Vol. 1 No. 1 March 2010
Immediately Threatened! Paul Rudolph’s Chorley Elementary School Palm Springs Modernism Corn-fed Modern with Atomic Indy Update! The Igloo
RPPN Bulletin
March 2010 Vol.1 No.1
Page 9
Page 3
Page 17
Page 5
contents
FEATURES 5
There’s a new crowd and elevated interest in Indianapolis’ modernism. Find out who’s responsible.
SECTIONS NEWS BRIEFS
3
A recap of some of the biggest stories from February 2010.
ON THE WEB
7
The latest updates from the RPPN website’s most popular features.
THE WATCH LIST
16
Updates on some of the lingering preservation battles that we are currently watching.
EVENTS CALENDAR
CORN-FED MODERN
22
Our listing of upcoming events from across the country.
9
PRESERVATION ALERT: PAUL RUDOLPH’S CHORLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Another Rudolph school is immediately threatened with demolition. Get the full story.
13 UPDATE! RECYCLE THE IGLOO Here’s the latest on the effort to save Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena.
17 CELEBRATING WEXLER Palm Springs has been in the spotlight since the beginning of the year. Here’s just one of the reasons why.
19 RPPN 2.0 RPPN has evolved. Find out what’s new.
PRESIDENT’S NOTE
RPPN Bulletin is a
Dear RPPN Supporters,
published by the
monthly newsletter Recent Past Preservation Network, a
Welcome to the first issue of the RPPN Bulletin in our new electronic format.
national non-profit organization dedicated to
Building on the previous success of our hard-copy annual newsletter, the
promoting preservation education and
new monthly RPPN Bulletin will enable all of us to keep up to speed on
advocacy to encourage a contextual
what’s happening around the country, connect with colleagues, and learn
understanding of our modern built
what others are doing to save the built environment of the recent past.
environment.
In his recent autobiography, visual artist James Rosenquist describes “the
2010 Board of Directors
anonymity of recent history” and how most people tend to recall their
Devin Colman, President
childhood and the present, with little awareness of recognition of the period
Aaron Marcavitch, Vice President
in between. This “blind spot in time,” as Rosenquist calls it, is exactly where RPPN is focusing its attention. The architecture, design and landscapes we’re trying to save are usually old enough to be run-down and outdated, but not quite old enough to be considered worth preserving as part of our history. Operating within this blind spot, it is RPPN’s job to raise awareness of the resources we care about, with the confidence that in a few years (or decades) the general public will appreciate our efforts.*
Julie Ernstein, Secretary Rebekah Dobrasko Jeffery Harris Alan Higgins Cindy Olnick Frampton Tolbert Mailing Address Recent Past Preservation Network
If you have visited the RPPN website recently (www.recentpast.org) you
P.O. Box 3072
have undoubtedly noticed that it has been completely re-designed and
Burlington, VT 05408
updated. RPPN’s mission statement encourages the use of new technologies to advocate for our causes. When RPPN was founded ten years ago, that
On the Web
simply meant having a website. Today, it means having a website plus a
URL: www.recentpast.org
Facebook page, a Flickr account, and a Twitter feed. To learn more about
President: president@recentpast.org
the new website, please see the “RPPN 2.0” article in this issue of the RPPN
General Info: info@recentpast.org
Bulletin.
Website: webmaster@recentpast.org
The preservation of the recent past is a concern from New York to
Newsletter
Indianapolis to Palm Springs—all of which are featured in this issue of the
Designed & edited by: Alan Higgins
RPPN Bulletin. If you have feedback, ideas for future articles or know of an endangered resource, please feel free to contact the RPPN community for help. Keep up the great work, and I hope you enjoy the new RPPN Bulletin. Sincerely, Devin A. Colman
* Rosenquist, James with David Dalton. Painting Below Zero: Notes on a Life in Art. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
All information is from sources believed to be accurate. RPPN is not responsible for omissions or errors. Please send all comments, questions, and story ideas to us at newsletter@recentpast.org ON THE COVER: Interior corridor of Chorley Elementary School, Middletown, New York. March 2009. Photo courtesy of Andrei Harwell.
NEWS BRIEFS EICHLERS GET PROTECTION The Los Angeles City Council approved the designation of 108 Eichlers in Balboa Highlands, an area of Granada Hills designed between 1962 and 1964, as an historic preservation overlay zone. This is twenty-fifth overlay in Los Angeles, but only the second such designation for a collection of modernist houses in the city and the first of its kind in the San Fernando Valley. The other modernist HPOZ is Gregory Ain in Mar Vista. The designation comes after years of trying to get protection for the community, with initial proposals having been made in 2003.
BALBOA HIGHLANDS. The latest historic district to get designated as a Los Angeles historic preservation overlay zone. Photo: teamperks
BUSY IN PALM SPRINGS Modernism Week got underway on the heels of news that the tikiinspired Royal Hawaiian Estates, designed in 1961 by the architectural firm of Wexler & Harrison, was approved as the City’s first residential historic district. This is a major win in the City, which has been gaining tremendous notoriety in recent years for its collection of modern architecture. However, some preservation battles continue to linger in Palm Springs as the City still looks to alter the parking and landscaping around City Hall, which had been designated as a Class One historic resource in 1996. With the PALM SPRINGS CITY HALL. Debate continues over
proposed changes, the viewscape would be dramatically altered as
proposed landscaping alterations around Palm Springs
vehicles would block the building. Now, to protect the site, the
City Hall, designed by Alfred Frey 1952-57. Photo: Kansas_Sebastian
Historic Site Preservation Board is looking into the designation of the entire City Hall site as a Class One resource. Stay tuned.
TMH SAVES ANOTHER MODERNIST HOUSE The award-winning organization Triangle Modernist Houses announced that the 1958 Carr House was purchased by new owners, who appreciate and will retain the architectural character of the house. The purchase is largely the result of efforts by TMH to seek out responsible owners. Since its inception, the organization has made it part of its agenda to issue local, regional, and national alerts when a modernist house goes on the market. Since many of these houses, accompanied by large lots, are prime targets for teardowns, the ’for sale’ sign almost instantly marks them as an endangered resource. The sale of the Carr House can be added to the ever-growing list of TMH accomplishments. 3
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
CARR HOUSE. Recently purchased in North Carolina. Photo: Triangle Modernist Houses
NEWS BRIEFS TEMPLE RENOVATION The Latter-Day Saints have announced that they will completely re-shape the exterior of the Ogden, Utah temple with art glass and stone and move the entrance. The temple, designed by Emil B. Fetzer and dedicated in 1972, was
MARINERS MEDICAL ARTS BUILDING. Richard Neutra-designed
the 14th temple built by the
complex in Newport Beach, Florida. Photo: John*Ell
LDS, the first temple in Utah OGDEN TEMPLE. Soon to since 1893, and has a twin structure in Provo, Utah.
receive a major facelift.
NEUTRA BUILDING STILL ENDANGERED?
Photo: LanceandErin
Last February we reported that Richard Neutra’s Mariners Medical Arts Building in Newport Beach, California was to MODERNISM & RECENT
be saved from demolition because of efforts by local
PAST ON THE NATIONAL
architects, preservationists, and the City. The owner had
REGISTER THIS MONTH
agreed to preserve and rehab the building as part of his plans to develop the adjacent lot. However, recent news
CENTRAL SQUARE PARK Springfield, Missouri
has revealed that the owner has been inappropriately
MILLIKEN BUILDING Bowling Green, Kentucky
lighting fixtures, without first receiving approval or permits
LOUIS SKOLER RESIDENCE Syracuse, New York
resource and thus subject to review. According to
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY SHOOTING SITES Kent, Ohio
some basic maintenance that was badly needed and didn’t
removing features such as an exterior staircase and from the City, which had declared the building an historic statements received, the owner “thought he was doing realize there was a precise way to do that.” Following this news, Neutra’s son, Dion, has stated that he fears for the future of the building. We’ll update as news is released. MOON LANDING SITE DESIGNATED. Photo: DaveYoung
RECENT PAST PRESERVATION IN SPACE The California State Historical Resources Commission named the Apollo 11 moon landing site, where the first steps were taken on July 20, 1969, as a state historical resource. The designation only applies to the items left by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, not the physical surface of the moon. This move is the first step in trying to get Tranquility Base designated as a national historic landmark, followed by a world heritage site designation. State historic preservation offices in Texas, New Mexico, Georgia, and Florida—the other states engaged in the Apollo mission– are expected to follow suit by naming the items as state historic resources in their respective states. News Briefs continued on page 12 www.recentpast.org
4
Corn-fed by BAZ MCM
MODERN
Think “Mid Century Modern Architecture” and your mind is likely filled with visions of California and its countless Eichler tracts, Case Study houses, and Palm Springs treasure troves of iconic sites that define the period. Am I close? Cool. Stay with me here. Erase those thoughts. Tell your mind to leave the West Coast and travel with me to the Midwest. Yes, the Midwest. Indianapolis is sowing its wild “MCM” oats. Well, corn rather. “MCM” corn. Ah, forget it. Failed farming analogy over. Onward.
Enter Atomic Indy, a blog created with the intent of following the renovation of a Mid Century Modern home. Since its inception a year and a half ago, it has become so much more. Atomic Indy now pulls a national audience, averaging 300+ readers a day. Its got a Facebook fan page 800+ fans strong. A Twitter feed 950+ followers deep. In short, we’re using the Internet to build a virtual community of passionate and like-minded individuals. 5
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
Photos courtesy of Atomic Indy.
Bottom line, there’s something good brewing in Indianapolis.
SPOTLIGHT Amid the aforementioned bragging of how popular we
Each event requires a $5 donation per person.
are is a more sustaining message: the message of
This donation is divvied up as follows:
awareness. Awareness for the importance of Mid Century Modern design. This awareness, we believe,
$2.00 goes to the homeowner to cover refreshments.
will translate into the desire to restore and preserve. In
$2.00 goes to Historic Landmarks Foundation of
fact, it already has.
Indiana’s modern preservation committee to support the important work of preserving modernism
Our virtual community has shattered the fourth wall of the Internet to become a real-world gathering known as the Atomic Crash Party series.
throughout the state. $1.00 goes to Atomic Indy to cover directional signage
and other promotional needs.
What it is:
We’re currently working on a website specifically for the Atomic Crash Party series. This future site will function as
A one-home-per-month home tour/cocktail mixer.
a clearinghouse for similar events across the country. If you’re interested in getting something started in your
How it plays out:
community, email us at BazMcm@gmail.com
MCM lovers descend on some generous hosts’ abode to
By harnessing the power of social networking, we can
see the home and furniture collection while mingling
build our ranks and save modern spaces.
with fellow lovers of the Mid Century Modern aesthetic. Libations flow and tasty morsels abound.
Cheers, -Baz
Barrett Crites, known as “Baz Mcm,” is a prominent blogger on the national Mid Century Modern scene. He’s an Advertising Executive by day. Mid Century Modern blogger by night. Somewhere in the middle, function meets form. Connect: AtomicIndy.com
BazMcm@gmail.com
Facebook.com/AtomicIndy
Twitter.com/AtomicIndy
Are you engaging your local community? Are you actively engaging the local community in a unique or innovative way? If you’ve established a program or project to promote public interaction and education, whether it be aimed at adults, children, preservationists, or the general public, we want to know
Indianapolis Modernism
about it! Contact us today about your story. We’d love to acknowledge your efforts and feature them in future issues of the RPPN Bulletin!
www.recentpast.org
6
THIS MONTH ON THE WEB NATIONAL WINDSHIELD SURVEY
Photo: davidburn
ANNIE PFEIFFER CHAPEL Florida Southern College Lakeland, Florida Frank Lloyd Wright 1938-1941
Photo: Paul J Everett
Photo: mobilhomme
THE PYRAMIDS Indianapolis, Indiana Roche-Dinkeloo
Photo: Jim Beeler
1972
FEDERAL BUILDING Gainesville, Florida Reynolds, Smith & Lee 1963
NORTHWESTERN NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE BUILDING Minneapolis, Minnesota Minoru Yamasaki 1964 7
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
Photo: regional.modernism
CITY HALL New Orleans, Louisiana Goldstein, Parham & Labouissee 1956
PETER CLAUSS HOUSE Wallingford, Pennsylvania Alfred Clauss 1952-1955 For all of our updates, check out the National Windshield Survey on our Photo: Alan Higgins
website. Have a resource you would like to share? Great! You can do so with our easy-to-use web form! On the Web continued on page 21 www.recentpast.org
8
PRESERVATION ALERT
ONthechoppingblock Paul Rudolph’s Chorley Elementary School by sean khorsandi December 18, 2008. The voters of Middletown New York headed to their various polling stations in town to partake in a public referendum. Some headed
CHORLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. South view of the old courtyard, 1969. Photo courtesy of the Paul Rudolph Foundation.
to the Twin Towers Middle School, some to the
What voters didn’t know, as it was not disclosed from
Middletown High School, and others, to the Truman Moon
the propaganda distributed beforehand, was that
Primary Center or the Chorley Elementary School. In all,
proposition #2 would be reworded for the ballot box
fewer than 700 residents came out to vote despite the
to include language calling for the demolition of
town having sent materials to registered households
Chorley Elementary School—a low-slung building
representing their 26,067-person population.
awash in natural light—a building in which several residents were even voting . Such a move surprised
The referendum had two parts. First, voters were to
more than the residents who had voted on the
decide whether or not to allow the district to “purchase 19
measure. Likewise shocked were many members of
acres in Clemson Park, for $2.61 million, adjacent to
the then school board, several of whom even
Chorley *Elementary School+, on which the new
questioned why the vote was being rushed through a
elementary school will be built. The district would use
week before the holidays.
money from its savings (fund balance) to purchase the property.” Voters approved this measure, 428 to 238, with
Yet, as it stands, a margin of 270 people set a process
more than a third of the voters thinking this was a bad
in motion to demolish a National Register-eligible
idea. Second, voters were asked to allow the Enlarged
building by the internationally recognized late
School District of Middletown to “build a new 58-
modernist architect, Paul M. Rudolph. A prolific and
classroom elementary school for $63,490,000 million *sic+
successful designer in his prime, Mr. Rudolph saw no
costs would be covered by State aid, Contract for
fewer than 271 of over 400 designs realized in his
Excellence (C4E) money, savings from bringing BOCES
lifetime—a body of work that has been diminishing
students back to the district’s schools and district savings
through neglect, property values, greed and obstinate
(fund balance).” Fewer people were in favor of this
politicians, resulting in the recent destruction of five
measure, although it still passed 411 to 241, approved by
buildings over the past four years.
only about one and a half percent of the entire Middletown population.
9
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
PRESERVATION ALERT The school district ‘s plan has largely relied on state
Within two weeks of the referendum, the New York
funding to take over a public park, which is currently
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
defined by other historic outbuildings and fixtures, some
Preservation reviewed the development proposal
dating to more than a century ago. The district is also
submitted by consultants hired by the district,. They
planning to use the funding to replace a functioning
were not too impressed. While identifying the school
school with a parking lot and to render obsolescent
and park as elements meeting the “eligibility criteria for
another current elementary school (the Truman Moon),
listing on the National Register,” their Historic Sites
while just approving the sale of an existing local
Coordinator deemed the proposal an “Adverse Impact”
landmark school (Memorial School) that has lay
not only due to its demolition of a school by a renowned
mothballed for the past four years. While they are hardly
architect, but also “the 1909 rectangular pavilion
at a deficit for classroom space, why shouldn’t this mega-
designed by Frank J. Lindsey, and several outbuildings
plan be realized? After all, is bearing the cost of
from the 1930’s associated with the Tudor-style
construction for yet another school too much to ask of a
residences as well as the landscape features associated
state with an expected $8.2 billion deficit for 2010-11?
with the site” the future of which remain uncertain.
Initial calls to the local press were met with shock and
incorporate some of the older structures under the
laughter, ‘that’s so funny- we were just wondering in the
districts domain- without a specified re-use of these
newsroom who built that school!’ before further phone
buildings, this does not bode well considering the school
and email requests were ignored.
district is claiming hardship and difficulty in maintaining a building that is barely forty years old.
Few are laughing now. CHORLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Building exterior with classrooms, 2009. Photo courtesy of the Paul Rudolph Foundation.
www.recentpast.org
10
PRESERVATION ALERT Despite this precedent, Robertson Strong and Apgar Architects, a firm retained by the superintendent, has continued with their design, which intends to occupy a current public park and incorporate some of the older structures under the district’s domain. Even worse, there are no plans for a specified re-use of these buildings—a situation that does not bode well considering that the school district is claiming hardship and difficulty in maintaining a building that is barely forty years old. Unlike Rudolph’s building, their school will be new, two stories tall, and will have air conditioning. It’s hard to recreate the Paul Rudolph original—a building which he called “too sweet- too sentimental.” Organized along a shifted spine, John W. Chorley Elementary School is a
IS PAUL RUDOLPH’S ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER NEXT? Located in Goshen—a ten minute drive from Chorley Elementary School—this is Paul Rudolph’s only other work in Orange County New York, and the local County Executive now wants it demolished... We’ll update as news develops.
Photo: josepha
unique design. Following the main corridor are the school’s public programs—an auditorium room, music
Crawford Manor housing in New Haven. Its saw tooth
room, library, gymnasiums, art room, lab, school nurse and
roofs, intended to evoke the many factory buildings
main office—like buildings populating a Main Street.
along the Hudson Valley, allow light to wall wash the
Perpendicular to the spine run four main educational
many chalk boards and display walls.
wings, double loaded with open classrooms and a wide central avenue allowing instructors in each wing to teach
The community was once proud of these features. At
up to eight classes at once. Each classroom, equipped with
the building’s dedication in 1969, the then
its own direct access to the park and trails just outside. At
superintendent of schools, John L. Krause wrote, “let us
the core is an open forum—a stepped plaza which serves
hope that forty years hence people will be commenting
as an orienting device and lunchroom. Like the wings, this
favorably on the foresight of this community during the
area follows the natural slope of the site and is the most
‘60’s.” Today, let us hope that forty-one years hence,
obvious manifestation of the internal landscape. The
the public reconsiders its decision, and recognizes its
building is fit with Rudolph’s signature fluted, extruded
own cultural legacy.
CMU block, which he had developed for the infamous
IS THERE A THREATENED RESOURCE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FEATURED IN OUR PRESERVATION ALERTS?
Sean Khorsandi is an architect at Samuel Anderson Architects and is co-director of the Paul Rudolph Foundation in New York. The Paul Rudolph Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Are you engaged in an effort to save a threatened resource in your area? If so, contact us about writing a
dedicated to promoting the preservation, knowledge, and understanding of Paul Rudolph’s work.
piece for the RPPN Bulletin, and we will feature the
The organization has recently started a digital petition to save
endangered resource in one of our upcoming
Chorley Elementary School. The petition can be found here.
newsletters, as well as on our website. For further information, see:
You can contact us using our web form or send us your ideas or news at newsletter@recentpast.org. 11
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
Paul Rudolph Foundation—Chorley Elementary School Preservation League of New York State—Seven to Save
NEWS BRIEFS OUTSIDE THE U.S. In the United Kingdom, Abbey Road Studios has been officially designated as a historic resource because of its association with numerous recording artists, the Beatles being the primary group associated with the studios. Yet, other recent past resources are not so fortunate as Architecture Minister Margaret Hodge once again went against the advice of English Heritage and turned down the listing of Preston’s 1969 brutalist bus station. In New Zealand, the Dorset St flats, designed in 1956-57 by Sir Miles Warren, and once considered the “ugliest” buildings in the city, were brought forward for listing as a category one historic resource. In Austria, the tallest structure in the country was recently demolished. At 256-meters tall, the TV transmission tower, constructed in 1959, was demolished because of the high costs of maintaining it. During the demolition, one local chained himself to a fence and protested the destruction, stating that the “transmission tower is a cultural object.” ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS. Photo: sparragus
SAVE OUR SIGNS! Historic Charlotte, Inc. and JFG Coffee recently established a new partnership to document and protect vintage advertising signs. The new program, called Save Our Signs, is designed to get owners of historic signs to pursue historic designation, which would help save them from demolition. To help the cause, between February 21 and May 15, a portion of sales of JFG Coffee will be donated to the newly created Save Our Signs Fund. The Fund will be used to provide grants to owners to hire consultants to complete nominations for landmark status. Monies received will also be distributed to owners who BAR-B-Q King Sign (1961). Charlotte, NC. Photo: lumierefl
cannot afford to maintain or restore their historic signs.
OTHER NEWS FROM FEBRUARY
National Trust for Historic Preservation grant will fund Curran House renovation study. Hoffman Elementary School (1954) in New Orleans demolished while other schools remain at risk. Rezoning of the L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building (1965), formerly owned by the GSA, marks the first step toward reuse of this modernist building in Charleston, South Carolina. Design for the addition to Lincoln Center has been revealed. Phoenix buys vacant 1950s hotel so that Arizona State University can demolish it and build a parking lot.
STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH RPPN NEWS We’ve made it easy for you to follow all of the latest RPPN news. You can always find the latest news on our website, our newsfeeds, our Facebook page, and our Twitter feed.
www.recentpast.org
12
UPDATE!
RECYCLE the IGLOO! By Robert S. Pfaffmann, AIA
In early October 2009, with the famed Stanley Cup shimmering dramatically at center ice of the Civic Arena (aka “the Igloo”), the Pittsburgh Penguins began their final season in the historic building. The media has printed a series of nostalgia articles, and adaptive re-use advocates are beginning a final push to persuade Pittsburgh that the 48-year-old, like-new stainless steel dome can have a new life as Pittsburgh’s answer to Chicago’s Millennium Park. In a town where hometown pride has brought us Steeler Nation, reuse of the historic sports complex will simply be another Pittsburgh first. The Civic Arena is a design and engineering landmark. With its stillworking retractable roof, it is a one-of-a-kind building in the world, and worthy of preservation and adaptive reuse. The Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition Authority (SEA), which owns the Igloo, has begun planning for demolition by issuing environmental assessment contracts. In the coming months, a federal Section 106 review and the consulting party process required by the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 105 of the Pennsylvania History Code will commence. At the same time, the residents of the adjacent Hill District are beginning an Urban Redevelopment Authority-sponsored master planning process that will determine the planning context of the Arena’s future. Residents hope that the historic review and planning processes are combined to provide an opportunity for constructive dialogue. Leaders from Preservation Pittsburgh have formed a new advocacy group, entitled Recycle the Igloo!, to make 13
the case for reuse.
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
www.recentpast.org
14
RESOURCE UPDATE Recycle the Igloo! Advocates for the following reuse
Create a unique visitor and community destination. As a
strategies:
unique destination, the Arena could attract worldwide interest and generate new business and the revenue to
Promote a sustainable (green) reuse strategy. In order
maintain the character-defining structural moveable
to save the Arena, advocates will need to demonstrate
dome. Growing from the ashes of failed urban renewal
the economic viability of a new use and show that it
and highways separating the Hill and downtown, the
can be an anchor for new development. An
Civic Arena could be an anchor for a sustainable urban
ecologically driven “Greenprint” for the Hill
plan that integrates well with the new Consol Arena next
Neighborhood is also underway that will have an
door and the rebirth of the Hill.
influence over the master plan. The illustrations show that unlike conventional buildings, Since it will cost millions just to demolish the Civic
the Arena’s roof can be fully opened allowing for a six-
Arena and prepare the surrounding 28-acre site,
acre park that can be covered in bad weather with the
without having built anything in its place, advocates
press of a button! The fixed portion of the 415-foot
point out that the preservation and sustainable
dome offers a great view towards the downtown skyline.
planning could create an exciting destination for residents and visitors alike. And of course, as
To many local officials, the Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition
preservationists and green building advocates know,
Authority (SEA) and the prime tenants of the Civic
the greenest building is the one that already exists!
Arena—the Pittsburgh Penguins—the demolition plan is a done deal. However, a small group of preservation
The reuse of the structure proposes significant internal
advocates has not given up on the building or the
change, while maintaining the exterior character-
community.
defining features. The sketches show how the arena was built as two structures in one: 1) the internal
We need your support—please go to our Facebook page
seating bowl and supporting spaces below it and, 2)
to join and stay up to date on the latest events.
the exterior cantilevered dome set on a concrete tension ring. The tension ring is supported by 58 sets
Visit our site to view the booklet, A Civic Renewal:
of canted cast concrete struts that sit on a terrace
Proposal for Reuse of the Civic Arena, written by Robert
overlooking the skyline. The external cantilevered truss
S. Pfaffmann, AIA.
was designed and constructed by American bridge builders—American Bridge Company and Amman & Whitney, designers of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in
Robert S. Pfaffman, AIA is principal of the Pittsburgh-based firm Pfaffman + Associates.
New York City.
Images: A Civic Renewal: Proposal for Reuse of the Civic Arena by Robert S. Pfaffmann, AIA. 15
RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
THE WATCH LIST
PORTLAND MEMORIAL COLISEUM Although city officials have backed off of plans to demolish Memorial Coliseum, the future of the building still remains to be seen. By January 26, more than 95 unique proposals were submitted for the renovation or adaptive reuse of the structure, ranging from proposals to retain the stadium as an entertainment venue, turning it into a car museum, and establishing a recreation center. Following, each individual or group was given the opportunity to present their idea at a Public Concepts event. MEMORIAL COLISEUM. Photo: Hoffman Construction Co.
Now, stakeholder meetings and exhaustive conversations continue, the latest such meeting occurring on February 23, in
regard to the future of Memorial Coliseum as part of Rose Quarter Development plans. At the latest meeting, five of the teams that submitted development concepts were given the opportunity to present their ideas to the Portland Development Commission. You can find all of the proposed development and re-use plans here.
CORPUS CHRISTI MEMORIAL COLISEUM Corpus Christi’s Memorial Coliseum remains under threat after City Council approved the continued demolition of the structure. Now, demolition contracts have been MEMORIAL COLISEUM.
issued and razing is set to begin
Photo: Preservation Texas.
within the next three weeks, most
likely before March 15. Still, Preservation Texas and local groups remain engaged in discussions to save the historic resource. A “Save the Coliseum” rally is currently planned for March 6. We’ll continue to follow as plans evolve.
BELL LABORATORIES Plans for the adaptive re-use of Saarinen’s Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey remain to be seen. In the meantime, Preservation New Jersey submitted a nomination to BELL LABORATORIES. Photo: Simply_Curious.
the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2010
America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in midJanuary. For now, interested parties wait to hear of their nomination and any forthcoming adaptive re-use plans.
SAVED! CENTURY PLAZA HOTEL On February 10, the Los Angeles Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Next Century Associates announced revised development plans for the Century Plaza Hotel, which would preserve the existing hotel as the centerpiece of a new mixed-use development. This ended lengthy campaigns by numerous preservation groups to save the historic building. Now, a consulting firm has been hired to conduct an independent evaluation of the project, and the LA Conservancy and National Trust will continue to monitor plans through a Preservation Advisory Group that will review the project as it moves forward. Photo: canelita0306
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16
Celebrating
SPOTLIGHT
WEXLER by Richard “Kip” Serafin
The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation celebrated a three-day “Wexler Weekend” on January 22-24, 2010 educating over a thousand people about the work of desert architect Donald Wexler. The weekend coincided with the release of a scholarly 60page tribute journal entitled Donald Wexler: Architect published by the foundation. Wexler Weekend was supported by 27 local and national partners, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The weekend included seven events and celebrated Don Wexler’s 84th birthday. More than 1,125 people representing 15 states and Canada attended the event. More significantly, 80% of house tour-goers came from outside of Palm
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. By Glenn Wexler. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Gary & Don Wexler with author Patrick McGrew; Don Wexler with sons, Gary & Brian.
Springs and the Coachella Valley highlighting the
Justice Center, El Rancho Vista Estates, Royal Hawaiian
growing importance of architectural tourism to Palm
Estates (which recently became Palm Springs’ first
Springs.
residential historic district), numerous schools and many celebrity homes (including the stunning Dinah Shore and
More than 200 of Wexler’s buildings contribute to
Leff/Florsheim Houses).
the architectural significance of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Some of Wexler’s more significant
The weekend kicked-off on Friday with an evening pre-
achievements include the Steel Development Homes,
party attended by the Wexler family and event
the Spa Bathhouse (a joint-venture with architect
sponsors. The pre-party was followed by a showing of
William Cody), the Canyon Country Club Clubhouse,
the film Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of
the Merrill-Lynch Building, the Desert Water Agency,
Donald Wexler—a 67-minute movie produced by Design
the Palm Springs International Airport, the Larson
Onscreen. The film was then followed by a brief
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RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
SPOTLIGHT El Rancho Vista Estates, the architect’s original Palm Springs home, the Krizman Residence, the Kirk Douglas and Dinah Shore Houses. A Saturday evening cocktail fundraiser was held at the recently restored Leff/Florsheim House (1957). In 2004, the home was taken down to the slab and received a full restoration intended to recreate and honor Don Wexler’s original vision. The original 1957 blueprints were used as a guide to maintain the integrity of the original design while incorporating modern day conveniences and upgrades. A silent auction included unpublished photographs by architectural photographers Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai. Also included was a gorgeous photograph of the Palm Springs International Airport by Glen Wexler and a beautiful architectural watercolor by artist Thomas W. Schaller. Sunday began with “Steel Some Time” at the Wexler Steel Development Houses, noted for their folded plate roofs, steel frames and floor-to-ceiling windows. The weekend ended with the release and booksigning of Donald Wexler: Architect by author Patrick McGrew. This is the third in a series of Palm Springs Preservation Foundation monographs celebrating City Council member Ginny Foat reading proclamation honoring Donald Wexler; Photos courtesy of Palm Springs Preservation Foundation.
Question and Answer session with Wexler tribute journal author Patrick McGrew and architect Doug Hudson. Saturday began with a Champagne Jazz Brunch at Leon’s Bar & Grill, Indian Canyons Golf Resort, a city proclamation and entertainment provided by the Palm Springs High School Jazz
modernist desert architects. Richard “Kip” Serafin is the Principal of Richard Allen Associates and serves on the Board of Directors for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation. The mission of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation is “to educate and promote public awareness of the importance of preserving the historic resources and architecture of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley area.” PSPF offers educational
Band with vocals by Don Wexler’s granddaughter, Marilynn.
lectures, produces a variety of publications, issues preservation
The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation donated $1,000 to
alerts, conducts architectural tours, hosts preservation events
the PSHS Jazz Band in honor of the architect’s 84th birthday.
and gives grants to worth preservation projects. For additional information and free membership, visit PSPF at
The Saturday House Tour included 14 Wexler-designed
www.pspreservationfoundation.org.
properties. Highlights included Wexler tract homes in www.recentpast.org
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FEATURE
rppn
2.0
On the eve of ten years as an organization, the Recent Past Preservation Network has a new logo, a new website, and an expanding presence on the web. Over the course of the last year, you may have noticed
FREE WEB MEMBERSHIP. RPPN has created a free
that the RPPN website has undergone an extensive
membership portal for its community. This allows us to
transformation—we hope for the better. A new logo, a
keep in touch with those who have an interest in
new design, and new features are all part of an ever-
modernism and the recent past and allows you as the user
expanding and evolving web network designed to bring
to contribute to our site. While you can contribute to
you the latest news, resources, and events in a user-
some sections of our site without first signing up for the
friendly and interactive interface.
free web membership, doing so will link all of your contributions and posts to your account so that you can
The recent changes not only allow you to find information
come back and add to or edit them at a later date, if so
easier but also access the most popular features of our
desired. In addition, with a free web membership, you can
site quicker. In addition, you can now interact with
actually bookmark posts and features on the RPPN site
almost every section of our site. You can comment on
directly to your account. This allows you to have easy
posts, share posts with your friends and colleagues,
access to your favorite items anywhere that you’re able to
bookmark your favorite RPPN posts and features directly
log into the RPPN website.
to your web account, and directly upload information to our newsfeeds, events calendar, National Windshield Survey, and resources database! As always, we want to make the Recent Past Preservation Network your organization, so please consider becoming an active part of our growing community and sharing your information with others! Now, let’s take a look at some of the new website features and how other popular features have evolved.
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RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
To get your free membership, simply go to our homepage and look for the membership box on the lower right hand side. Click the registration button, fill in your information, and confirm the e-mail. That’s it, you’re done! Now, whenever you log into our website, you’ll find a dedicated user menu that provides easy access to our submission forms and your bookmarked features.
NEWS. While RPPN has always brought you the latest news relating to modern and recent past resources, we are now doing it in a new way. On our homepage you will now find the latest news about general preservation issues and developments, news regarding endangered resources, information about new research and resources, and any upcoming events. If you want to access our complete news archive, you can always access it from the main menu. Also, keep an eye out for our ‘weekly recap’ feature! Every Sunday we will be collecting news stories from throughout the week in one, easily-accessible condensed post for those that want a quick synopsis of what’s going on across the country. We’ve also made it easy for you to keep up with the latest news by setting up newsfeeds that can be subscribed to or sent directly to your email and by posting the latest news and information to our Facebook and Twitter pages.
RESOURCES. Our ever-expanding research & resources database, which now features more than 500 resources, has also evolved. Resources can now be browsed in two different formats – by category or by location. So, now you can browse all listings pertaining to a topic, such as Advocacy, Statewide Groups, or Transportation, or you can browse all resources located in or referring to a particular state. For example, choosing California will pull up all organizations in the state, all research and resource links relating to the state, all news relating to the state, and all California resources listed in our national windshield survey! Have an organization or resource that isn’t listed in our database? Great! You can now directly submit that to our database for the benefit of others in our community.
THE WATCH LIST. In this new feature of the RPPN website, we’ve compiled information on lingering preservation battles that remain
NATIONAL WINDSHIELD SURVEY.
on our radar. Here, we provide background information on the
Another favorite RPPN feature that has drastically evolved is our National Windshield Survey, which now features an easy to navigate user interface with new features such as image galleries and automatically-created maps. You can now also search the entire database by location, property type, preservation status, architect, and more! The best part about the new Windshield Survey is that you can directly upload your resources to the database with our user-friendly system!
resource, list the primary parties involved, describe the ongoing threat and current efforts, and provide a continually updated list of links relating to the resource. We hope that this new section will become an easy means of keeping up with the latest news on continuing efforts across the country. If you are currently engaged in or are aware of an ongoing effort, please consider submitting your information to us so that we may add it to our growing watch list.
www.recentpast.org
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FEATURE CASE STUDY CORNER. This is a feature that we are
students are the preservationists of the future and RPPN
looking to establish as we move forward. Here, we hope
acknowledges the importance of highlighting the efforts
to include the stories of preservationists in the field who
of students engaged in original research and projects as
are working to save modernist and recent past resources.
they begin to enter the preservation field. If you are
We want to share your experiences, efforts, and those
working on, have worked on, or know of someone
practices which you feel work the best and those that
working on such a project, please consider sharing it with
you feel work the least. By sharing our experiences with
us so that we may honor the efforts of our young
one another, we will all learn how to best protect the
preservationists.
resources in our area and be better equipped for new challenges that arise. But, this new feature will only be as
ARCHITECTS DATABASE. In the coming months, RPPN
successful as the community makes it, so please consider
will re-introduce its architects database. However, like
sharing your experiences with us today!
the National Windshield Survey, the new database will be completely re-designed and updated. Detailed architect
FUTURE PRESERVATIONISTS. RPPN wants to highlight
profiles will link to the National Windshield Survey so that
the efforts of up and coming preservationists! Are you a
choosing a project from the architect’s project list will
student that is working on a thesis, dissertation, creative
open the NWS resource card for the selected project.
project, or senior project that deals with modern or
Likewise, choosing an architect’s name from a resource
recent past resources and preservation-related issues?
card will pull up the architect’s profile and a list of
Are you a recent graduate that has completed such a
associated projects. If you have information on architects
project? We want to hear about it so that we can share
that you would like to be a part of this new database,
your efforts with the greater community! Our current
please contact us.
THIS MONTH ON THE WEB RESEARCH & RESOURCES
SPOTLIGHT The Recent Past Preservation Network continues to be
Aging Modernism
the exclusive host for architectural historian and RPPN co-
Art Deco & Modernism Architecture Tasmania
founder Richard Longstreth’s Historical Bibliography of
Heroic Boston Concrete: 1957-1976
Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urbanism in
Lawrence Halprin Oral History Project
the United States Since World War II, which has been
Michigan Modern
updated for 2010 with nearly 50 new entries. If you’ve
Modern Homes Philadelphia
never used the bibliography before, it is the ultimate
Reuse the Igloo!
resource for doing research on modernism and the
Salt Lake Modern
recent past, covering topics from architects to housing to
Save our Signs Charlotte
historic preservation. The bibliography is available for reading on the website and as a downloadable PDF.
FACEBOOK DISCUSSIONS Student Projects & Theses: Students, use this space to share your research projects with us! Mid-Century Motor Courts: Should mid-century motor courts be added to the National Trust’s historic hotels program? Share Your Story!: Tell us about what’s going on in your community and learn from others who have similar stories.
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RPPN BULLETIN MARCH 2010
EVENTS CALENDAR EXHIBITIONS January 16April 11
January 24May 1
February 6April 17
TOURS Arcadia/Suburbia: Architecture on Long Island, 1930-2010 Heckscher Museum of Art Huntington, New York Westport Modern: When Cool Was Hot! Westport Historical Society Westport, Connecticut After You Left, They Took it Apart: Demolished Paul Rudolph Homes Auburn University Auburn, Alabama
March 10 6:00 PM
Georgia Tech Tour DOCOMOMO/US, GA Atlanta, Georgia
March 13 All day
Jacksonville Symposium and Tour DOCOMOMO/US Florida and AIA Jacksonville Jacksonville, Florida
March 26-27 All day
Los Angeles Garden Excursion Cultural Landscape Foundation Los Angeles, California
March 28 All day
Buff & Hensman: The Art of Modernism Pasadena Heritage Pasadena, California
February 17May 1
Modernism At Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks World Monuments Fund, New York, New York
April 10-11 All day
February 20May 23
Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner Palm Springs Museum Palm Springs, California
Annual Modern Phoenix Home Tour and Expo Modern Phoenix Phoenix, Arizona
April 14-15 All day
White Rock Home Tour White Rock PTA White Rock, Texas
March 1April 26
Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future Yale University Art Gallery New Haven, Connecticut
April 30May 2
Wright & Mid-Century Modern in Minnesota FLW Building Conservancy Twin Cities, Minnesota
LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
OTHER EVENTS
March 18 6:30 PM
Re: Modern Icons—The United Nations Capital Master Plan The Skyscraper Museum New York, New York
March 3 7:00 PM
April 15 12:15 PM
Mid-Century Houses of Worship: A Radical Departure Landmark Illinois Chicago Cultural Center Chicago, Illinois
Mayberry Modernism: Why the Triangle is America’s Hotspot for Way Cool Houses Triangle Modernist Houses Raleigh, North Carolina
March 6 10:00 AM
Save the Corpus Christi Memorial Coliseum Rally Corpus Christi, Texas
April 22-24 All day
Imagining the Blue Ridge Parkway for the 21st Century Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Boone, North Carolina
March 21/24 6:00 PM
Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect Northwest Film Center Portland, Oregon
March 31
Deadline: Knoll Modernism Prize 2010 Nominations World Monuments Fund
April 13 7:00 PM
William Krisel, Architect The Getty Center Los Angeles, CA
March 3 12:20 PM
Shaping the Campus: Louis Kahn and Eero Saarinen Yale University Art Gallery New Haven, Connecticut
www.recentpast.org
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