment that presented one-sided "facts" and "news" that encouraged and disseminated a Trumpian view of the world. This was done with the intent of creating a sense of outrage among likely Trump supporters that would nurture their votes.<br />
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Some will say this is simply a form of advertising for a political product. No. This is not advertising. Advertising looks like advertising. Cambridge Analytica created a cyber environment where opinions masquerade as facts. This is a world where low-rent prejudices commandeer debates. Where conversations become shouting matches. That is not advertising, nor is it possible to identify it as such. This was done in secrecy.<br />
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A woman was quoted on the evening news, "I don't worry about my data being mined... I have nothing to hide." Others have said they're not influenced by things they see on-line; they simply don't pay attention to it. Both of these positions miss the point. This is not about any particular individual and their on-line experiences. This is a dark game of statistics and algorithms. Cambridge Analytica was able to gather millions of innocuous data points in order to identify likely Trump voters and people sitting on the fence. They didn't advertise to these people. Instead, they literally changed the digital world these people saw <i>without their knowledge</i>. Cambridge Analytica created an alternate reality for these particular people. How many Trump voters did this drive to the polls? That is unknowable. But common sense tells us it was some number of people. In a close election, did that make a difference?<br />
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The monetary worth of Facebook is $500 billion. Owner Mark Zuckerberg has a personal worth of $64 billion. (!!!) These numbers have been dented in recent days by a stock sell-off, but Facebook will certainly rebound. Other corporate behemoths have similar wealth. Google, Twitter, Amazon, YouTube, Apple. Wealth is power. As we have recently learned, much of that power is exercised in secretive and hidden ways. If the singularity <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity" target="_blank">(look it up)</a> is imminent, we need to get a handle on the tech giants who run our world in order to direct our own futures in a positive direction. To be explicit: a handful of corporate entities have created an information monopoly. They have the potential to run amok and need to be regulated. Just as the monopoly of ATT was broken up at the beginning of the cyber era, perhaps these monopolies of the new millennium should at least be regulated.<br />
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This is the first article I've written that strays from the stated purpose of this blog. There's nothing here about architecture. There's not even a picture of a building. I feel this subject is so important that other matters are trivial. I will no longer use Facebook as a promotional tool for my architectural work. But I still have this blog. And I post occasionally on Instagram. Oh, wait a second. Instagram is owned by Facebook. And this blog is run by Google. I surf the web on Apple devices linked by their iCloud. Yikes! Is it already too late?<br />
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The issue is controlling the trafficking in human data. This is a new kind of corrupting power.<br />
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Twenty-first century technology is not inherently bad. Many beautiful things are possible because of it. I would like to end this discussion on a positive note. I don't have an image of a remarkable work of architecture to illustrate this article, but here is one of the most stunningly beautiful images I have seen in recent years in <i>any</i> category: the simultaneous landing of two rocket ships by Elon Musk's Space X corporation. This is the good we are aiming for in our techno-cyber world. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-pfzKbh2k" target="_blank">SpaceX simultaneous vertical rocket landing.</a> </td></tr>
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Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-53733401818970731622018-03-02T13:40:00.001-07:002018-03-02T13:42:17.202-07:00The Architecture of Power 3: The Supreme CourtThe triad of American government is the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court. These are established as co-equal branches of government. <a href="https://knorrarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-architecture-of-power-1-capitol.html" target="_blank">The Capitol</a> building and the <a href="https://knorrarchitecture.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-architecture-of-power-2-white-house.html" target="_blank">White House</a> are the architectural edifices housing the first two. The remaining seat of power is the Supreme Court building. The architect for the Supreme Court faced a big challenge: how to make a building with relatively few programmatic requirements look as important and commanding as the other two loci of power. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main facade of the Supreme Court building by architect Cass Gilbert. </td></tr>
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The Capitol building houses 435 representatives and 100 senators, plus an immense support staff (a substantial part of our bureaucracy), lobbyists, and the constant flow of journalists. There is a lot going on in the Capitol, which is why it has expanded over the years with multiple additions and updates. The Capitol is an ungainly, bloated edifice after accreting power for over two centuries. The architecture struggles gamely to cohere the sprawling results of multiple expansions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Contemplation of Justice by sculptor James Fraser.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Authority of Law by sculptor James Fraser.</td></tr>
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The design of the White House, on the other hand, downplays the immense power of the presidency, even though the administrative functions it houses are equally immense. The President is, after all, a man of the people, not a king. The design strategy has been to minimize and disguise the numerous renovations, additions, and expansions. The White House still looks like a home, not the sprawling office building it mostly is. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pediment contains nine figures by sculptor Robert Aitken in the manner<br />
of Greco-Roman architecture. </td></tr>
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The Supreme court has specific and clearly defined powers that do not require much space - not in comparison to the former two branches of government. After all, what does the Supreme Court need? It is only nine people, plus staff. It has a library and meeting rooms, but no massive support bureaucracy. The architectural challenge for the Supreme Court building is to create a presence that can stand equal to the other arms of government. Surprisingly, the architectural results are up to the task.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZE9VVov1-I/WpmyBvcDoXI/AAAAAAAAD_s/29CYzTBQBYgB66EpYvric6q9TJkYO7zMwCEwYBhgL/s1600/39238.1.434.434.FFFFFF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="434" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZE9VVov1-I/WpmyBvcDoXI/AAAAAAAAD_s/29CYzTBQBYgB66EpYvric6q9TJkYO7zMwCEwYBhgL/s640/39238.1.434.434.FFFFFF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The floor plan reveals four open air courtyards. </td></tr>
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Originally the Supreme Court had no building of its own. The building we see today was commissioned by Congress in 1929. Chief Justice (and former President) William Howard Taft convinced Congress that the Court needed its own digs. Cass Gilbert, who had designed several state supreme court buildings, was chosen as architect. Though known for neo-Gothic architecture, Gilbert employed the neo-classical style for the Supreme Court. By the 1930s, neo-classical architecture was so closely identified with governmental power he could hardly take any other route. Designed by one architect in a short period of time, the Supreme Court building does not suffer from the additions, remodelings, intrusions, and rebuilding that burden the other two branches of government. The Supreme Court building is a beautifully coherent composition. Powerful in its simplicity, it seems fitting for a court of law. We expect clear and well-grounded decisions from this clear and well-grounded building. We do not always see such clarity of purpose in Supreme Court decisions, but at least we get a sense of that ideal in the architecture. One device used by the architect to expand the apparent size of the building is a series of four courtyards hidden from street view. Cass Gilbert increased the apparent mass of the building by devoting nearly half of its footprint to...nothing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P4H9mZaCBCg/Wpmx6YqXToI/AAAAAAAAD_U/ixmsOeDoEUgjnXWL46wHIsjqeBkJleIlQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Suprem-Court-FloorPlan-1200.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P4H9mZaCBCg/Wpmx6YqXToI/AAAAAAAAD_U/ixmsOeDoEUgjnXWL46wHIsjqeBkJleIlQCEwYBhgL/s400/Suprem-Court-FloorPlan-1200.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organization of the main room of the Supreme Court. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-099Brd4eaMU/Wpmx7dH9IhI/AAAAAAAAD_k/YCrg_bU1a4oCDBmo2ehXA51eUtERd7d7gCEwYBhgL/s1600/supreme-court-interior-564089487-crop-59548f813df78cdc29db767d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="768" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-099Brd4eaMU/Wpmx7dH9IhI/AAAAAAAAD_k/YCrg_bU1a4oCDBmo2ehXA51eUtERd7d7gCEwYBhgL/s400/supreme-court-interior-564089487-crop-59548f813df78cdc29db767d.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where solemn chamber where the nine Supreme Court justices take their chairs. </td></tr>
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The heart of Washington D.C. is the Mall. One of the great urban spaces in the world, it stretches nearly two miles in length. The east end is bordered by the Capitol building, the middle by the White House, and the remainder is bordered by our most important museums and monuments. Nowhere to be seen is the Supreme Court building. This is a significant symbolic oversight. The three pillars of our government, supposedly equal in power and authority, are not equally represented in our most important civic space. The Supreme Court is tucked away behind the Capitol, out of sight and out of awareness. This, in my opinion, is an enormous planning flaw. This is hardly Cass Gilbert's fault, of course. But one would logically expect to find the Supreme Court located at the site of the Lincoln Memorial or, perhaps, at the Jefferson Memorial. Those would be positions of importance equal to the White House or Capitol. Nevertheless, the architecture of the Supreme Court successfully conveys calm equanimity and power. The architecture is successful, even if the siting is not.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main gallery in the Supreme Court Building. </td></tr>
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The Supreme Court building was brought in under its 9.74 million dollar budget. In fact, the treasury received a $94,000 refund upon its completion in 1935.Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-19872231621470036932018-01-30T15:35:00.000-07:002018-01-30T15:35:26.716-07:00The Architecture of Power 2: The White HouseIf the Capitol building is a symbol of a powerful nation <a href="https://knorrarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-architecture-of-power-1-capitol.html" target="_blank">(see previous blog entry)</a>, the White House is the symbol of a powerful individual, the President of the United States.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAR_ZYqA8gE/WnDtCZ34mtI/AAAAAAAAD9A/1Ns1xM_TB1kdErVRPa0HsWJWJPfu6ZpfQCEwYBhgL/s1600/the_white_house_letterhead-rc18570de720d4fb58370c777e17ad06f_vg63g_8byvr_630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="630" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAR_ZYqA8gE/WnDtCZ34mtI/AAAAAAAAD9A/1Ns1xM_TB1kdErVRPa0HsWJWJPfu6ZpfQCEwYBhgL/s200/the_white_house_letterhead-rc18570de720d4fb58370c777e17ad06f_vg63g_8byvr_630.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White House stationery.</td></tr>
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The White House is interesting as much for what it is not as for what it is. The White House, as signified by name, is not a palace. It is not a castle. It is not even called a mansion. It is a <i>house</i>. (Although it should be noted that early appelations referred to it as the President's Mansion or the President's Palace.) As seats of power go, it is comparatively humble, meant to reflect the idea that our President is a man of the people. He is not a king or sultan or dictator. We do not have, therefore, something like Buckingham Palace with its brutally imposing facade and massive size. Where palaces of potentates are deliberately intimidating and seemingly impenetrable, the White House is gentle by comparison. The grounds are bucolic and welcoming; most powerful administrative functions are downplayed. It presents a domestic visage. The Oval Office, the epicenter of power, is tucked to the side of the main quarters. Other important functions are shifted to to the executive office building. (An exceedingly ugly and ornate Victorian structure a block away). The core of the White House looks like a white house, not the nexus of national and international activity it certainly is. Sure, it is a mansion, but a mansion not much different than your local run-of-the-millionaire might inhabit. The leader of the free world lives here, but that fact is cleverly downplayed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIDH5mM38O8/WnDtCW98UqI/AAAAAAAAD88/u16pD1h2fMMGLLsBjXtvTzGHa6Mzbb2XACEwYBhgL/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="428" height="166" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIDH5mM38O8/WnDtCW98UqI/AAAAAAAAD88/u16pD1h2fMMGLLsBjXtvTzGHa6Mzbb2XACEwYBhgL/s400/th.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The north facade looks like a two story building. Note how the east and<br />west wings and third floor are barely visible. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-2BCj-_U0Q/WnDtBqz3dZI/AAAAAAAAD80/qDUl0m4LXTQ8QsAsVBIfz19PlWREwHCvACEwYBhgL/s1600/1920px-White_House_1846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-2BCj-_U0Q/WnDtBqz3dZI/AAAAAAAAD80/qDUl0m4LXTQ8QsAsVBIfz19PlWREwHCvACEwYBhgL/s400/1920px-White_House_1846.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earliest known photo of the White House. (South Lawn.)</td></tr>
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This self-effacing White House is a deliberate illusion. The under-played west wing is one device that keeps the main house looking like a "simple" mansion. The third floor above the main house is downplayed as an incidental attic, set back from the outer walls and mostly hidden behind a Palladian balustrade. In reality, it houses full size rooms put to various support purposes. Major functions are hidden from public view, including extensive basement bunkers and tunnels, and certainly a lot of things to which only the secret service is privy.<br />
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The White House structure is much more complex than first meets the eye. At a glance it appears to be a two-story home. In reality, the ground plane has been manipulated so the ground floor is hidden from view on the north (front) elevation. The "first" and "second" floors are raised a full story above natural grade. The apparent attic is essentially a fourth story. Two levels of basement below the ground floor make this a six story enterprise - half of it hidden or disguised. Contiguous with the main building, the west and east wings are attached by the ground level and basement, visually diminishing their true importance and extent. It is all very clever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nQq8uOUF3k/WnDtBoNHy5I/AAAAAAAAD9g/SYNMyCAk3Mck8ZZHJXzgkoR7pJow032MgCEwYBhgL/s1600/The_Shell_of_the_White_House_during_the_Renovation-05-17-1950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nQq8uOUF3k/WnDtBoNHy5I/AAAAAAAAD9g/SYNMyCAk3Mck8ZZHJXzgkoR7pJow032MgCEwYBhgL/s400/The_Shell_of_the_White_House_during_the_Renovation-05-17-1950.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White House interior during the Truman renovation.</td></tr>
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The basic form of the current White House can be attributed to the Truman renovation constructed from 1949 to 1952. When Truman took office, the White House, without exaggeration, was a wreck. Things were so rotted and shaky that Truman claimed there was imminent danger of his bath tub crashing through the second floor while the Daughters of the American Revolution were having tea in the room below. He would be forced to greet them "wearing nothing more than reading glasses." Indeed, in 1948 a leg of Margaret Truman's piano actually crashed through a second floor sitting room through the ceiling of the dining room below. <br />
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The White house had been altered many times to accomodate the tastes and preferences of different administrations. Most notably, perhaps, was the restoration after a major fire during the War of 1812. But the Truman renovation created the basic shape of the White House we know today. This rebuilding preserved the outside walls of the White House, but not much else. This extent of rebuilding is quite obvious in period photographs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyyxDOKo89I/WnDtEJNOxLI/AAAAAAAAD9g/iokiqDb0PVcRp2ilcDTjtkZREdBtG51swCEwYBhgL/s1600/white-house-top-and-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="1000" height="227" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyyxDOKo89I/WnDtEJNOxLI/AAAAAAAAD9g/iokiqDb0PVcRp2ilcDTjtkZREdBtG51swCEwYBhgL/s400/white-house-top-and-front.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schematic overview of the White House complex. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail plan of the west wing. (Reversed and up side down from the preceding drawing.) </td></tr>
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Like the Capitol building, the White House is an icon of political power. As such, it is almost impossible to judge as architecture. What can we say about the design? It succesfully uses architectural deceptions to hide its true size. It is an textbook example of neo-classical residential architecture, completely in tune with the architectural fashion the late sixteenth century. The original design was created by architect James Hoban, selected by George Washington in a competition. (Thomas Jefferson had anonymously submitted a competing design.) In the end, is it good architecture? Maybe. Probably. But that is overshadowed by everything else it represents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kt1LLKtrNnU/WnDtDFb5WLI/AAAAAAAAD9Y/dSXynm5XaFgZvPiSW9t2l554mzaby3i1ACEwYBhgL/s1600/white-house-1900.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1001" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kt1LLKtrNnU/WnDtDFb5WLI/AAAAAAAAD9Y/dSXynm5XaFgZvPiSW9t2l554mzaby3i1ACEwYBhgL/s640/white-house-1900.gif" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basic plans of the first and second floors. </td></tr>
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The home of the president of the United States is an awesome presence in Washington D.C. Perhaps we should be grateful it's impact has been somewhat tempered by design lest any self-centered, duplicitous, megalomaniac president assume more power and authority than is actually allowed the office. One can hope.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xEL7S5Yg7Ic/WnDtCIJkQeI/AAAAAAAAD9g/e-TRwbnrUoE2zCxuSpiohNp5_IndYQa7QCEwYBhgL/s1600/White-House-In-Washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1440" height="250" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xEL7S5Yg7Ic/WnDtCIJkQeI/AAAAAAAAD9g/e-TRwbnrUoE2zCxuSpiohNp5_IndYQa7QCEwYBhgL/s400/White-House-In-Washington.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This aerial view reveals the attic addition as well as part of the ground level.<br />There are two additional basement levels. </td></tr>
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Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-30892714696184065742018-01-15T15:54:00.003-07:002018-01-15T15:54:37.753-07:00Sometimes Old Architectureecture is BestA recent trip to Los Angeles provided an opportunity to visit some old buildings that few people take the time to see. Here are a some of my favorites.<br />
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1. A mid-century modern gem is the <b>Avalon hotel</b>, located a few blocks south of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. I love this place, a boutique hotel that eschews the frenzy and size of better know venues. The Avalon boasts a classic kidney-shaped pool in its courtyard, flanked by a groovy restaurant and balconies overlooking it all. It is an intimate place, convenient to all of the central LA basin. Modern updates respect the original architecture without mothballing it. Marilyn Monroe reportedly stayed here in the 1950s.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2mLYw6xB7w/Wl0m5LsKXgI/AAAAAAAAD7s/5Uh-jFzow8YHLGavriXsIQnMkL-CKUdfwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2mLYw6xB7w/Wl0m5LsKXgI/AAAAAAAAD7s/5Uh-jFzow8YHLGavriXsIQnMkL-CKUdfwCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5755.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avalon hotel, Beverly Hills. </td></tr>
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2. Everybody disdains <b>downtown L.A.</b> I rather like it. It is no longer a forgotten corner of the city that seemed dangerous and shabby. Okay, it's still a bit shabby and, frankly, boring. But it's no longer forgotten. New high-rise apartments flank the edges of downtown and old bank buildings on Spring Street are being converted to stylish lofts. Several subway lines now link downtown with Hollywood, Santa Monica, and other far-flung neighborhoods. Granted, it lacks shopping and restaurant magnets, but the original <b>Grand Central Market</b> still serves downtown as it has since 1917.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qVsbHKXDqXY/Wl0m_oWv8xI/AAAAAAAAD7s/URXSyuJ4k6QI7CQb2Xmo6l4ONbdqaE3rACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qVsbHKXDqXY/Wl0m_oWv8xI/AAAAAAAAD7s/URXSyuJ4k6QI7CQb2Xmo6l4ONbdqaE3rACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5784.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Central Market, downtown L.A.</td></tr>
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3.. L.A.'s <i>grande dame </i>of hotels, the <b>Biltmore,</b> is one downtown destination that still is worth seeing. It demonstrates the truism "...they just don't build 'em like they used to." It is richly detailed in its very accessible lobbies (yes, there are more than one), grand tavern, meeting rooms, and galleries. It is the kind of place that makes a visitor feel like royalty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Noq08Uzfm_Q/Wl0m7orgV1I/AAAAAAAAD7s/HEqRghE8M-8KVHKW0HoPn0afZHMLszwUACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Noq08Uzfm_Q/Wl0m7orgV1I/AAAAAAAAD7s/HEqRghE8M-8KVHKW0HoPn0afZHMLszwUACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5763.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltmore lobby. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rZyjBoQr8p8/Wl0m8VrEYWI/AAAAAAAAD7s/LhSHsC6mAWkW6rbXPfVA2583RImD1iMOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rZyjBoQr8p8/Wl0m8VrEYWI/AAAAAAAAD7s/LhSHsC6mAWkW6rbXPfVA2583RImD1iMOgCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5765.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltmore lobby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yBy_Ck_WaVc/Wl0m8ovOmpI/AAAAAAAAD7s/nYHza9p25XMiSUUBQ-GWN4iRkNZSuYwkgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yBy_Ck_WaVc/Wl0m8ovOmpI/AAAAAAAAD7s/nYHza9p25XMiSUUBQ-GWN4iRkNZSuYwkgCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5768.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltmore ceiling.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmF_vHu3z3c/Wl0m9Kk4dNI/AAAAAAAAD7s/1QcrSAn_b7cv3vnDc-94D-dKMpxqpBVjwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmF_vHu3z3c/Wl0m9Kk4dNI/AAAAAAAAD7s/1QcrSAn_b7cv3vnDc-94D-dKMpxqpBVjwCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5769.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltmore chandelier. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NoAbnRHFOM4/Wl0m9otRJVI/AAAAAAAAD7s/NP5KfwCRPAIqDH0n_oYYD7LFP1PcCdmkACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NoAbnRHFOM4/Wl0m9otRJVI/AAAAAAAAD7s/NP5KfwCRPAIqDH0n_oYYD7LFP1PcCdmkACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5770.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltmore lobby.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kq0GDn8ERuk/Wl0m-LiCwwI/AAAAAAAAD7s/HqvF-V5_egENQSKsAtdllQ-9_g3Ih-mHACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kq0GDn8ERuk/Wl0m-LiCwwI/AAAAAAAAD7s/HqvF-V5_egENQSKsAtdllQ-9_g3Ih-mHACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5773.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltmore lobby bar. </td></tr>
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4. <b>Broadway,</b> in downtown L.A., was once a street of many lavish movie palaces. The buildings are still there, but, sadly, mostly abandoned. Occasionally they are used (interiors and exteriors) for movie locations. For the most part they are probably destined for the wrecking ball. Enjoy them while you still can. Also on Broadway, and lovingly restored, is the <b>Bradbury building</b>. Built in 1893, it is one of the earliest examples of a skylit atrium building with exposed elevator cages. This was created nearly a century before John Portman brought the concept to the Hyatt hotel chain. Architecture students know this building from their history classes. Film buffs should know it from numerous location shots, including the final scenes of <i>Bladerunner.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kCIZJzcSShY/Wl0m7upjxeI/AAAAAAAAD7s/xfSw1od9JMw5xIOQ-F7crwAzVzgdaOvQwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kCIZJzcSShY/Wl0m7upjxeI/AAAAAAAAD7s/xfSw1od9JMw5xIOQ-F7crwAzVzgdaOvQwCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5761.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theater on Broadway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A1nWPbtRlBY/Wl0nACrYH3I/AAAAAAAAD7s/40aiqYooLjQ9pjePK5D0IF1xxvVMmgr7wCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A1nWPbtRlBY/Wl0nACrYH3I/AAAAAAAAD7s/40aiqYooLjQ9pjePK5D0IF1xxvVMmgr7wCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5791.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bradbury building.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl3QxNdEa6w/Wl0nA8BMSkI/AAAAAAAAD7s/d22wtmkteu4Tjn7KqToOAoR6dX5yBFTpACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl3QxNdEa6w/Wl0nA8BMSkI/AAAAAAAAD7s/d22wtmkteu4Tjn7KqToOAoR6dX5yBFTpACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5793.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bradbury building.</td></tr>
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5. <b>Union Station</b> is a Spanish revival building that still has real train service. Also the nexus for two subway lines, it has gained a renewal of purpose that attracts bustling crowds as it must have during the heyday of travel by train.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WaAfnOPFUMU/Wl0nBIsTYPI/AAAAAAAAD7s/7XiaSMyAjjMyN_kVZi0KMAKnPWYVfQ6uACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WaAfnOPFUMU/Wl0nBIsTYPI/AAAAAAAAD7s/7XiaSMyAjjMyN_kVZi0KMAKnPWYVfQ6uACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5805.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Station. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gFo2kDaQ-U/Wl0nBWVBdrI/AAAAAAAAD7s/TMU8caggaYsWVISXkGwUr5pwXQVMc_0PACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gFo2kDaQ-U/Wl0nBWVBdrI/AAAAAAAAD7s/TMU8caggaYsWVISXkGwUr5pwXQVMc_0PACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5808.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Station.</td></tr>
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6. Finally, what could sum up Los Angeles better than a classic movie studio. <b>Paramount</b> still has its main gate, featured in numerous film classics including Gloria Swanson's famous scene in <i>Sunset Boulevard</i>. If you take the studio tour you get two cities for the price of one. "New York City" is recreated as faćade-only buildings in sunny Los Angeles. (<i>Usually</i> sunny. It was raining that particular day.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GLPtm8oGpuA/Wl0m3234_vI/AAAAAAAAD7s/huhjw1UZw_81bu4bt0CUhzgkEea4z0cUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GLPtm8oGpuA/Wl0m3234_vI/AAAAAAAAD7s/huhjw1UZw_81bu4bt0CUhzgkEea4z0cUgCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5744.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paramount studios entrance gate. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_n3HZOiCwnk/Wl0m3i-kf2I/AAAAAAAAD7s/2k8Ej8gyfaQOk7NkGKA51RhLuzUcRVKAgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_n3HZOiCwnk/Wl0m3i-kf2I/AAAAAAAAD7s/2k8Ej8gyfaQOk7NkGKA51RhLuzUcRVKAgCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5741.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"New York City."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dB0CJ8U394w/Wl0m34TGVKI/AAAAAAAAD7s/XDFm-3SJ5K8oceQWZoLVXols7KBQ6JXOwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dB0CJ8U394w/Wl0m34TGVKI/AAAAAAAAD7s/XDFm-3SJ5K8oceQWZoLVXols7KBQ6JXOwCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_5743.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's only a movie set. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All photos : MJK with an iPhone 6.</i></span><br />
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<br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-23698910063787701122017-09-01T13:43:00.003-06:002017-09-01T13:43:37.099-06:00Knorr Lecture on Mid-Century Modern Architecture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p7X4s5ACzwU/Wam4SLrx3jI/AAAAAAAADv8/O6lLKrBvMyoOw9CGVH9ZA2MFsN6s5twiQCLcBGAs/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2B2017%2Bflyers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p7X4s5ACzwU/Wam4SLrx3jI/AAAAAAAADv8/O6lLKrBvMyoOw9CGVH9ZA2MFsN6s5twiQCLcBGAs/s640/Copy%2Bof%2B2017%2Bflyers.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
<br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-68470456812466215682017-07-17T10:24:00.001-06:002017-07-17T10:24:38.220-06:00Architecture Mid-CenturyThe Virginia Village Mid-Century Modern Home Tour took place yesterday in Denver. The featured homes were buiilt as the Krisana Park neighborhood, a small development comprised of 176 hgomes within Virginia Village in Southeast Denver.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf0IGpeowmM/WWzi52AlG2I/AAAAAAAADsQ/kHLMRKiXq8w-TuuW2IKhYWbq-iDvrbZwQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf0IGpeowmM/WWzi52AlG2I/AAAAAAAADsQ/kHLMRKiXq8w-TuuW2IKhYWbq-iDvrbZwQCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_4484.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The official tour brochure describes the origins of Krisana Park.<br />
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In the late 1940s, Brad Wolff and his father, developer H.B. Wolff, acquuired an alfalfa field in southeast Denver. Responding to Denver's post-war housing shortage, they planned the construction of a new subdivision. The design of Krisana Park, however, stood out. Unlike the more common cul-de-sacs of ranch-style houses under development across metro-Denver, the Wolffs were inspired by the modernist designs of California developer Joseph Eichler. They named their development Krisana Park, and began construction on its 176 homes in 1954. Marketing their homes as '3-D Contemporaries,' prices started at $15,950. Financing was offered. With the GI bill, returning soldiers could pay $50 down payment and monthly payments of $104.02. </blockquote>
The brochure for the tour features architectural inllustrations of each home by Denver artist Chris Musselman. Musselman's work has been <a href="http://knorrarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/11/capturing-architecture-in-art.html" target="_blank">previously featured</a> in this blog. His website is worth a visit at <a href="http://www.christianmusselman.com/">http://www.christianmusselman.com</a>.<br />
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The homes on the tour have been lovingly restored and, in many cases, augmented in the spirit of the original designs. The openess and efficiency of the plans explains why mid-centtury modern architecture is enjoying a resurgence in newly constructed projects thoughout the city and, indeed, the entire country.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vuEd9RCP5LU/WWzi6Z1AOXI/AAAAAAAADsU/00FfK_gMCxsFHeeYhuxLwQxJZ38gqqY8ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vuEd9RCP5LU/WWzi6Z1AOXI/AAAAAAAADsU/00FfK_gMCxsFHeeYhuxLwQxJZ38gqqY8ACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4485.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><i>Illustrations from the tour brochure by Chris Musselman. </i></li>
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<br />Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499096525132034194.post-270092352999045772017-06-24T11:34:00.000-06:002017-06-24T11:34:12.273-06:00Grand Opening: Venue 221<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pq33tys_BIU/WU6htBoMQjI/AAAAAAAADp8/MjvcC8tCqsAXMQqT2dN7mejhUXiZvB_AQCLcBGAs/s1600/Front_Elevate-Photography-684x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="684" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pq33tys_BIU/WU6htBoMQjI/AAAAAAAADp8/MjvcC8tCqsAXMQqT2dN7mejhUXiZvB_AQCLcBGAs/s320/Front_Elevate-Photography-684x1024.jpg" width="212" /></a>This week saw the official grand opening for Venue 221 in Denver's Cherry Creek North district.<br />
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My office worked for three years with the owner/developer Cindy Wynne to create a luxury multi-use venue. The design is influenced by mid-century-modern architecture with 21st century amenities: folding doors open to a sidewalk patio, a white onyx bar with LED illumination, linear fireplace, caterer's kitchen and state-of-the art A/V system. The interior design consultant was Studio 10 of Denver. The general contractor was Coe Construction of Fort Collins, Colorado.<br />
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From their website:<br />
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<i>Venue 221 is intended for all types of corporate, non-profit, social and community events such as: Sales Meetings, Conferences, Training Events, Executive Retreats, Employee Recognitions, Product Launches, Media Releases, Holiday Parties, Employee Picnics/Receptions, Volunteer Appreciations, Galas, Fundraisers, Award Dinners, Board Meetings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Anniversary Parties, Birthday Celebrations, Weddings, Graduations, Reunions, Proms, School Fundraisers, Academic Competitions, & Shows, Religious Gatherings, Club Meets, HOA Meetings & Presentations and Political Meetings or Receptions.</i><br />
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They have also added pop-up retail events to their offerings. Detailed information is available here: <a href="http://venue221.com/" target="_blank">Venue 221</a>.Knorrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064964991999477963noreply@blogger.com3