Maeve Jackson: MKE Open Doors

Third Ward Architecture Firms 

    On Saturday, I tagged along with my mother as she went to the architecture firms in the Third Ward.  Through the three different tours, the firms talked about the history of the Third Ward and specifically the building they renovated.  They said that the buildings in the area run off steam energy from the two steam stacks on the other side of the freeway (shown in the left image).  The buildings use the excess energy created to heat the buildings.  It was an efficient and sustainable way that was cheap at that time and just made logical sense to the builders.  Now we would see it as eco-friendly.
    The views from the windows of these buildings were stunning.  I was able to see the tops of some of the buildings that I walk underneath everyday.  The buildings created a beautiful jagged layers with deep perspective into the skyline.  One of the buildings raised their floors one foot, making them able to look over the top of the next building so they could see the lake.  The tour guide said that during storms the office watches the water spouts dance across the lake.  It makes me wonder if the past factory workers had these same views.  What did they see?  Did the view keep them coming back every day?



On Sunday, I went with my boyfriend, his brother, and their mother, Claire.  Claire became the personal tour guide.  She was born and grew up in the city for 60 years exactly to the date (it was her birthday that day.)  As we walked around the downtown area on foot, she shared little stories about her memories of working downtown when she was a young adult, her memories revealing the history the the buildings.  She spoke about them as if she was placing herself back in those days.

City Hall

View from 8rd floor window of City Hall

We went to City Hall in hopes to get a ticket for the Bell Tower tour but it was sold out.  Instead went around the building looking at the pictures on the walls.  We analyzed them and found the difference of the architecture over time and fashion style over the decades.  I ended up spending most of my time looking out the windows that surround the building.  I began to analyze the buildings I could see out of the windows.  Started guessing when each one was built based on architecture.  The buildings are very deferse.  It like over the years they have built up around each other and inbetween.  Connect to city planning...first reading.

Pritzlaff Buildings

The last place I visited on Sunday was the Pritzlaff buildings.  I did not take picture because right away I was welcomed and whisked away on a tour by the building owner and everything was so interesting that I never thought to take a picture.  But I did feel compelled to draw a sketch.  I sketched out the interior of one of the buildings where he is turning it into a bar.  He was discussing the wood pillars supporting the building and how they are 25 per grain white pine, and now a days white pine is 5 per grain.  He mentioned how the trees were thought to be brought in threw the great Lakes or even the Milwaukee River from Northern Wisconsin.  I thought about the discussion we had underneath the Marsupial bridge, how the rivers is like a water highway.

I do not fully agree with restoration, there is a beauty of buildings falling naturally down.

Photos of the another places I visited

Grain Trade Building Hall Ceiling

Entrance into the Room 

Walking into the Pfister Hotel, you become transformed into a new world.  It becomes a flash back of what hotels used to look like.