On a walk through the Minneapolis North Loop with friends, paused to take in this hotel/retail project. The building on the right had become dilapidated, but is being brought back to life. The old white building sandwiched between new construction was moved to this location.
Category: Design
Symmetry vs. Function
Today I had to accept symmetry in my LEGO gantry crane isn’t always achievable. Here’s the hoist and grabber subassemblies, operated by pneumatic pistons. Scissor mechanisms are inherently not symmetric in operation, so I had to consider choosing symmetry in either the extended or closed positions, not both.
Duality at the Depot
Walked between hardscape and softscape, passing the former 1899 Milwaukee Road Depot, now a hotel event space.
Contrasting Frame
I prefer not to cycle through puddles so I went for a walk. Here, Hennepin County Government Center frames Minneapolis City Hall, a juxtaposition of 19th century form and 20th century efficiency.
A Taste of History
Walked with a friend and gawked at one of the oldest (1905) school buildings in Minneapolis, now apartments. Recharged at Key West Bistro with, of course, key lime pie.
Where Bicycles Rule
Onomichi U2, a repurposed 1943 warehouse where bicycles rule. The 28-room Hotel Cycle, plus bar and restaurant, provide us with a comfortable base to cycle part of the Shimanami Kaido across the Seto Inland Sea tomorrow.
Kumamoto Station
When traveling in Japan, I look for buildings by architect Tadao Ando. Today, while staying in a hotel at Kumamoto Station, I noticed some familiar simple-yet-elegant architectural elements. Eventually, I discovered Ando had designed the station. It was time for a closer look!
Monument to Mammon
While Dwight jogged, I wandered around the Palm Springs “mini financial district” with its listed mid-century bank buildings. This monument to mammon is influenced by Le Corbusier’s UNESCO-World-Heritage-listed chapel at Ronchamp, France.
Yabba-Dabba-Doo
Hiked the South Lykken Trail. Up high, snow was sticking around; on the trail, temperatures were in the 60’s. For some reason, The Flintstones Theme became an earworm. The topography surely provided inspiration for Desert Modernism and the fictional town of Bedrock.
An Inside Day
Walked in rain to a lecture about architect Walter Gropius. Back at our apartment, read by the (gas) fire and looked up at fresh snow on the mountains.