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Showing posts with the label MidCentury Modern

Seagram Building, (Manhattan, New York); 1956-58; Mid-Century Modernism

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The Seagram Building was constructed in 1956-58 by Ludwig Mies Van De Rohe. The Seagram Company was a liquor company which was based in Canada. During the 1950’s they decided that they want to build a headquarters in New York. When they visited New York City they loved the Lever House that was built and wanted something of that nature. As they searched for architects the ended up with commissioning Mies Van De Rohe. He was known for his modernist buildings such as the Barcelona Pavilion and his service as a director in the Bauhaus. This was his first project at this scale as well as an unlimited budget for construction. The Seagram Tower was the first to have a public space in front of the building for the community to hang-out and mingle. This was due to the building being pushed back on the lot in order to give tribute to the racquet and tennis club building. As it featured Romanesque architectural style. As Rohe was a big fan of classical architecture he wanted to preserve and m...

The Miller House

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The Miller House Midcentury Modern   Richard Neutra highly influenced the customization of the house owners when designing their houses, so much so that it limits the market of future owners because it might not fit their style of life. The owner of this particular house was Mrs. Grace Lewis Miller, between August 1936 and February 1937 Richard Neutra and Grace Miller exchanged over fifty letters which discussed every step of her daily schedule. All her routines and habits are reflected in the house because Neutra listened to all her requirements and suggestions and followed them religiously. The house was tailor made for Grace Miller and her life. The home was made up of two pieces as it was to fit the roles of a winter home and an exercise studio. The budget for the house was merely five thousand dollars, but her requirements were basic so it wasn't a difficult endeavour. Grace Miller requested for the home to match her style as “Miller was a teacher of the Mensendieck Syste...

Washington Monument (Washington DC, United States)

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Washington Monument Robert Mills originally designed the Washington Monument which was later completed by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project was designed during the Greek Revival period as a memorial in order to honor George Washington in the center of our nation's capital. Robert Mills began the first phase of construction in 1848 and finished in 1854. The first phase of construction by Robert Mills was under private funding, where they had difficulties raising funds. The cornerstone was laid on July 4th 1984. “ Builders commenced work on the blue gneiss foundation, an 80-foot square step pyramid. With the substructure completed, the builders then proceeded to the above-ground marble structure, 55 feet, 1.5 inches square at the base, using a system of pulleys, block and tackle systems, and a mounted derrick to hoist and place the stones, inching the structure skyward. By 1854, the monument had reached a height of 156 feet above ground”. The Archite...

Futuro House, Pensacola Beach FL, 1968, MidCentury Modern, Part II.

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FUTURO is Here Again Images by Author.  Overall view of assembly (L); Southern hospitality (R) The Futuro House at  1304 Panferio Dr.  in Pensacola Florida is a local icon.  Sited atop a one-story concrete block base, the plain white "flying saucer" taunts passing motorists with two aliens peering out of one of its elliptical window portals and a third alien at the grade level glass door behind a bright orange sign reading "KEEP OUT".  While these feeble efforts hardly deter the curious, they underscore local curiosity and reflect how along with a  kitchy neon sign  and a  beach-ball themed water tower  this home is just as much a cultural icon of the area. The Futuro House is one example of what are believed to be around  60 extant Futuro homes worldwide .  Introduced in 1968 by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, these space-age pods were meant to be deployed and easily assembled even in rugged mountain terrain, sandy ...