A little-known building in Aspen, Colorado, designed by the late Chicago architect Harry Weese—whose most celebrated work is the Washington, D.C., Metro system—is threatened with demolition. Built in 1972, Weese’s Given Institute is a small concrete-block conference center owned by the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The 12,000-square-foot structure sits on a 2.25-acre lot in Aspen’s pricey West End residential neighborhood. For years, the medical school has used the institute for summer conferences and retreats, but faced with ongoing budget cuts, it now plans to close the Given and sell the property. School officials are negotiating with a potential
Denver International Airport’s main terminal, with its distinctive white peaked fabric roof, is getting some company: a 500-room Westin Hotel, a commuter train station, and a rail bridge, all designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Photo courtesy Kanner Architects Stephen Kanner In automobile-dominated Los Angeles, it seems entirely fitting that two of the city’s most celebrated buildings of recent years are a gas station and a drive-through hamburger restaurant. The United Oil Gasoline Station (2009) at the corner of Slauson and La Brea features a swooping steel canopy and a curved concrete ramp meant to resemble a freeway entrance. The red-and-yellow In-N-Out Burger (1998) in Westwood takes its design cues from the company’s boomerang logo and pays homage to Southern California Googie architecture. Both projects were designed by Stephen Kanner, a third-generation Los Angeles architect
On a 2003 trip to Toronto with her husband, Sharon Elfenbein of Denver picked up a copy of the Toronto Star one morning and came across an insert about an event called Doors Open Toronto. Started in 2000 by the City of Toronto, the two-day event offers lovers of architecture the opportunity to explore dozens of buildings that are either closed to the public or normally charge an entrance fee. (This year’s event will be May 29 and 30.) Newspaper guide in hand, the Elfenbeins decided to spend a day visiting some of Toronto’s architectural treasures. Photos courtesy DOD A
Willard Homewood is one of the most storied neighborhoods in North Minneapolis. Known for its grand early 20th century homes, the area was the setting for violent race riots in 1967. More recently, it has become a haven for artists and their families, with one 16-square block now called the Artists’ Core. Photo courtesy City of Minneapolis Architects are invited to submit residential designs for a vacant lot in North Minneapolis. Despite the renewal, Willard Homewood has been hit hard by widespread foreclosures over the years. Some houses have been torn down; others are boarded up. “You have these terrific
Washington State Architects Become Lobbyists for a Day This Friday, Timothy Buckley, AIA, principal and sole employee of Greenstone Architecture, in Vancouver, Washington, will drive two hours north to Olympia, the state capital. There, he and about 50 other architects from around the state will meet face to face with lawmakers to discuss issues related to the architecture profession. “We’re closing the office for the day,” Buckley quips. Photo courtesy Wikipedia On February 19, dozens of architects in Washington State will head to Olympia to meet with lawmakers. Related Links: Lobbying Tips for Architects AIA Members Lobby Congress Newsmaker Interview:
Photo courtesy Environmental Works Jan Gleason While many architects take on the occasional public service project, sometimes pro bono, Jan Gleason made an entire career based on creating innovative sustainable buildings for nonprofit community organizations. The Seattle architect called herself a “social worker in three dimensions,” and she specialized in child-care centers, affordable-housing projects, medical clinics, and community centers. Gleason died January 6 of lung cancer. She was 61. Born in New York City, Gleason grew up in Port Chester, New York. She received her bachelor’s degree in social science from Cornell University and her master’s degree in architecture from
Daniel Libeskind’s bold $110 million addition to the Denver Art Museum opened to the public on October 7, 2006. Three weeks later, after a fall snowstorm, the building’s sharply angled roof began to leak. Water could be seen dripping from a skylight in the four-story El Pomar Grand Atrium. Photo courtesy Wikipedia/Archipreneur (top); David Hill (bottom) Libeskind’s bold $110 million addition to the Denver Art Museum has been leaking since shortly after it opened in October 2006. Related Links: New Addition to Denver Museum Robert Ivy: Sky High Repairing the roof has proved to be no simple matter. In the
Bernard Zimmerman, FAIA, wore many hats in the Southern California architectural community. He was an architect, planner, educator, preservationist, mentor, and curator. But friends and colleagues say he will be best remembered as the conscience of his profession, a passionate advocate for architecture and design who wasn’t shy about voicing opinions about what he loved and what he loathed. Zimmerman died June 4 at his Los Angeles home after a long illness. He was 79.