Esoteric Survey

  McGregor Memorial Conference Center (1958) This was the first building Yamasaki designed on the Wayne State campus. College of Education Building (1960) by Minoru Yamasaki This was the second Yamasaki building on the campus. Helen L. DeRoy Auditorium (1964) I did a post on Wayne State the last time I was in Detroit.  I think the new photos are better.  One Woodward Ave was Yamasaki's first skyscraper. Reynolds Metal Regional Sales Office (1959) in Southfield Another repeat from 2018 . The interior is a bit rough. Temple Beth El (1973) in Bloomfield Hills The Minoru and Teruko (Hirashiki) Yamasaki House (1972) in Bloomfield Hills. Minuro lived here until he passed in 1986 and Teruko in 1997. He designed this lamp, which is still in the house. So is the screen his buddy Harry Bertoia made for him.

Mathematica: A World of Numbers and Beyond at The Henry Ford Museum  in Dearborn Michigan. IBM was asked by the California Museum of Science and Industry to contribute a display to its new wing, which would open in 1961. IBM hired the Eames Office, who had already made a number of films for them.  Charles and Ray Eames were assisted by Gordon Ashby and John Neuhart; designers. Dr. John Redheffer; consultant. Parke Meek, Jeremy Lepard; film production. Displaymasters, Seale Design, and Remanco; construction.   UCLA’s Dr. Raymond Redheffer, was the math consultant who helped with the concepts. One of the best kept secrets in science is how unpompous scientists are at their science, and the amount of honest fun that for them is part of it. In doing an exhibition, as in Mathematica, one deliberately tries to let the fun out of the bag. The catch is that it can't be any old fun but it must be a very special brand. The excitement, or joke, must be a working part of th...