Tearing down Gropius in Chicago?
We know that Walter Gropius was involved in the design of the Michael Reese Hospital campus in Chicago. It's a gorgeous mid-century Modern site. Mayor Richard M. Daley wants to tear it down and soon.
Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus, is with Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, one of the three pioneers of modern design. Chicago should treasure this. But scavengers are already in there, pulling things down. Salvagers are pulling off metal, to sell for scrap.
Gropius worked on this with local firms who were the architects of record, this may account for the lack of interest. After extensive research, Grahm Balkany says Walter Gropius had great involvement in the design of at least eight of the buildings and the master planning. He'll show you drawings, hospital records and other documents to show Gropius's deep involvment. he even has a copy of a letter from a Chicago architect to Gropius complaining that Gropius is doing too much of the design!
I video'ed Grahm Balkany in front of the Michael Reese power plant (1952-54), which is not typical of the style of the campus. But it's a great "book-end," and "quote," by Gropius and others paying homage to Mies van der Rohe, whose Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is just a few blocks away, with a very similar power plant. In between Michael Reese and two is work by Louis Sullivan, townhouses by Frank Lloyd Wright, and just a little south stands- saved from its own earlier demolition threats- Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.
Shouldn't Chicago think about preserving this and creating a district showing the birth of Modern Architecture? Wouldn't that be smarter, more responsible and less wasteful than tearing this down? Did I say less wasteful?
It stands on the land on which Mayor Daley plans to build an "Olympic Village Plaza." He's bidding for the 2016 games. But he's not waiting to see if he gets them. A request for quotes on demolition costs for this have already gone out and are due this month.
Chicago's bid lacks much of a legacy for the games. The stadium is supposed to come down after its use. Wouldn't it be a terrific Olympic legacy to restore these important works of the International Style? Works in which Walter Gropius was certainly involved.
I believe it would be good for Chicago. Play up your architectural history, don't tear it down!
If you're in Chicago, join the "Gropius in Chicago Coalition" to hear its director Grahm Balkany, on
From the Invitation: Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus and one of the undisputed world leaders of architecture during the twentieth century, is generally not known to have executed works in Illinois. However, new architectural research has revealed that the virtually unheralded site of Michael Reese Hospital on Chicago's South Side contains not one, but a collection of Gropius works, commissioned over an impressive period of 15 years. At this site, Walter Gropius executed ... a surprisingly complete portrait of the artist, comprising site planning, urban design, and execution of individual buildings.
Join us for an important lecture by Grahm Balkany of the Gropius in Chicago Coalition.
With the site now purchased by the City of Chicago for intended residential redevelopment, current plans call for the razing of the entire hospital site, leaving only one building out of 30 standing. In the process, Chicago's built Gropius legacy, a tremendous asset and tangible opportunity, would be entirely lost.
Join us for this timely seminar and become informed about this intriguingly forgotten history, current proposals, and possible alternatives.
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The landscape is an early work by the important Cambridge, Massachusetts based firm Sasaki.
Sasaki also won the international design competition to establish the master plan for the main site of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Wouldn't it also be a nice Olympic legacy for Chicago to restore this mid-century landscape to its glory?
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Check back soon, I'll post many more photos of the Michael Reese campus. Let me know what you think about losing all this forever.
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Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus, is with Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, one of the three pioneers of modern design. Chicago should treasure this. But scavengers are already in there, pulling things down. Salvagers are pulling off metal, to sell for scrap.
Gropius worked on this with local firms who were the architects of record, this may account for the lack of interest. After extensive research, Grahm Balkany says Walter Gropius had great involvement in the design of at least eight of the buildings and the master planning. He'll show you drawings, hospital records and other documents to show Gropius's deep involvment. he even has a copy of a letter from a Chicago architect to Gropius complaining that Gropius is doing too much of the design!
I video'ed Grahm Balkany in front of the Michael Reese power plant (1952-54), which is not typical of the style of the campus. But it's a great "book-end," and "quote," by Gropius and others paying homage to Mies van der Rohe, whose Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is just a few blocks away, with a very similar power plant. In between Michael Reese and two is work by Louis Sullivan, townhouses by Frank Lloyd Wright, and just a little south stands- saved from its own earlier demolition threats- Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.
Shouldn't Chicago think about preserving this and creating a district showing the birth of Modern Architecture? Wouldn't that be smarter, more responsible and less wasteful than tearing this down? Did I say less wasteful?
It stands on the land on which Mayor Daley plans to build an "Olympic Village Plaza." He's bidding for the 2016 games. But he's not waiting to see if he gets them. A request for quotes on demolition costs for this have already gone out and are due this month.
Chicago's bid lacks much of a legacy for the games. The stadium is supposed to come down after its use. Wouldn't it be a terrific Olympic legacy to restore these important works of the International Style? Works in which Walter Gropius was certainly involved.
I believe it would be good for Chicago. Play up your architectural history, don't tear it down!
If you're in Chicago, join the "Gropius in Chicago Coalition" to hear its director Grahm Balkany, on
From the Invitation: Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus and one of the undisputed world leaders of architecture during the twentieth century, is generally not known to have executed works in Illinois. However, new architectural research has revealed that the virtually unheralded site of Michael Reese Hospital on Chicago's South Side contains not one, but a collection of Gropius works, commissioned over an impressive period of 15 years. At this site, Walter Gropius executed ... a surprisingly complete portrait of the artist, comprising site planning, urban design, and execution of individual buildings.
Join us for an important lecture by Grahm Balkany of the Gropius in Chicago Coalition.
With the site now purchased by the City of Chicago for intended residential redevelopment, current plans call for the razing of the entire hospital site, leaving only one building out of 30 standing. In the process, Chicago's built Gropius legacy, a tremendous asset and tangible opportunity, would be entirely lost.
Join us for this timely seminar and become informed about this intriguingly forgotten history, current proposals, and possible alternatives.
Here are just a few photos I took the other day. First, the power plant.
Here's the one by Mies at IIT.
More from the Michael Reese campus:
The landscape is an early work by the important Cambridge, Massachusetts based firm Sasaki.
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(This photo was not taken by me.)
(This photo was not taken by me.)Sasaki also won the international design competition to establish the master plan for the main site of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Wouldn't it also be a nice Olympic legacy for Chicago to restore this mid-century landscape to its glory?
.
Check back soon, I'll post many more photos of the Michael Reese campus. Let me know what you think about losing all this forever.
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