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Everyone knows that Oak Park is like an architectural Disneyland. Because of this fact, you would expect the village to have a progressive and sensitive plan towards town development, preservation and expansion. However, the blog "Our Tiny Oak Park Bungalow" disagrees in a recent post. Check out the hubbub by following the link.
Photo copyright Our Tiny Oak Park Bungalow.com
Michelle from Iowa wrote in asking for help.
I live in Cedar Rapids, IA, which was recently devastated by flooding. The city is in the process of deciding how to “flood proof” for the future. The proposed flood mitigation plan is a system of Flood Walls and Levys, which in its current form would require the demolition of many historic buildings. One of these would be the Peoples Bank Building built in 1911 and designed by Louis Sullivan. We are against the flood walls for many reasons, but think the demolition of these buildings would be devastating to our town. We are looking for a group or foundation who can advice of how we can save this building and many others. Please let me know if you can point me in the right direction, or have any advice on who I can contact. Thank You!
If you have any info, leave a comment.
Image copyright Einar Einarsson Kvaran
Lawrence and Sharon Tarantino, principals of Tarantino Architect are true geniuses when it comes to saving and restoring important Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. It's no wonder that they should receive awards for their efforts from both the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and most recently, from the AIA / New Jersey. Check out their fantastic work by following the link.
Image copyright Tarantino Architect
I received word from our friends at Wright in Wisconsin that a major step in the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed American System-Built house (ASBH) in Milwaukee, WI. Find out more after the jump...
I love this 2x3 Dot Leaf Rug from Urban Outfitters. The colors are great and the pattern is sweet. Bonus it's only $14.
Image copyright Urban Outfitters
Following-up on my previous post about the new book on Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple: The publisher of The Noble Room has put up more info on their website, including an excerpt. Check it out by following the link.
Image copyright Top Five Books
More specifically, an interesting view of the Massaro House. Read more about this controversial structure here. Thanks to reader Scott T. for the link!
Image copyright Virtual Earth.
Cut Paper Artist Rachel Weber has generously given a free downloadable gift tag template for anyone to use. I'm so going to use these!
Take a moment and check out Rachel's beautiful cut paper art. I love her shadowbox art.
Image copyright Rachel Weber
Ever wonder where the "Tree of Life" description came from for the famous art glass design that Frank Lloyd Wright created for the D. Martin House in Buffalo, NY? Find out by following the link.
Image copyright Martin House Restoration Corporation
You wouldn't think there was much to see or do in DeKalb, IL (aside from going to a college party at NIU). However, Andy McMurray and Clinton Rushing have put together a list of Prairie School buildings to check out. Read about them by following the link.
Image copyright Ivo Shandor
Edward Lifson noticed an interesting observation regarding the Guggenheim Museum and your inner ear. Read about it on his website by following the link.
Image courtesy of Edward Lifson
The 5th Annual Arts & Crafts Conference will be held October 24—26, 2008 at the Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, NY. Of particular focus will be the Larkin/Wright connection. Check out the details by following the link.
Image copyright The Roycroft Campus Corporation
RPPN is a great resource for nurturing public awareness of an under-appreciated era of design: Mid Century Modernism. They generally define the recent past as a moving window of approximately 50 years time. Of specific interest are buildings that are not considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places because they are less than 50 years old. This makes them the most vulnerable to destruction. Follow the link to learn more.
Image courtesy of RPPN
Grain Edit, a modern graphic design inspiration blog + vintage graphics resource has a great interview with talented Illustrator/Designer Adrian Johnson. Adrian has done work for Mastercard, Giant Robot, Vodafone, Stussy and much more.
If you have a little more time, check out some other great interviews featured on Grain Edit: Matte Stephens, Invisible Creatures, Mike Davis, Wink, Bo Lundberg and Jason Munn
Image copyright Adrian Johnson
Some lucky people are going to stay at the best hotel in New York. It's only got 1 room for rent, but includes a spiral ramp art exhibit. Check out this blog post about staying the night inside the famed Guggenheim Museum.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
After months of waiting and debating, the Alfred Browning Parker-designed Manus House is being demolished. As an added insult to this sad turn of events, the building contractor overseeing the destruction of this Florida Modern home would not let 92 year-old Parker salvage any workable materials from the doomed site. Read about this tragic loss by following the link.
Photo copyright Lee Herschfield
Got an idea for the best tea kettle design ever? Then enter it into World Kitchen's "Tea Off!" contest. Follow the link to learn more.
Image copyright World Kitchen, LLC
Kim over at The Function Key, was inspired by reading about Teco in the Fall 2008 issue of Modernism Magazine, she had to blog about it. Check out the post by following the link.
Image courtesy of The Function Key
Curious what it would be like to stay at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Louis Penfield House in Willoughby, Ohio? Then check out this review by a blogger who decided to stay there for the night.
Photo copyright Scott Bultman
The Robie House in Chicago, IL will have limited public access after November 1, 2008 as major restoration projects are underway to return the house to full glory by May 2010. Read about the plans by following the link.
Photo courtesy of HABS via Wikipedia
The Dana House in Springfield, IL isn't the only historic site that could close its doors due to the bad economy. Mark
Twain’s Hartford, Connecticut home and Edith Wharton’s The Mount in Lenox,
Massachusetts are all in financial trouble. Read about it by following the link.
Just announced today....
Daisy Chain is Mrs. Butler's newest fabric collection for Rowan. The collection is embellished with artistic flourishes that give a nod to a free-spirited past. The patterns are filled with earthy chic prints with a modern folk feel that harmonize in four zen-like color palettes...perfect for fashion, home decor and quilting projects. Details and photos here.
The new issue of I.D. Magazine has over 200 items chosen for their ingenuity, craftsmanship, sustainability and beauty. The issue will be on newsstands October 28, follow the link for a short slide show and see if you agree with their picks.
Image copyright I.D. Magazine
Looking for some hand-crafted fireplace accessories to stoke the fire or hold some logs for this winter? Then check out this new line of ginkgo leaf hand wrought ironwork pieces from Fair Oak Workshops. More to see when you follow the link.
Image copyright Fair Oak Workshops
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Fawcett House near Los Banos, CA is currently for sale for $2.7 million. With that kind of asking price, it's only natural it should have a really nice website with lots of great photos as a sales tool. Check it out by following the link.
Image copyright Scott Mayoral
Chicago Bauhaus & Beyond visited a special exhibit at Crown Hall, IIT. This exhibit documents the important contributions of Taylor and Siskind in their preservation of Louis Sullivan’s buildings. Included are Sullivan stencil panels created by Taylor used in restoration of Sullivan buildings. View the slide show here.
Image copyright CBB
Our friend Paul sent us some images of Prairie Style Sears Houses. Check out the other images after the jump.
Thanks Paul!
Image copyright Sears
Smashing Magazine has a great article about the use of Retro and Vintage design elements becoming a new trend in web design. Check out the great examples and get inspired.
Image copyright Klassiker in Acryl
Motawi Tilework's beautiful new Hoffman Rug tile (part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Collection of licensed products) was glowingly written-up in this Sunday's Chicago Tribune. Get yours by following the link.
Image copyright Motawi Tileworks
Architects can usually visualize their buildings in t heir heads, but getting the client to visualize it can be difficult. Models are expensive and time consuming. Enter the video age and the use of 3D computer renderings to help bridge this comprehension gap. Check out more on the subject by following the link.
Image courtesy of Autodesk Labs blog
There's a couple of important PrairieMod Squad birthdays coming up this week and I've been looking for creative ways to celebrate and decorate. I found this great post at How about orange on decorating cakes with stencils.
How cool is that! I'm thinking of making a square cake with this stencil.
Let me know if you have any great ideas for birthdays and celebrations.
Image copyright pointclickhome.com
Blair Kamin, Architecture Critic for the Chicago Tribune, gives a sneak peek at the upcoming festivities for the centennial celebration of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago. Check it out here.
Image courtesy of the Burnham Plan website
Interested in getting weekly updates on the restoration progress at the D. Martin House in Buffalo, NY? Then check out the blog of Curator for the Martin House Restoration Corporation, Eric Jackson-Forsberg. Follow the link to see more.
Graphic copyright Eric Jackson-Forsberg
If you'd like to eat like a Kaufmann, then you'll have to check out The Fallingwater Cookbook: Elsie Henderson's Recipes and Memories (University of Pittsburgh Press; $29.95), written by Suzanne Martinson with Jane Citron and Robert Sendall. Follow the link to learn more.
Photo copyright Keith Srakocic/AP Photo
Check out the new Leaf serveware at West Elm. I think it would look great on a table with some real accent leaves strewn about.
Image copyright West Elm
I received my new issue of Dwell Magazine in the mail yesterday. There's some good stuff that I'll be posting on in the next few days. However, there was one article on Danish designer Jens Quistgaard's pepper mills that has me in a new Mod Mania! Check out THE blog on all things Danish pepper mill related to learn more and then pick-up THE book on the subject.
Image copyright Mark Perlson
When I was a kid, my grandma used to take my siblings and I to Graceland (not Elvis' Graceland) to learn about Chicago's iconic business and cultural leaders -- as this is their final resting place. It sounds creepy, but Graceland Cemetery is truly amazing and beautiful. The short list of incredible people at Graceland include Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Marion Mahony, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Richard Nickel and Bruce Goff.
More details follow after the jump...
Continue reading "Chicago's Historic Graceland Cemetery on Halloween" »
This amazing Frank Lloyd Wright-designed golf resort, originally meant for Madison, WI (but ultimately built in California after Wright's death) has had a long and winding history. Recently closed due to bankruptcy, does this modern teepee have a third act? Follow the link to read more.
Photo copyright Nakoma Golf Resort
Landmarks Illinois is hosting a lecture by Sam Guard about Alfonso Iannelli on October 16, 2008. Guard knew Iannelli and plans on speaking about the sculptor's work in the area, including the history and
current threats to his Park Ridge studios, whose associates included Bruce
Goff and Edgar Miller. Follow the link to learn more.
Image copyright of ArchiTech Gallery
A brand new hardcover book is coming in December 2008 that covers the complete story of how Wright's Modern Masterpiece, Unity Temple, was born. Learn all about it after the jump...
Mason City, Iowa is getting some long-awaited grant money to help one of it's greatest diamonds in the rough: The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Park Inn Hotel. Check out the details here.
Photo courtesy of wrightonthepark.com
I was surprised this morning to find out that there is an Adler and Sullivan building in Kalamazoo, MI! The Desenberg Building is from 1886 and was designed as a grocery storefront. Check out more here.
Photo copyright David Kohrman
Here's a great primer on the life and work of Modern Design Masters, Charles and Ray Eames at a cool site called Design History Mashup. Check it out by following the link.
Photos courtesy of Design History Mashup
What do you do about tours if you're a public historic site that has either endured flood damage or undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration? Read about what the Farnsworth House (flooded) and the Robie House (restoration in progress) have in mind.
Photo copyright Landmarks Illinois
I'm eagerly anticipating the release of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Buildings by Alan Hess and Alan Weintraub. Here's a sneak peek at what can be expected...
oobject.com has put together the top 15 modernist gas stations from around the world for people to vote on. Number 11 on the list is Frank Lloyd Wright's.
Check it out and cast your vote.
Image copyright Oobject.com
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