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.
Category: Design
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.
Outside In
Wandered inside and outside a Desert Modernist house, built 1946, designed, lived in, and extended by architect Robson Chambers. He was a business partner of architect Albert Frey who, in 1946, designed the building where we’re staying.
Desert Dreams
Walked through four units designed in 1947 as a prototype for a planned community that never transpired. The architect, John Lautner, who was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, went on to bigger things.
Rising from Ruins
Towards the end of our Sunday walk, stopped to take in the hodgepodge of structures of Mill City Museum. A modern museum rises out of the carefully stabilized ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill.
Malcolm Yards
Walked with a friend on an icy trail we’ve cycled many times. Stopped for lunch at Malcolm Yards, a grown-up, cooked-from-scratch food court. The developers stabilized a ruined structure, and built a complementary industrial-style space within the facade.
Designed to Impress
With temperatures hovering around 0°F it was a day to minimize outdoor activity. Rode the light rail to St. Paul with a friend. Warmed up in the Landmark Center where we peered into rooms, including the Chief Justice Room.
Socializing by Design
On my Minneapolis Skyway walk: an example of designing out antisocial behavior. Target recently redesigned this lobby to eliminate disruptive loitering. It seems to be working. The mural in my Monday post is another example: it’s discouraging graffiti.
Imagination at Work
On my walk, stopped to take in this $49 million development. Two crumbling buildings I’d thought were beyond hope were being incorporated into new construction. Last summer I noticed the white building had been temporarily moved to the road to make way for construction of underground parking.
Not Just Another Coffee Shop
On my walk through the Minneapolis North Loop (Warehouse District) popped into recently opened Backstory Coffee Roasters. The former warehouse is stunning, complete with a green wall and historic artifacts from the former occupant, the Duffey Paper Company.