Preservation Corner

Demolished: Sidney Hillman Medical Center in Philly

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:44:00 +0000

On the morning of Nov. 28, 2011, demolition began at the Sidney Hillman Medical Center, located at 22nd & Chestnut streets in Philadelphia, PA. The site will soon become a high rise apartment tower, reaching 32-stories, including retail space and cafe.

Rendering of future high rise apartment tower.

Originally designed by Louis Magaziner and Herman Polss in 1950, and often referred to as a "modernist gem," the building made an impression on the architecture and design communities in addition to the public it served. This pioneering medical center provided free medical services to the labor union employees of the Male Apparel Industry.

PlanPhilly, an independent news source for development, planning, and preservation, shares sentiments from David G. De Long, a Penn professor emeritus, who wrote: “Its angled orientation is unique, contributing mightily to the rich architectural diversity of Philadelphia.” Steve Fraser, a visiting professor of history at New York University and biographer of Sidney Hillman, wrote that the building “embodies a vital piece of the past century’s social heritage.”

While efforts to save this building were ultimately unsuccessful, they contributed to a growing appreciation for midcentury architecture in Philadelphia, promoting preservation concerns related to other sites built between 1945 and 1980. A growing list can be found here.

Kronish House: SAVED!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:05:00 +0000

Michal Czerwonka for The Wall Street Journal.

Previously facing demolition, the Richard Neutra-designed Kronish house was recently sold to an undisclosed buyer for 12.8 million. The new owners have plans to restore and preserve the property, though no arrangements have been made to work with Dion Neutra, the architect's son who also runs the Neutra architecture practice.

The Wall Street Journal reported that real estate agent Susan Smith (who helped broker the deal), said the buyers had been looking for a property with architectural history, adding that, "the new owner is going to preserve the house and this will take about two years."

Richard J.Neutra, Kronish House, 1953, pastel on paper,
courtesy Palm Springs Art Museum.

Given their heavy involvement with the battle to save the property, the LA Conservancy was thrilled with this recent sale. However, not every reaction has been as enthusiastic, including this comment from Dion Neutra, “I wish we could have won the Neutra Library idea,” he wrote in an email to Developments. “Still hoping for that; a quasi public use, and to hear from these new owners as to how they will treat this icon.”

While the Neutra House is safe from demolition, its fate is once again that of a private residence. Does Dion Neutra have a point? Should this house take on more of a public and educational function, or should we be satisfied that it's at least safe from demolition? Share your thoughts!

Manitoga Named To 2012 World Monuments Watch Site List

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:26:00 +0000

Courtesy of Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center

"...While these sites are historic, they are also very much of the present - integral parts of the lives of the people who come into contact with them every day." -Bonnie Burnham, WMF President

Manitoga, the 75-acre woodland garden, home and studio of industrial designer Russel Wright, was recently named one of 67 threatened cultural-heritage sites across the globe. "Receiving this designation is particularly gratifying as it will go a long way to help us restore Wright's masterpiece to its rightful condition and its place in the pantheon of mid-century modernism," remarked Manitoga Board President David McAlpin. By raising public awareness about heritage needs and concerns, the Watch program inspires local involvement and institutional investment, which in turn engages support and advances innovation and collaboration.

Fifty miles north of New York City, Russel Wright's Manitoga sits nestled amid the woodlands of the Hudson River Valley in Garrison, NY. Manitoga, named after Algonquin words meaning "place of great spirit," was Wright's residence until his death in 1976. (Living with Nature at Russel Wright's, an in-depth look at the property and vision behind this now threatened cultural-heritage site, is featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Modernism Magazine. To order this and any additional back issues, please visit: http://shop.modernismmagazine.com/Vol-13-No-1-M131.htm)

For further information on the World Monuments Watch program, visit www.wmf.org/ or Manitoga's project page at www.wmf.org/project/manitoga.

Possible Demolition for Kronish House Stirs Local and Global Preservation Debates

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 05:07:00 +0000

Photo: The Kronish House in Beverly Hills. Credit: J. Paul Getty Trust / Associated Press

Beverly Hills, CA: A recent City Council meeting offers hope, and an extension, for conservation efforts in Beverly Hills concerning the Kronish House. Renowned modernist architect Richard Neutra built Kronish House in 1954 for Herbert Kronish, a then real-estate developer who planned to live there with his wife. Soda PARTNERS, LLC., a privately owned real-estate firm based in Los Angeles, purchased the house in a foreclosure sale last January, with hopes to resell it quickly for a nice profit. When no buyers materialized, Soda Partners amplified their efforts to maximize return profits in this purchase, and initiated demolition measures at the property site. Preservationists disliked the foreclosure purchase from the beginning, initiating at least two lawsuits against the real-estate company. Despite the public and legal attacks, the real-estate group is intent on replacing this piece of architectural history with an empty lot. Last week their plans hit to an indefinite halt when the City Council placed a stay on demolition and any related conduct until October 10, adding a historic preservation ordinance to the Planning Commission’s agenda in the meantime. The precarious fate of the 1950s residence – now the last remaining of three original properties by Neutra in Beverly Hills, and one of the city’s dwindling pieces of architectural heritage - shines a spotlight on the fact that Beverly Hills has no historical preservation ordinances in place to curb demolition efforts for companies like Soda Partners. In the past, under the city’s cavalier attitude regarding preservation, Beverly Hills has seen the compromise or loss of several of its most treasured architectural structures.

The battle over Kronish House also raises another issue that as been an increasing subject of debate in architectural and urban planning circles: namely that historic preservation is a back-handed means of gentrifying neighborhoods and displacing existing residents. Often, it is the long-forgotten landmarks that become targets for historic preservation. Located in neighborhoods that have changed over the decades, developers aim to make use of the land for other purposes, and thus initiate demolition efforts. The motive behind those efforts varies from commercial to residential and much in between. While it is often important as well as useful to restore or just conserve (or both) a neglected landmark, there also exists an opposing argument that has recently gained equal validity. There are instances where conservation efforts prevent necessary improvements from taking place in their hosting communities. The clash sparks an important QUESTION: Where do we draw the line between efforts that preserve our architectural history and those that prevent us from ever making a new one?

New York, New York: Renovations to a landmark Manhattan office building

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:25:00 +0000

A recent shot of thebuilding via Flickr.

New York,New York: Renovations to a landmark Manhattan office building were halted lastweek when a state Supreme Court judge responded to a lawsuit brought bypreservationists. Located at Fifth Avenue and 43^rd Street in NewYork City, this former bank is the future site of Joe Fresh,aCanadian fast-fashion brand started by Joseph Mimran (also the founder of ClubMonaco). When Gordon Bunshaft designed the building in 1954, it was FifthAvenue’s first glass edifice. In the years since, preservationists andarchitecture experts alike have come to recognize it as a model of midcenturymodernism. For more information about the legal dispute, and details concerningthe building’s previous conservation efforts, visit this recentarticle in the NY Times.

Where is your Place that Matters?

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:33:00 +0000

The National Trust for Historic Preservation initiated This Place Matters, a campaign aiding individuals across the nation in the preservation, enrichment, and continued enjoyment of their favorite historical sites. Join the effort to promote awareness and protect our history by visiting http://tinyurl.com/cy6e6z to share photos and stories from your most cherished landmarks.

Jack Lubin Mosiac Murals To Come Down

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Two Jack Lubin mosiac murals will be removed from the lobby of a Manhattan office building that once was an important part of the garment industry, as the building comes under new ownership. The new owners plan to spruce up the building to raise rents and will be stripping the lobby of the murals, which depict textile-making and date back to 1962. Manycitizens and art lovers, such as David Kronfeld, believe that their destruction would be a "great loss to the neighborhood and to New York's
fashion industry."

The fate of the murals remains unknown still, but the new ownership has stated that, though the murals do not fit with the direction they envision for the building, they are actively seeking ways to preserve the murals until they can find them a more suitable home.

For the original NY Times article, click here.

UPDATE: Heritage Park Plaza

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:38:00 +0000

UPDATE: Although the Heritage Park Plaza remains closed, the Heritage Park Steering Committee has been busily working on a plan to reopen the landmark. Recently they invited landscape architect Laurie Olin to lead a workshop for local design professionals, the goal of which was to assess the Plaza and develop recommendations to reopen it, which in turn would hopefully raise awareness as well as funds for restoration.

The Steering Committee was pleased with the recommendations presented by the team and voted to move forward. As a result, the Amon G. Carter Foundation has agreed to fund the initial step, a "full structural
assessment including a geotechnical investigation and tree assessment/survey."

For more information, read our initial post here.

Admiral Twins Owners To Rebuild Drive-In

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:20:00 +0000

The Admiral Twin Drive-in, a Tulsa staple that boasted a landmark nine-story, all-wood screen tower before being destroyed by a fire in September 2010, will be rebuilt this summer. The news is a triumph for Tulsans, who rallied together to form a "Save Admiral Twin" initiative which raised $30,000 towards the rebuilding effort via t-shirt sales and website donations, all of which helped the owners get a reconstruction loan. Plans for the drive-in call for the tower to be constructed of steel this time and include a new concession stand and bathroom facilities with heating and air conditioning.

The drive-in opened in 1951 and has had a rich history within the community. In the 1980's, Francis Ford Coppola filmed part of The Outsiders at the drive-in. In 2001, the drive-in underwent a $100,000 renovation for its 50th anniversary and had been awarded a $35,000 makeover from the Save-A-Landmark contest sponsored by Hampton Hotels.

Before the Fire

After the Fire

For more information: www.savetheadmiraltwindrivein.com

Frank Sinatra's Palm Springs House To Be A Class 1 Historic Site Designation

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:48:00 +0000

On March 16, 2011, the Palm Springs city council voted unanimously to approve the Class 1 historic site designation of Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms estate. The house, built in 1947 by architect E. Steward Williams, was lived in for six years by Frank Sinatra and remains a great example of modernist architecture. Among its unique features, Sinatra's house curls around a large pool in a pinwheel fashion revealing spectacular views of the San Jacinto Mountains from the master bedroom. Modifications to the house have been few throughout the years, so the residence retains much of its original appearance.

Update: Welwood Murray Memorial Library

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Update April 2011:

On April 20, 2011 the Palm Springs city council approved the submission of a redesign of the Welwood Murray Memorial Library. The redesign, which will be under scrutiny by various city boards and commissions, attempts to stay within the historic footprint of the library and the end result will be one that the community can embrace. For background information on PSPF’s leadership role in this important and ongoing advocacy click here.

11/23/10: Good news regarding the Welwood Murray Memorial Library: A 3-2 vote has been cast to uphold the decision of the Historic Site Preservation Board to deny the Certificate of Approval for the proposed remodel of the library. The city council decided that the redesign project for this site will be based on council guidance. The council has two weeks to provide this guidance to the city staff and it is hoped that the remodeling will be sensitive to the original architecture. For more information: http://www.pspreservationfoundation.org/welwood_murray.html.

Endangered! The Moore House in Palos Verdes Estates

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:08:00 +0000

The Moore House in Palos Verdes Estates, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's son Lloyd Wright, is threatened with demolition. The owners intend to construct a new house in its place overlooking the ocean. There is no historic preservation ordinance or local landmark designation in the city of Palos Verdes Estates to keep this architectural treasure from being torn down, making the expressed concern of the public vital to saving it.

Learn how you can help:

http://laconservancy.org/issues/issues_moore.php4

*Photo from LA Conservancy website.

Update: Welwood Murray Library

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:47:00 +0000

UPDATE to our previous post regarding the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.

A Palm Springs city councilmember has appealed a decision to block the unsympathetic remodeling of the Welwood Murray Memorial Library, built in 1940 by John Porter Clark. The appeal, unless withdrawn by the councilmember, may be heard by the city council as early as 6 p.m. on November 17, 2010.

The Palm Spring Preservation Foundation is asking for your help!

There are three ways you can make a difference:

1. Attend the city council meeting and make public comment
2. Attend the city council meeting to show your support and concern
3. Email cityclerk@palmsprings-ca.gov asking that your note be forwarded to the city council and placed in the official record.

Check back here or visit Palm Springs Preservation Foundation for developments.

Pending! Welwood Murray Memorial Library

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:07:00 +0000

Bibliophiles and preservationists can both breathe a sigh of relief upon receiving word that Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board voted 5-1 to block a Certificate of Approval for an "unsympathetic remodeling" of the Welwood Murray Memorial Library. The library was built in 1940 by John Porter Clark and is significant to the community as its oldest intact civic building. Preservations are seeking a "minimum impact design" restoration that would be sensitive to the original architecture. The decision is in limbo as there is a window of ten days in which the decision can be repealed. We will keep you posted as plan evolve.

You can also visit the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation for more information. Their efforts at preserving the library, among many other buildings, is commendable!

SAVED! A Triumph Over City Hall Site!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Photo from Palms Spring Preservation Foundation website

We are happy to announce a triumph regarding the iconic Palm Springs City Hall site. The city's planning commission voted unanimously to overturn "an unnecessary and historically damaging" plan to reconfigure the parking lot.

The reconfiguration of the parking lot would have blocked the sight ines of this important, modernist hardscape, which the community has enjoyed for fifty years, and replaced it with lines of cars. The site, designed by Clark, Frey & Chambers, recently garnered new interest when it was discovered that famed modernist designer Garrett Eckbo was involved with its early design.

Click here to learn more about the events that preceded this decision.

La Laguna Playground -- SAVED!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Image from La Laguna Friends. We do not own.

Great news has been issued regarding La Laguna Playground--the unique 1960s playground built by Benjamin Dominquez and known for its creative sculptures and fantastical playground equipment.

La Laguna Playground recently received a $250,000 grant from the California Cultural and Historic Endowment and the Western Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is now undergoing a long awaited rehabilitation. A bill has also been written up and forwarded for approval to amend the current section of the Health and Safety code, which currently governs playgrounds. The bill would allow certain
playgrounds to be deemed as historic landscapes, so that sites such as the Laguna Playground would be subject to the Historic Building Code rather than codes that govern modern playgrounds.

La Laguna Playground was threatened in 2006 when a park renovation plan called for the demolition of this iconic site, as it did not comply with modern safety standards and the cost to rehabilitate it was more than the park could absorb.

1937 Ford Dealership Demolished

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:19:00 +0000

Before

The iconic 1937 Ford Dealership building at 1015 Park Boulevard in San Diego has been demolished. The historical and architectural importance of this building by master architect Frank Hope Jr. - one of the few remaining and greatest examples of commercial Art Deco Streamline Moderne-style architecture in San Diego - had been widely recognized for many years by the city and the general public. Preservationists were therefore shocked when they learned that plans for demolition were already underway before they had a chance to propose a solution.

After

City Council Member Todd Gloria, Chairman of the Land Use & Housing Committee, will be expressing his concern over the demolition; he has placed the item on the agenda of the Committee's upcoming meeting on September 15 at 2 p.m., in the City Council Committee Room.
SOHO and members of the local preservation community need your support at this meeting to protest the monumental loss San Diego has suffered. Protesting this demolition at the meeting will help show the city that the public will not stand for demolitions of historic resources without following the laws and legal procedures set in place.

You can visit the SOHO website for more info

All pictures are from the SOHO press release.

Wexler Steel Development Homeowners Get Reprieve

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:27:00 +0000

The citizens of the historic Steel Development homes are shining examples of how commitment and passion can pay off in preservation efforts. The Historic Class 1 Steel Development Homes, designed by prominent local architect Donald Wexler, were threatened by the prospect of an affordable housing project plan to be built right next to these historically and architecturally important homes. Preservationists and home owners were worried about privacy, the beautiful mountain view, the density (housing units per acre) of the project, light and noise pollution, and negative effects on the area's tourism.

The residents worked hard in the renovation of these homes at a time when the area was considered a "marginally livable" part of the city. Their efforts have yielded the turnaround of the city and these houses have become cultural tourist attractions. They fear the project could hurt Palm Springs' midcentury modern tourism in which these homes are an integral part of.

Compromises and negotiations went around the table and were ultimately ignored by the developer as preservationists and the home owners raised their objections and tried to give solutions on how the project could not compromise these historic homes.

As of May 19 2020, the owners have been given a reprieve as The Housing Committee provided recommendations to improve the project to be discussed by the council at a future date. The hope is that a compromise proposal could be fleshed out that will address the concerns of all parties involved.

Threefoot Building, Mississippi

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:48:00 +0000

The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently released its 2010 list of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Places" and we were especially pained to see that this beautiful Art Deco building was on the list and facing demolition.

The Threefoot Building, built in Meridian Mississippi in 1931, is a 16-story Art Deco skyscraper that was deemed the tallest building in the state when it was built and was known for its "decorative polychrome terra cotta and granite exterior and lavish interior details." After the owners, the Threefoot family, lost the building in the Depression, it was still an important part of Meridian until 2000 when it closed. The City of Meridian looked into working with a developer who would renovate the building and transform it into a hotel but the idea was abandoned.

The last several years haven't been too promising for the building as it continues to deteriorate. The citizens of Meridian fear this landmark's demolition as they watch tiles fall off and water infiltrate the structure. They fear that without any plan for repairing the building and developing it, the building could risk being taken off the Mississippi Landmark List which would ultimately lead to its demolition.

Let's spread the word and work on getting this Art Deco landmark saved!

SAVED! Hatch House, Cape Cod

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:34:00 +0000

The Community Preservation Committee of Wellfleet,Massachusetts, on Cape Cod has approved $100,000 for the restoration of the modernist Hatch House, designed in 1960-61 by Jack Hall and currently owned by the U.S. Park Service. The Cape Cod Modern House Trust, which recently restored the Kugel/Gips House (Modern Times Spring, 2010), will restore the Hatch House in collaboration with the town and the Park Service. Like the Kugel/Gips, the house will be available for rental.

To read more about Cape Cod’s modernist enclave, see “Bauhaus in the Breeze: Modernist Architecture on Outer Cape Cod” in Modernism, Vol. 12, No. 4. Link to the back issue: http://mail.ragomags.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.modernismmagazine.com/backissues/mV12N4.html

SAVED! Cyclorama Center!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

We blogged previously about the danger that Richard Neutra's 1961 Cyclorama Center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was in. The rare example of Neutra's civic architecture on the East Coast was threatened with being demolished and replaced by a new visitors center. We are elated to report that the Cyclorama has been spared the wrecker's ball!

The Cyclorama’s stay of execution is not yet permanent; a Federal court has ruled that the National Park Service, which administers the Center and wishes to tear it down, must consider alternatives to its demolition. Suit was brought against the Park Service by Christine Madrid French, director of the Modernism + Recent Past program at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Dion Neutra, architect and son of Richard Neutra.

Troubled Masterpieces

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Over the past few years, the World Monuments Fund's biannual watch list has included an increasing number of endangered modernist structures. The 2010 list includes both of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesins, where construction techniques and landslides have caused maintenance difficulties; the Moderne Sanitarium Joseph Lemaire of 1937 in Tombeek, Belgium, disused and crumbling since 1987; and the once-acclaimed Phillis Wheatley Elementary School of 1954 in New Orleans, shuttered since Hurricane Katrina.

In the United States, other sites include Marcel Breuer's (1902-81) last built work, the Brutalist Atlanta-Fulton County Central Public Library (1980), already under consideration for replacement with a new building; Hilario Candela's (1934- ) Miami Marine Stadium of 1964, shuttered since being damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992; and Weld Thayer Chase's (1908-2003) Merritt Parkway landscape design, completed in 1940 and now threatened by infrastructure improvements.

Internationally, Britain's Dudley Zoo buildings of 1935-37, designed by Tecton, an architectural practice founded by Berthold Lubetkin (1901-90), are succumbing to disrepair; and in Vienna, the 30 remaining buildings of the Werkbundsiedlung, a 1932 worker's housing complex designed under the direction of Josef Frank (1885-1967) by architects including Alfred Loos (1870-1933) and Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956), are compromised by maintenance issues.

The WMF, which raises funds to help conserve and repair sites on its watch list, has disbursed more than $50 million since 1965, and has helped secure an additional $150 million from other sources. To help, visit the WMF at www.wmf.org, or call 646/424-9594.

Above, top When built, the Phillis Wheatley Elementary School was considered architect Charles R. Colbert's (1921-2007) finest work. Courtesy World Monuments Fund.
Above, bottom Today, the once-admired school building stands in disrepair since being damaged in Hurricane Katrina. Courtesy World Monuments Fund.

Unity Temple, Oak Park, IL

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Miami Marine Stadium, Virginia Key, FL

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:50:00 +0000

SAVED! Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:49:00 +0000

In April, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named three important modernist structures to its 2009 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list highlights important examples of the nation's architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. This year, three modernist structures -- Century Plaza Hotel, Miami Marine Stadium and Unity Temple -- are on the list. To view the complete list, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/.

Opened in 1966, this 19-story curved hotel was designed by renowned architect Minoru Yamasaki and has been a prominent Los Angeles landmark for more than four decades. (Yamasaki would later design New York's World Trade Center twin towers.) Despite a $36 million facelift completed just over a year ago, the hotel's new owners now intend to raze the building and replace it with two 600-foot, "environmentally sensitive" towers.

To learn more, visit www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/western-region/century-plaza-hotel.html

UPDATE! On February 10th, 2010, it was announced that an agreement has been made to save the Century Plaza Hotel from demolition. The Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Next Century Associates (owners of the hotel) worked together, with the encouragement of Los Angeles City Council member Paul Koretz, to fashion a revised development project that would ensure the preservation of the Century Plaza Hotel. The new plans focus on the reuse and development of the hotel as a multi-use center for the hotel, retail, office space, restaurants, and public plazas in such a way that will maintain the building's eligibility as both a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) and for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources. For more information: http://www.laconservancy.org/centuryplaza/