9 BUILDINGS BY GUNNAR BIRKERTS PROPOSAL FOR A STUDY TOUR

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1 9 BUILDINGS BY GUNNAR BIRKERTS PROPOSAL FOR A STUDY TOUR University of Michigan Ph.D Program in Architecture Fall 2013 Prepared by Michael Abrahamson August 23, 2013 Latvian-American late modern architect Gunnar Birkerts, based near Detroit for most of this career, produced no less than 15 substantial buildings in Southeast Michigan. The proposed study tour would expose participants to nine significant buildings designed by Birkerts over the course of a single day. From a 2600 square foot private office to a sprawling suburban complex nearly a mile long, these buildings vary in scale, program, and completion date. Covering Birkerts career from the early 1960s to the 1990s, the tour would introduce participants to some of the architect s formal preoccupations and address the ways he and his associates dealt with difficult environmental and programmatic issues. Provisional Schedule: 8:30 AM Meet at (1) UM Law Library 10:00 AM Depart UM Campus 10:15 AM (2) Domino s Farms 11:00 AM Depart Domino s Farms 11:35 AM (3) Holtzman & Silverman Office 12:15 PM Depart H & S / Lunch 1:00 PM End of Lunch 1:15 PM (4) Catholic Church of St. Bede 2:00 PM Depart St. Bede 2:10 PM (5) IBM Regional Office 3:00 PM Depart IBM 3:15 PM (6) Fisher Building, Detroit Mercy 3:45 PM Depart Fisher Building 4:00 PM (7) 1300 East Lafayette 4:30 PM Depart :35 PM (8) Calvary Baptist Church 5:15 PM Depart Calvary 5:30 PM (9) Marathon Oil Building 5:45 PM Depart Marathon 7:00 PM Arrive back at UM Campus Provisional Budget (Up to 14 Participants): Vehicle Rental $100 (2 vans, UM Rental) Gasoline $50 (approx. 125 miles) Lunch (Optional) $140 ($10 / person) Booklet Printing $56 ($4 / color copy) Total $346 Given that many buildings that are a part of this proposal are places of business, the tour will likely need to take place during the week. A weekend trip is also possible, but would involve access to fewer interiors. Birkerts personal and professional papers are held by the Bentley Historical Library at UM, and the introduction of a small group of doctoral students to the work of this internationally recognized architect may have a direct impact on interest in and use of these extensive holdings.

2 1 9 BUILDINGS BY GUNNAR BIRKERTS PROPOSAL FOR A STUDY TOUR UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FALL

1 The Allan and Alene Smith Law Library Addition Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1974-1981 Location: Law

require permission Presented with the challenge of adding a modern library to a 19th century Neo-Gothic

through an L-shaped trench framing the existing masonry structure.

3 1 The Allan and Alene Smith Law Library Addition Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, Location: Law Quad, UM Campus Condition: Well-maintained Arrangements: Open to UM students and faculty, large groups require permission Presented with the challenge of adding a modern library to a 19th century Neo-Gothic quadrangle, Birkerts located all three floors of the building underground, bringing light into the space through an L-shaped trench framing the existing masonry structure. Through clever diffusion and reflection, light penetrates deep into the space, enabling this underground building to be one of the most pleasant places on campus.

2 Master Plan and Architecture Domino s Farms Gunnar Birkerts and Associates,

Arrangements: Open to the public Nearly a mile long and comprised of a

massive complex is a kind of hyper-prairie House, deploying the image and

4 2 Master Plan and Architecture Domino s Farms Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, X Location: Plymouth Road at US 23 Condition: Well-maintained Arrangements: Open to the public Nearly a mile long and comprised of a corporate headquarters, speculative office space, and public facilities, this massive complex is a kind of hyper-prairie House, deploying the image and materials of Frank Lloyd Wright s early work onto geometries and forms reminiscent of other Birkerts works.

3 Location: Telegraph Road at I-696, Southfield Condition:

for entry, only open during normal business hours Engaged in a steep

pair of real estate developers for whom Birkerts had built.

intricately composed office space facing onto a small green containing a

5 3 Location: Telegraph Road at I-696, Southfield Condition: Well-maintained Arrangements: Small private office, permission required for entry, only open during normal business hours Engaged in a steep valley, this diminutive, half-buried office space was commissioned by a pair of real estate developers for whom Birkerts had built. A cast concrete entry tower leads visitors via elevator to an intricately composed office space facing onto a small green containing a part of the owners collection of sculpture. Holtzman & Silverman Office Gunnar Birkerts and Associates,

4 Location: Southfield Road at West Twelve Mile Road, Southfield Condition: Recently shuttered but remains in fair shape and unaltered Arrangements: Current ownership situation unknown, requires

6 4 Location: Southfield Road at West Twelve Mile Road, Southfield Condition: Recently shuttered but remains in fair shape and unaltered Arrangements: Current ownership situation unknown, requires research Church of St. Bede Roman Catholic Parish of Southfield Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, An early example of Birkerts expressive plan geometries, this church makes its impact with a large copper-clad light scoop depositing an ethereal illumination on the main altar. Also prominent are confessionals that project toward the street, accessible from interior and exterior.

energy conservation, this sixteen-story, metal-clad office building uses curved reflectors to harvest light through its downward-facing

7 5 Location: West Nine Mile Road at Highway 10, Southfield Condition: In use, well-maintained Arrangements: Private office, will require permission for entry and tour IBM Regional Office Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, An experiment in indirect illumination and energy conservation, this sixteen-story, metal-clad office building uses curved reflectors to harvest light through its downward-facing lites. Clad in two tones of gray, the building s elegant insulated wall system presents a more rugged and innovative alternative to the ubiquitous glass box.

6 Fisher Administrative Center University of Detroit Mercy Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1964-1966 Location: Livernois Avenue, Detroit Condition: Questionably maintained, with

the university president using a suspended roof that enabled its top floor to be clad entirely in glass.

8 6 Fisher Administrative Center University of Detroit Mercy Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, Location: Livernois Avenue, Detroit Condition: Questionably maintained, with minor but insensitive exterior alterations Arrangements: Permission likely required for entry and tour A precocious early work, this academic office created prestige office space for the university president using a suspended roof that enabled its top floor to be clad entirely in glass. Placed on a plinth, this nearly black jewel box is clad in dark stone and tinted glass. False structural ribs on the facade correspond to those found on the roof. Within the plinth are offices facing outward reminiscent of James Stirling s Cambridge History Faculty.

7 Location: East Lafayette at Rivard Street, Detroit Condition: In use, well-maintained Arrangements: Private apartment tower, arrangements required for

composed from the inside out to correspond with desired apartment layouts.

9 7 Location: East Lafayette at Rivard Street, Detroit Condition: In use, well-maintained Arrangements: Private apartment tower, arrangements required for entry 1300 East Lafayette Apartment Tower Birkerts and Straub, The most distinctive element of this tower is its irregular structural grid, composed from the inside out to correspond with desired apartment layouts. Between each concrete column is a small bay window projecting outward around two feet. Across the street from Mies van der Rohe s Lafayette Park, one can t help but see this building as a response to his dogmatic, rectangular towers.

8 Calvary Baptist Church Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1974-1977 Location: East Lafayette at Robert Brady Street, Detroit

Distinguished from its surroundings by its orange metal skin and odd geometric shape, this church saves its mystery for the

10 8 Calvary Baptist Church Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, Location: East Lafayette at Robert Brady Street, Detroit Condition: Showing its age, but original design remains unaltered Arrangements: Permission likely required for entry and tour Distinguished from its surroundings by its orange metal skin and odd geometric shape, this church saves its mystery for the interior. Dominated by a wall of angled mirrors, the sanctuary affords its congregation a reflections of itself and of the altar from above.

9 Location: South Fort Street, Detroit Condition: In use, well-maintained exterior, unsure of interior Arrangements: Secure office building with gated entry to

11 9 Location: South Fort Street, Detroit Condition: In use, well-maintained exterior, unsure of interior Arrangements: Secure office building with gated entry to parking lot Marathon Oil Office Detroit Refinery Birkerts and Straub, One of Birkerts first commissions, this small office was designed with its harsh refinery environment in mind. The metal curtain wall was selected because it was supremely washable, preventing the polluted air that surrounds the building from spoiling the architecture or its shaded but bright interior space. Mechanical systems were run through troughs on the exterior, creating shade for the building s ribbon windows.

Chapter 11. Exterior Design Factors. Introduction. House design does not stop once room arrangements are determined

Chapter 11. Exterior Design Factors. Introduction. House design does not stop once room arrangements are determined Chapter 11 Exterior Design Factors Introduction House design does not stop once room arrangements are determined Exterior must also be considered Often a client has a certain style in mind that dictates