Esoteric Survey

 Denver Public Library by Michael Graves (1996) It was my first time in the Mile High City. I don't think it's known as a hotbed of modern architecture but I was pleasantly surprised. The library is adjacent to the Civic Center Park and next to The Denver Art Museum. Graves was awarded the project after the firm won a design competition. The seven-story addition  was a 390,000 SF expansion and also included a 147,000 SF renovation of the existing library.   Source: Michael Graves The 1955 library was designed by Burnham Hoyt.  Source: Denver Public Library Special Collections The new and old library buildings. Source: Richard W. Longstreth via Society of Architectural Historians There was a recent renovation that included adding what they call the " Grand Staircase". Special Collections and Archives are on the fifth floor. The Graves sculpture, titled “Symbol of the West”, is constructed of reclaimed beams from a Western sawmill.  It's held together with wo...

I slacked off on shopping last weekend and went bike riding instead.  I did get a David Tisdale bowl. Here it is with a couple of the spoons from last week.

 David Tisdale PicNic (1986) in anodized aluminum.  I went bike riding instead of picking this weekend so that's it. I might do the same next weekend too. Image: davidtisdaledesign.com Image: 80s style : designs of the decade by Bangert, Albrecht

Hotel Il Palazzo by Aldo Rossi and Morris Adjmi (1989) with the original interior design by Shigeru Uchida. Located in Fukuoka, Japan. Uchida was actually commissioned to design the hotel and called on Rossi to do the architectural design while Uchida did the interior.   It's a post-modern icon and is seen as one of Rossi's most important projects.  Here is the original 1989 design by Shigeru Uchida.   Photo: Nacása & Partners Inc The hotel has changed hands at least couple times over the years. The original furniture was sold off long ago and for very cheap according to a collector friend in Japan.   Photo: Nacása & Partners Inc This is what one of the original Japanese style rooms looked like. All the rooms are western style rooms now as far as I know.  Photo: Nacása & Partners Inc The latest redesign was done by Uchida Design Studio in 2021, since Uchida passed away  in 2016. It's great that they went back to his firm. ...

901 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 901 was the Eames Office from 1943 to 1988. Some of the most important designs of the 20th century were conceived and prototyped within these walls. Wartime products to furniture, toys, and films were all made in this nondescript industrial building. I've been by the building more times than I care to admit and have posted about it in the past . However this time, thanks to Gerson and Danny (Modern for All), I had the opportunity to get inside. As an Eames geek and practitioner of Contact Magic, this was a big deal for me. Architecture critic Reyner Banham said  “Visiting architecture freaks tried to make the Eameses’ office in Venice their first port of call, exploiting their good nature to secure introductions before going on to investigate the rest of the scene.” The building, constructed in 1929, was operating as the Bay Cities Garage for a number of years before Evans Products Molded Plywood Division took the space over in 1943, first for w...