Phillip Johnson: Doors Open Milwaukee

Hotel Metro:

I first went to Hotel Metro. I have passed the building before and seen their old school car around the city and was interested in what the interior looked like. Unfortunately there was a private event happening in the main ballroom so I wasn't able to take me on a tour so I started walking around the space by myself. I was very surprised by how committed the architects (Sterling Design) were to making the experience an Art Deco one. From the architecture to the flapper dressed receptionist, a distinctive style was apparent. 

 The amount of light in the public areas was a smart choice because I think it allowed for a bigger perceived area. The curved walls in the building were also a nice touch. The painting and sculpture was interesting too because it somehow had more character than the normal paintings and sculpture in hotels.

When I check in on foursquare, a tip left by Art Milwaukee said that the hotel was originally an office building.

 Frank Lloyd Wright American-Built System Home Model B1:

I wanted to visit the American System house because I didn't realize that Wright had designed buildings in Milwaukee. I had previously seen Oak Park home and the Robie house and wanted to see if they looked similar to the ones in Milwaukee. There was a really long at outside so as I waited a docent provided context for the tour. All the houses on one side of the 2700 block of Burnham Street are American Systems homes, homes where you could pick and choose what you wanted your home to look like and live in a Wright original, for about $4,000.

There are 13 completed homes all located in either Illinois or Wisconsin. The B1 only I toured is the only one built of that model. The production of the houses started mainly because of World War I and Wright's travel. They were completed between 1912 and 1916.

What shocked me most about the home was how small it was. I think it was so small to keep the cost low but I feel that even though it was small, the space was utilized well. Windows in the corners of rooms help open up the space. The living room and coat area were divided by a fireplace. This technique is also used in the kitchen and breakfast nook. It gives the illusion of a bigger room.

The renovators are also trying to recreate furniture that would have been available to order with the American-System Built house. Right now only some items are accurate for the time of the B1 model but all are based on Wright's detailed drawings.

I like how the docents referred to the buyers of the house when they talked about design decisions  Even though Wright designed the choices it was ultimately up to the home owners what they wanted.

I think both of these places relate to the Experimental Geography reading. The point about humans creating the world around them and the world around them is very relevant. Hotel Metro wouldn't exist without the Art Deco movement and the B1 model wouldn't be the same if a different family chose the specifics of it.