The Minneapolis skyways were 80 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the streets below, so I walked the skyways. Spotted a model of Downtown in Cesar Pelli’s Wells Fargo Center. For me, the Wells Fargo Center seems outclassed by the restraint of Philip Johnson’s IDS Center.
Category: Design
The Impossible Takes a Little Longer
Now that we have our indoor gardens on wheels fully operational it was time to think of technical refinements. Maintaining a log of actual water usage suddenly seemed like a good idea. I could think of several benefits of measuring water usage, including: Learn how much water is optimal for each plant so we can…… Continue reading The Impossible Takes a Little Longer
Logitech Blue
Walked past the blue Guthrie Theater set against a blue sky on my way to join friends for a Mississippi walk. Architect Jean Nouvel’s influences included nearby flour mills (industrial shapes), Logitech computer mice (blue siding), and ski goggles (yellow
Without Fear of Discovery
Walked into art at the Chichu and Lee Ufan Art Museums on the island of Naoshima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. Photography was not permitted, but I took this photo without fear of discovery. Note Tadao Ando’s signature concrete.
Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan
It was rainy, a good day to change plans and ride a bullet train for 230 miles to visit Meiji Mura, an architecture museum. After coffee in the lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Tokyo Imperial Hotel, we explored many of the 60 buildings. We then rode a bullet back.
Crystal Court
Ran errands Downtown, always a good excuse to walk through the Crystal Court at IDS Center.
Extraordinary Places
Rain made today a good day to indulge my inner dilletante. Walked to the library at the University of Minnesota’s School of Architecture to take my mind to an extraordinary place.
The Shed
Pushed my bicycle through “The Shed” in Nordeast Minneapolis. Over 300 people work 21st century jobs in the surrounding former industrial spaces. The gantry crane nods to the past.
In Praise of Tactile Controls
The Navy will begin reverting destroyers back to a physical throttle and traditional helm control system in the next 18 to 24 months, after the fleet overwhelmingly said they prefer mechanical controls to touchscreen systems in the aftermath of the fatal USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) collision.The investigation into the collision showed that a touchscreen…… Continue reading In Praise of Tactile Controls
Former Fire Stations
Cycled with a friend looking for former fire stations. This unusual beauty was built in 1923 in the American Craftsman bungalow style. Former Fire Station Number 13 is now an architects’ office. One of the partners gave us a tour of the sensitively repurposed building.