Esoteric Survey

Fresno County Courthouse.  There are so many great examples of mid-century modern architecture in the  Downtown Fresno area.  The government and business leaders of that era did a commendable job of investing in the infrastructure, art and  architecture of their city.  They were really ahead of the curve back then. Stan Bitters ceramic mural on the Midland Savings & Loan building by Architect Eugene E. Hougham Hey, what happened to that fountain?    The building is now a law office, figures. Bitters '66 I'm not sure what's going on with the const ruction at  the Pilibos Building at 830 Van Ness Ave. Stan Bitters /Hans Sumpf did the facade .   There is an image pre-plywood here .   Thankfully the building is on the Local Register of Historic Resources s o they can't mess with it too m uch. Here 's the pape r work and background data . Van Ness is the street adjacent to ...

Victor Gruen (1903-1980) - Architect and Urban Planner Born in Vienna, Austria. He emigrated to the US in 1938 and changed his name from  Grünbaum to Gruen .  He opened an architectural office in Los Angeles in 1948. Image: University of Wyoming Victor Gruen Interior, City National Bank - Los Angeles    Gruen's firm also designed Barton's Bonbonniere. A little more about that here . Here's some info on Gruen Lighting , which was owned by Bill Gruen, Victor's cousin. Gruen and his firm were big in the regional shopping center arena, including Northland, which  is widely known  as the first shopping mall.  It was built near Detroit, in Sotuthfield, Michigan in 1954. Alvin Lustig was the graphic consultant on the Northland project.  I mage:  Born Modern: The Life and Design of Alvin Lustig Alvin Lustig even made parking lot signs look cool Victor Gruen Associates designed the Ful...