Cycled past this building. It was falling down until developers rescued the surviving structure. Nearby, apartments are going up on brownfield land. We’d planned to have dinner here with friends, but postponed: both friends have had COVID, one still tests positive.
Category: Design
Journey Back In Time
Dropped off a package in the lovely, but incongruous, Art Deco lobby of the main Downtown post office. We need some smart people to figure out how to repurpose this space for the 21st century.
International Style
On my cycle ride, stopped to walk around the outside of this abandoned grain elevator to take in its undulating form. Silos like this started to be built in the early 1900’s. Their forms strongly influenced the International Style that emerged in the 1920’s and 1930’s. I’ll miss this bold structure when it’s replaced with… Continue reading International Style
Minimalist Website Design
Deployed a new version of tomwilson.com. It may not looks so different, but under the hood it’s a modern approach to WordPress. I was motivated by “Less is More.” “Less” turned out to be more work. Next up: fix loose ends, Search, and improve Mobile Responsiveness.
Settling in One Place for a Month
This winter we stayed in an apartment in Palm Springs for a month. Until this year, we’ve never settled in one place for that long when traveling. The number one reason we went to Palm Springs is easy access to hiking trails: we walked to mountain trails right from our front door. The daytime temperatures… Continue reading Settling in One Place for a Month
Consistent Vibe
The last day of Modernism Week in Palm Springs: visited five recently remodeled homes. This home retains some original 1957 features, including the fireplace. The homeowners have gone for a consistent mid-century vibe with furniture choices. Nice, but I prefer to mix it up a bit.
1955 Cree House
Walked through architect Albert Frey’s 1955 Cree House. The appliances are original and still working; the refrigerator is behind the three upper doors to the right of the range. The house is perfectly aligned to minimize the effects of the sun’s rays. It’s still privately owned.
Palm Springs City Hall
Walked over to Budget to pick up their smallest, cheapest car I’d reserved weeks ago. Along the way, nosed around City Hall, designed by Albert Frey (a theme this week), completed 1952. Budget only had a Ford Mustang convertible for us, no up-charge, which we accepted grudgingly.
Albert Frey Lived Here
We’ve caught glimpses of this house as we looked down from mountain trails. Local star-architect, Albert Frey, designed this gorgeous 800 square foot home in 1964 and lived here for 30 years. Today, we got a chance to go inside. Our rental apartment was designed by Frey in 1946.
Public Service Building
c Included the Minneapolis Skyway in my walk to escape cold and ice. Finally got to see inside the new Minneapolis Public Service Building. I’ve previously admired the exterior, so it was good to walk through the beautifully designed interior, including this skyway section.