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Fall/Winter 2004 Volume XIV, Issue II $400 Des.• abama THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA Board of Directors Debbie Quinn, Chair Fairhope City Council Fairhope Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair Auburn University, Professor Emerita Montgomery Michelle G. Jordan, Secretary CUy of Decatur Planning Department Decatur Joseph R. Oooofro, Treasurer Donotro & Associates Architects Inc. Dothan Arnelle Adcock Central Alabama Electric Cooperative Prattville HB Branlley Brantley Visioneering Inc. Birmingham Elizabeth Ann Brown Alabama Historical Commission Montgomery Charles Callans Birmingham Realty Birmingham Janet Driscoll Driscoll Design Monigomery Scott Finn Auburn University Auburn Cathryn Campbell Gerachis Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood tnc. Monigomery 80 Grisham Brookman! Realty Birmingham Debra Hood Greenville Robert Martin Southern Progress Corp. Birmingham Edward Vaughn Dothan larry Watts Birmingham Regional Planning Commission Birmingham Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus Volume XIV, Issue II Cover: A rehabilitation of Adamson Ford in Birmingham exposed the building's dramatic space and its unusual history. This publication is made possible through funding by the following contributors. Advantage Marketing Communications AlabamaAssociation of Regional Councils Sloss Real Estate Group Inc. KPS Group Inc. Dperatkm New Birmingham Support the Arts Tag Advisory Committee A Alabama State ~CO""d! ~11,m'ne ~ .. :\rts DAVIS ARCHITECTS ~kinner D:~ISCOLL DES1GN~ GEt-JIVE Si:R'/iCES BRASFIELD &GORRIE WILLIAMS, BLACKSTOCK ARCHITECTS GiATllNA FISHERAYCOO< Editor: Gina Glaze Clifford Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield Associate Art Director: Ross Heck Assistant Art Directors: Kelly Bryant Tomie Dugas Bruce Dupree Dana Gay Samantha Lawrie Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong Elizabeth Via Brown Tomie Dugas Philip Morris , , , Sullmissian Inffolmaltio,rn, , , DesignAlabama encourages submissions from its readers. Articles about work from all design disciplines are requested, as well as copy related to historic preservation. Please submit copy along with visuals (photos, slides, drawings, etc.) to DesignAlabama tnc., PO. Box 241263, Montgomery, AL 36124. Items for Project News and Details of Interest should include a paragraph summary detailing the nature of the project, the design firm, principals and associates involved and any other details that may be of interest such as unusual or special design features, completion date, approximate cost, square footage, etc. Also include the name, address and phone and fax number of the client and an individual whom we may contact for further information. Direct inquiries to (334) 353- 5081 or mail to gina.clififord@arts.alabama.gov. Past journal issues are available for $6.00 including postage and handling. Contact DesignAlabama at the above numbers for availability information and to order. A special thanks to Philip Morris for his ongoing assistance and advice with this publication. Correction: The volume number on the Spring/Summer 2004 issue was listed incorrectly. It should have read: Volume XIV, Issue I. We reg rei any confusion this may have caused. © 2004 DesignAlabama Inc. ISSN# 1090-0918 This issue oj DesignAlabama was designed and produced on Maciniosh Computers utilizing InDesign CS. Proofs were printed on a HP 4050N and Phaser 7700, with tinal Him output on a Compugraphic 9400. Designing space by visualizing how people funclion at work. p7 DesignAlabama is a publication of OesignAlabama Inc. Reader comments and submission of articles and ideas for lulure issues are encouraged. CONTENTS Restoring the original character to an art moderne building. p9 FEATURES "A New Life" . ~~ilgiQg~TraQ~l 0 rfIl~g ADAMSON FORD KRESS BUILDING JEMISON FLATS YOUNG & VANN BUILDING Creating a commanding symbol for downtown Mobile. p.22 .. ~~ .. ~,,-~----~--------- 9 10 12 14 17 TUSCALOOSA COUNTY OFFICES 18 WINTER-LOEB BUILDING 19 DEPARTMENTS ---------------------_._ ...•..... __ .. -.-. Project .... News Work of Statewide Significance 4 Designer@lProfile Alice H. Cutright 7 CommunityeProfi Ie Monroeville 20 Design.Makes A Difference RSA Tower 22 Historical~Perspectives Delano Park 24 AlabamatUpdate McClelland 27 Details+Of Interest Noteworthy Observations 29 Preserving and revitalizing an historic park in Decatur. p24 Project ... News Project News is a regular feature of DesignAlabama and provides an opportunity to keep up-to-date on design projects that have an impact on our communities, T Spring Hill Administraiion Building and Mo~re Hall in Photo and with Renovations and Addiiions in DraWing Byrne Memorial Hail Myers Real Estate Corporate HeadQuariers DesignAJabama 4 The Architects Group of Mobile is working with Spring Hill College on a 140,000-square-foot renovation addition project involving five National Register-listed buildings, as well as the National Register- : eligible 1930 Charles Rogers-designed library renamed in : the master plan as Byrne Memorial Hall. : The renovation and repurposing of one of the campus' : oldest and most high profile structures, the circa 1870 : Administration Building, is now in the planning stages, It : will provide space for a number of programs and offices for business, financial aid, the registrar and some faculty An addition to the adjacent Moore Hall wlil house admissions and the president's office, The concept is to provide all the services students need in one location, The former Byrne Memorial Library will house offices that have an oUPNard focus such as development, alumni affairs and public relations, Walls and interior delineation will be largely preserved, but plumbing and electrical systems will be replaced, The focal point will be the new great roomthe former library reading room - which will become the college's primary site for speeches, ceremonies and events, : TAG is also designing a Mediterranean-style, 36,000- square-foot new corporate headquarters for Meyer Real Estate, currently under construction in Gulf Shores, The new four-story building will be state-of-the-art while remaining sensitive to the natural surroundings of the environment. It will feature a courtyard, a park area and a dramatic two-story glass atrium lobby that will wrap around mature oak trees already established on the property, Bristol Southside Apartments The Birmingham News Building Pullman Flats Williams-Blackstock Architects of Birmingham has been selected to design the new office building for The Birmingham News, Four firms were vying for the project which involves designing the exterior and interior including : furniture and technology and even relocation coordination : for the employees, A location for the office building has yet . to be determined as with technology today, the newspaper office no longer has to be located next to production facili: ties. The building has been designed with a glass internal structure featuring an atrium fronted by a traditional commercial fa~ade with shades of red brick, '*' Alex and Jeanne Krumdieck of A+I Design of Birmingham have designed plans for a proposed residential- office-retail development to be cailed Pullman Flats. 'liNO structures are to be built at 2226 First Ave, South at the site of a recently demolished long-abandoned warehouse in Birmingham. The development's name derives from the nearby railroad tracks, A two-story building facing First Avenue South wili be connected by a courtyard to a three-and-a-half-story structure facing the railroad, The development will include retail and office space at ground level and 14 loft units, One-bedroom units wiil sell for from $140,000-$200,000 each, Bristol Development Group of Nashville plans to build two four-story buildings in a 170-apartment complex near the University of Alabama in Birmingham The $20 million project includes lofts with open-floor plans and high ceilings mixed with more conventional apartment floor pians, Apartments will range from 700-1,300 square feet and contain from one to three bedrooms, The Bristol Southside : Apartments will include a pool and courtyard, fitness center : and business center with a cyber cafe. There will be an adJa, cent parking deck and skywalks to connect the buildings on the three upper floors. Construction began this fall with the apartments ready for occupation fall 2005. Donofro and Associates Architects of Dothan and Major Holland and Associates of Tuskegee are designing renovations and additions to the 1976-built Lakepoint Resort in Eufaula. Eight new cabins, a swimming pool complex and chapel will be built and the marina and main lodge with guest wings renovated and expanded. Additionally general landscaping, way lighting, entrance signage and civil infrastructure will be improved. In keeping with historic lodge architecture, the renovation palette wili include heavy tim-ber trusses, rustic stone veneers, lap siding, slate flooring, Stickley-period light fixtures and stained woods. The lodge and guest wings will receive major design and renovation emphasis with new electrical, lighting, plumbing, mechanical and interiors. A new 660-seat bailroom will overlook the rear terraces and lake. There will be three meeting rooms, a lakeside grill and pub for informal dining and an expanded dining room. The lobby will be decorated Stickley style with exposed wood, stone veneers, slate flooring and anchored by a signature stone fireplace. The cabins, sited on the old beach area, range from single bedroom to three bedroom/three bath to duplex units with internet and cable. A marina store and grill is being renovated with updated bathrooms, enlarged dining room and new interiors. The pool complex will feature children'S water sprays, outside hot tub, game room, tiki bar and trellised patio for pools ide parties An amphitheatre-chapel will host concerts, weddings, plays and movies. The $14 million project is slated to be finished in late 2005. Lakepoint Resort POOl House Lakepoint Resort Lodge ArchitectureWorks of Birmingham is renovating the Harris Warehouse and Transfer Building in the UAB district of downtown for the new Fish Market Restaurant on the same block as the existing restaurant. The ground floor will be renovated to provide for a new market, restaurant and kitchen, as well as allowing the storage business to stay in operation and occupy the upper floors. A new trellised terrace and outdoor patio fronting the restaurant is 100-feet long by 16-feet wide. The planned expansion from 4,500 square feet to 13,800 square feet will provide much needed additional dining space, as well as a new grocery/market with fresh produce, I ive seafood and other foodstuffs. Three authentic fishing boats from Greece will become part of the display and aesthetic of the interior space Lisa Beasley of Design South has worked closely with the owner and architects to create an interior environment that recognizes the history of the warehouse while accommodating its new capacity as a market and eating establishment Much of the existing shell will remain as is, with the incorporation of a series of high quality elements - oyster bar, live tanks and service counter - that reveal the building's new life. • .-~-- .,.. . ~ Developed by Hodges & Associates of Birmingham for Metropolitan Gardens Developers LLC (a jOint venture of Sioss Real Estate of Birmingham and Integral Properties of Atlanta), the name and logo for Park Place represents a new vision of residential living in the heart of Birmingham Arrayed against a dramatic background of lush green mountains and the distinctive Red Mountain cut is a graphic depiction of high- and low-rise buildings that define an urban vocabulary unique to the city Central to the design is a repetition of trees that comprises the urban oasis - suggesting the serenity to be found in the city'S revitalized central parks. The name and logo are clearly meant to reflect the best of urban living - safe, clean and within walking distance of the c'lty'S major art and cultural institutions. Creative direction was by Greg Hodges with design and illustration by Patricia Hooten. l" l" l" l" l" l" l" l" '!\i" PARK PLACE FISH MAR.KET RESTAURAtfl WHOLESALE-RETA!L SEAFOOD •. c'- ',,~, t~lEr2JX:b , ... :- -. ,- ;> ., •• ' " .. ., Fish Market Restaurani Sentell Engineering Inc. of Tuscaloosa designed the downtown revitalization of two city blocks in Uniontown. This project involved the rehabilitation of existing sidewalks which were constructed more than 30 years ago with an exposed aggregate. During the past several years this has become a hazardous situation with people slipping and falling The design included replacing existing sidewalks with stamped concrete, decorative lighting and landscaping. This project is of particular interest due to the historical significance of the downtown area of Uniontown. Construction began in September 2004. The project was funded in part with a grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation Enhancement Program. andscape rchitecture • y Eufaula Rails to Trails received a boost as the City recently learned it was awarded a $480,000 Department of Transportation grant, which along with an earlier Tea-21 grant of $28,000, will fully fund the first two phases of the project The trail runs along the northeastern side of downtown on the old Norfolk Southern railroad line. It begins at the Eufaula/Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Building in downtown Eufaula and wili end at the Old Creek Town Park without touching U.S. Highway 431 which traverses town. The 12-foot wide asphalt trail will have bike racks and water fountains along its path The project was one of the cornerstones of the Envision 2020 strategic plan and a part of the recommendations of the City's planning consultant, LDR of Baltimore, Md., in its master plan for Eufaula. Construction is complete on renovations to the sanctuary and music suite at First Baptist Church of Decatur. TurnerBatson Architects of Birmingham provided the architectural and interior design services. The project included an interior renovation of the church's ornate 1969 sanctuary. The chancel was redesigned with the addition of new pews and balcony seating, theatrical and house lighting, new finishes and expanded video capabilities. The project team included Dave Reese, AlA, principal-in-charge; Jamie Collins, AlA, project architect; Noelle Norman, MIA, project coordination; and Kristin Corley, IIDA, interior designer. First Baptist Church of Decatur 5 Voiume XIV. NO.1! • A different type of playground is being constructed nationwide and in Alabama. The Boundless Playgrounds project was started to provide the opportunity to children with and without disabilities to play side-by-side. More than five million : children in the United States have some type of disabil- . ity that makes it difficuit or impossible for them to enjoy : conventional playgrounds. The primary aim is to remove : all architectural barriers and allow children to play without : having to abandon their special equipment and crawl onto : the play area. Boundless Playgrounds offer greater acces: sibility than the minimal requirements set by the American : Disibilities Act Co-founder Jean Schappet, CPSI, is the cre: ative director who leads a team of environmental designers. : The Boundless Playgrounds designers coordinate with local : design professionals regarding site design issues and con- : struction details. In Montgomery a Boundless Playground : in Vaughn Road Park was funded by a grant from Alabama : District Kiwanis International. The organization has also : funded a Boundless Playground in Sheffield and at Langan : Park in Mobile. ~ Vaughn Park Playground Sherlock, Smith & Adams Inc. (SS&A) of Montgomery has provided master planning and estimating services to the town of Shorter in an effort to secure grant funding for an industrial park. The town of 500 located about 2 miles east of Montgomery has a small commercial/retail base supported largely by interchange : traffic from Interstate-85. Businesses include a campground, : gas stations, dog racing track and restaurants. In an effort to : attract industry, the town has launched an aggressive cam-paign to upgrade its infrastructure and provide an industrial : site that would take advantage of the close access to 1-85. : The development of the industrial site is divided into three phases: 1) design and construction of an access road to the : site (including the expansion of available utilities); 2) design : and construction of a sanitary sewer system to serve the industry and other potential commercial/retail customers; : and 3) development of the site for industry As the project : develops, SS&A will be involved in the design of the access road and sanitary sewer system. : Shorter Industrial Park Pian : In fall 2003 the Auburn University Center lor : Architecture and Urban Studies (AUCAUS) assisted the : community of Cordova to articulate a vision for the town of : 2,500. The Small Town Design Initiative program, conducted : with the help of seven fourth and fifth year architecture : students, included town hall meetings, site visits, meetings : with leadership and stakeholders, investigations and stud-ies. The process resulted in a set of concepts and drawings : that constitute an illustrative master plan presented to the : community in poster format The AUCAUS is still involved in the planning process that will lead to a comprehensive : plan drafted by the Regional Planning Commission 01 : Birmingham (RPC). : The initiative created a scenario to capitalize on the town's : exceptuallocation in light of Corridor "X"/1-22, now under : construction, which will link Cordova with Jasper and : Birmingham The proposal also focused on making the : downtown a destination. Critical to this was restoration and : revitalization of the historic downtown core. The plan also : addressed recreational and housing opportunities relative to : the Black Warrior River. : The City of Vestavia has adopted a Comprehensive Plan, a : first for the century-old city Its plan is a document of poli- : cies and strategies to guide the City in all municipal service : areas as the community confronts future development issues : and the preservation and improvement of neighborhoods : and business areas. The plan identifies areas for new growth : while putting a new emphasis on redevelopment Through : redevelopment, existing commercial areas will become vital : centers for both the community and commerce-walkable, : mixed-use centers that aspire to a high level of design to • complement the community's vibrant neighborhoods. The : plan also emphasizes better connecting the community, its : neighborhoods and centers and the surrounding region : through improved infrastructure for motorists, transit users : and pedestrians and bicyclists ..... ~. VE'STAVIA HILLS i'VTt":;;,E GRC\vr" CC",CEPT Veslavia Hills Future Use Plan C"';"~'''''''''O-~,,,, l",."H.',,-,',,« G,""'>'··'·~~c.,,~, t/ain SUes; looking East toward the Taiiui2h Hole! shov.,!nc! proposed RGsto(2.t!ons ~ Proposed Master Plan for Downtown Cordova and Restoration Proposals OesignAlabama 6 Interior Designer: Alice H. Cutright Puzzle of Space Intrigues Award-Winning Designer Life, sometimes, has a way of changing lanes just when the course seems steady on another path. Such was the case for Alice H. Cutright. ASID, who had set her sight on becoming an architect, but pursued an art degree instead to suit her personal needs at the time. As it turned out. art school gave her the background she needed to become an interior designer. and now she combines elements from both principles to plan public spaces in wblch people work and function. "I can visualize how people will really work in particular spaces," says Cutright. an interior designer with The Architects Group Inc. (TAG) in \lobile. Working in tandem with an architectural team from the outset of a project. an interior designer can create themes and motifs that extend throughout a project. "Making space configuration work is like a puzzle," she says. "It's my favorite part of any project." Before beginning her career as an interior designer, Cutright spellt several years in carpet design and sales, \vhic11 helped her understand the Ileed for creatively designed floors. Today, she says, her designs par dose attention to floors, because they add color, direction and playful-ness to a project. Her attention to details recently garnered the deSigner her sixth and seventh project awards bestowed by the Alabama Chapter of the American Society of Interior DeSigners. She was cited for work at the \lobile \luseull1 of Art and at the corporate headquarters of Integrity \ledia Inc.. also in ;\lobile. Both were projects in which Cutright worked \vith architect Dan Borcick)·, also of TAG. In the museum the spaces linking the galleries are artistic, as \ve!l as functional. At Integrity ~ledia the designers capitalized on the building·s beautifully wooded site with an exterior of reflecting mirrored glass. The interior features the firn'-s oval logo repeated in the reception area, the recessed lighting space over the squared-oval conference table, a hanging globe and the carpet, \\·i1ich features a geometlic cilde and square pattem. But, Cutright·s role in a project involves more than selecting carpets or furnishings. "j design the space Integrity Media Inc. atrilJm. itself,.· she explains. "and not just the surface materials.'· Along with space planning her tasks include preparing construction drawings and specifications for cabinetry Designer~Profi Ie by Elizabeth Via Brown Mobile MuselJm of Art entrance and grand lobby. Integrity Media Inc. media/conference room. PlJatography by Tbigfte1l PbatagraplJy (p. 8) mid Dalliel Borciek)", TAG (p. 7). 7 Volume XIV, No. II DesignA!abama 8 Pediatric oncology unit treatment area at USA's Children's and Women's Hospital. fabrication and making sure plans meet specific codes. Before she ever sets pencii to paper, she spends time with clients determining their needs, wants and plans for using tbe completed spaces. "Expressing a client's purpose is rewarding," says Cutright. Of all her projects, the one in which sbe takes special pride is the pediatric oncology unit at the Women's and Children's Hospital at the University of Soutb Alabama in ivlobile. [sing tbe staffs desire for an underwater [heme, Cutright chose a palette of blues and greens in a watery texture and illuminated with special lighting to soften the space for patients. I-Ier design also created custom areas for medical equipment and for privacy. So special was the project, the whole staff at TAG got involved to paint tile colorful ceiling tiles that were too expensive for the client's budget. Cutright's awards also include renovations to the auditorium at the Alabama School of \\atl1 and Science in \lobile. tor which she is now at work on the new library, and for three projects at branches of Regions Bank in Gulf Shores, Bay \1inette and \lobile. Currentl)', she and her colleagues are also working on renovations to the courthouse in Pensacola, the campgrounds and bathhouses at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, a daycare facility in \lississippi and a nc\v home office for :\leyer Real Estate, also in Gulf Shores. (See Project t\ews. p. 4.) ,. Elizabeth Viii Brow1l is II freelance writer tilling in J.Jmltgomery. Display shelving for the gift shop at USA's Children's and Women's Hospital. The reception area includes swirls of color and watery blue glass that maintain the ocean theme at USA's Children's and Women's Hospital. 8!::1 PHILIP mORRIS It would be hard to overstate the importance of saving historic buildings, blocks and entire districts to the character of Alabama's towns and cities. The rich accumulation of varied architecture, diverse scale and building types adds up to a distinctive sense of place nothing else can match. From the start, OesignAlabama has given attention to both full restoration and what is termed 'adaptive-reuse'. Finding new purposes for older buildings has been going on for decades, and we have featured many. These have included individual projects, as well as community reports like the recent one on Eufaula where almost the entire town is one continuing adaptive·reuse. We are pleased to present a survey of recent projects illustrating the continued strength of this movement They are: • Rehabilitating a building for Birmingham's Adamson Ford dealership and discovering a surprising past • Converting the 1939 art moderne Kress Building in downtown Birrningham into the headquarters for a law firrn • Pursuing a new aesthetic approach with Jemison Flats, a mixed-use development in downtown Birmingham • Transforming the Young & Vann Building into a center for community design for the Birmingham region �� Turning two modest buildings into Tuscaloosa County Offices while saving a piece of downtown's past • Giving impetus to Montgomery's emerging Warehouse District by renovating the landmark Winter-Loeb Building. What you will discover in these projects is a remarkable range of building types, clients and design approaches. And something else worth noting: This is not just about bricks and mortar, but about community spirit and our culture. As with the environmental movement, we now have a second or third generation for whom caring about our architectural heritage is as natural as breathing. Philip Morris has more than 30 years experience in magazine work including tenures as executive editor and editor-at-Iarge at Southern Living, Coastal Livingand Southern Accents. Although he retired in 2000, Morris remains active as a freelance writer and respected lecturer on design, as well as a major contributor to OesignAlabama. 9 Voiume XIV No. Ii When the architect discovered huge timber roof trusses above the original second floor ceiling, spanning between masonry side walls, he convinced the owner to keep the entire space exposed. This view, from the front of what was a second floor stage, shows parts of the floor removed to make a mezzanine within the lofty volume. Architect: AI Chiesa, Birmingham Structural Consultant: Bob Barnett, Birmingham Owner: Adamson Ford, Birmingham Photography by Wes Frazer DesignA!abama 10 As part of a comprehensive rebuilding and reorientation for the dealership, it was decided to renovate the historic two-story, brick-walled building facing Second Avenue South. "There was layer on layer of renovations, all downhill," says architect AI Chiesa, asked by owner Bill Israel to explore what might be done. "The inside was all chopped up into little hallways and offices, and the building looked like it had run its course." On the second floor, the architect noticed some tiles missing from the 40-year-old dropped-ceiling. He got a ladder and above that could see a decorative tin ceiling. When he looked through a hole he was dumbfounded. "1 could see all the way up to the original roof and the huge wooden trusses that spanned the space. When we later took out a wall we discovered the fly-loft above where the second floor stage had been. There was a trap door in the floor, and the loft still had catwalks and metal ladders extending up walls." There was no evidence of a raked floor, so Chiesa thinks there was a saloon on the main floor with a stair leading up to the performance hall. Though some thought it may have been erected in the 1880s when Birmingham was a wild-west kind of boomtown, research by the Birmingham Public Library archives department indicates otherwise. "The first indication of a building on that site from the city directory indicates the Grand Theatre, which apparently only operated between 1913 and 1914," says archives director Jim Baggett. "By 1919 it already housed an auto dealership, the Scouten Motor Co." While the decorative tin ceiling and other elements left over from the theatre use were too far gone to save, the architect felt the big move should be to expose the original load-bearing masonry walls and the impressive roof support system, opening up the full height. "It was obviously more than the client anticipated, and Bill Israel asked what they might wind up with," says Chiesa. "But he was open-minded and got excited as the idea unfolded." The idea? Float the new uses within the 50-by-140-foot space so it would keep its drama and raw, structural aesthetic. To achieve that, all existing interior walls were removed and portions of the second floor opened up so it would work like a mezzanine. All offices and conference rooms are open or wrapped with glass in black-painted steel frames to keep the visual flow while providing acoustic separation where desired. The client enthusiastically embraced the openness. This photograph from the late 19405 shows the original arched entrance facing Second Avenue South. The building has been used as a car dealership since 1919. Concrete floors on the ground level are stained a warm, aged-leather color, suitable for both auto display and sales. Plaster walls that extend up to the level of the tin ceiling were patched but left, the thick brick walls above exposed. With the original stage-level floor removed, the full 55-foot height of the fly loft is visible (about 35 feet for the main building). With portions removed, the second floor required some new column supports, and new composite rafters were added length-wise to make up for bracing provided by the original tin ceiling (structural consultant Bob Barnett). To give the renovated building primary exposure to 20th Street, what was a blank party wall was opened up and sheltered with a large, simply detailed portico in keeping with the original structure. The rest of the block holds existing service department functions, all reworked and given a compatible paint scheme. For this downtown dealership (one of many remaining, unusual among cities today) the stunning loft space encountered by first-time visitors provides a handy tool for Adamson Ford sales personnel- a good conversation-starter. • A large glass-walled conference room on the mezzanine takes in the view of the exposed original structure and new HVAC ductwork. The original plaster waifs stopped at the level of the decorative tin ceiling. The long, composite rafter is one of several added to the bottom of the trusses for bracing once provided by the ceiling. Above: Glass panels set in black-painted steel frames were used for offices, conference rooms and workstations to retain the openness. A leatherwfoned polished concrete floor is both beautiful and functional, including occasional displays of current models. Left: To reorient Adamson Ford toward busy 20th Street South, large openings were cut in what was once a party wall and a farge, boldly scaled portico added. The fly-loft part of the o,;ginal theatre visible to the ,;ght is fully exposed inside - much as the original performers were. 11 Volume XlV. No. II On the main floor, terrazzo floors were uncovered, walls removed from the original mezzanine and new lighting fixtures modeled from 1939 photographs of the space recovered from the construction company that built it. DesignA!abama 12 Left: Under renovation for a law firm headquarters, the art moderne Kress Building's terra~cotta fayade was cleaned and damaged tiles regJazed in situ. A new entrance was opened facing 19th Street. Architect. Cohen & Company, Birmingham Owner: Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis, Birmingham Contractor: Charles & Vizant, Birmingham While the 1980s conversion of the Kress Building in downtown Birmingham to office use was not sympathetic to its 1939 art moderne design, it accomplished one important thing: It kept the building occupied and in good shape. Some other long-empty buildings nearby have deteriorated to the point they will be more difficult to reuse. Now the building has been returned to its early modern aesthetic under a sensitive design by Cohen & Company of Birmingham for the law firm of Wiggins, Childs, Quinn and Pantazis - a dramatic turnaround that reinforces the larger revival of 19th Street linking the upper and lower parts of downtown. "The Kress Building's original entrance facing Third Avenue North had been linked to an adjoining building with a modern atrium by the Costa-Head partnership," says architect Amy Cohen. "They returned to separate ownership, so for our clients we reoriented the building to the primary frontage on 19th Street with a new entrance, restoring the original as an emergency exit only. This move also strengthens the relationship with the McWane Center and the new One Federal Place." A compatible new metal canopy bearing the firm name repeats the smooth curves found at the prominent corner. The light grey terra-cotta tiles that smoothly wrap the exterior were in generally good shape, and those that had spalled were reglazed in situ by a specialist from Philadelphia. Steel windows were repaired and repainted, and the raised "Kress" lettering incorporated into the fa<;ade was regilded. The new entry leads to the most dramatic feature: the restored ground floor and mezzanine that now functions as lobby and in-house conference center for the firm. "We took the space back as close as possible to its original character, removing carpet glued to the terrazzo floors, restoring the plaster ceiling and its diagonal patterns that link the columns," says Design.Makes A Difference • &EWe have worked to make sure that It comple.ments Ilr:; urban settln!l and at the same tuoe takes advanta!le of the opportunity to be a comn/al/dln!l spi1Jbol H DesignAiabama 22 • era In [n the hands of TVS, a leading At[anta architectural firm, the 35-story RSA Batt[e House Tower now rising on the Mobi[e waterfront has been shaped into what promises to be a singular [and mark for the city and state, Some residents stil[ think it's bigger than the city needs, but in this revised design it is going to be graceful - and stirring 'From the start and from ali sides, including Dr. Bronner and Mayor Dow, the size and scale of the tower has been something everyone's been sensitive about,' says Ray Hoover of Thompson Ventu[ett Stainback (TVS) "We have worked to make sure that it complemenls its urban setting and at tile same time takes advantage of the opportunity 10 be a commanding symbol," The building really is tall with an elegant g[ass-andsteel cap stretching the overall heighllo Ihe equivalent 01 41 stories, But the area 01 each tower level will be only 20,000 square leet, considerably less than the I[oor plate of most comparable office buildings, The apparent bulk is lurther reduced bycut-away corners that siim the profile Exterior cladding, which wil[ include different tones of glass, a custom metal-framed curtain wa[1, cast stone and granite, are employed both to enrich the fa,ade and emphasize the vertical thrust TVS architects, including Hoover and Gene Montezinos, took the c[assical formula for making ta[1 buildings - base. shaft, top - with special attention to how it could make the tower work from varying perspectives and distances. "The tower will be highly visible from a distance, so the top and the overall proportions will be most important there," Hoover says, "As you come closer you'l[ become more aware of the shaft And as you corne closer still by car or on foot, the base comes more into play"~ 117is fmdefiflg liluslf81es how pfomil7ml Il7e lowef will be 8S 8 flew 18f1dm8fk 8bove Mobile B8Y 117e 8fcl7ilecls ffileclll7e citys m8filime17efil8ge will7 8 lowef evokiflg ligl71l7ouse: I I ole by Philip Morris AI18f1tJ-Msed lVS; Ille 8fcliitecls fespoosib/e 10/ /Ile II[JW RSA BBllle !louse lOwef io Mobile (oefe sl7owoiBcifig fIIIBlef Stfee/), oBve givefl il B gfBcfiul proNe will7 CUI-BWBY comefS Bod B glBss Bfld ste8/ top II7Bt IBpers 10 B oe8dle splle The bBse fIIediBles belweeo loe lowef aod 1M feslofed BBllle!louse!lolel bel7ifld A view (if :Vorth Alflbama Avenue jto", Ibe gozeh," 01, the . ..•.. historic tow:i~ square. The project was completedil)ase(ies()fs!ll~l\phases as the money waS raised. "ThMown. w;ls' not t)lrivirtg¢cononlically," he~dds,"yet tlwyworkel( long aml hard without losing sight of their goal, which says so much about the people of the community." "Most towns with dirt roads and only a couple thousand people did not possess such a stately courthouse," notes Kathy McCoy, director of the Monroe County Heritage Museum, located in the old courthouse. "This elaborate courthouse raised their consciousness of design and influenced the entire radius of the square and the to\vn." Most of [he buildings in the commercial district are brick and were built about the same time as the courthouse, says Jane Ellen Clark of the Monroe County Heritage Museum. Buildings that pre-date the courthouse were made of wood and as they burned were replaced with brick structures, she adds. Although it was unusual for a small, rural town to have such a significant courthouse, by the turn of the last century, formal academic training for architects dominated courthouse design \vith various European Renaissance borrowings. Not until the 1920s and 1930s was regionalism a strong influence on courthouse architecture. Andrew J. Bryan, the architect who designed the Monroe County Courthouse, built many other courthouses in a similar neoclassical style throughout Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. New City Hall and Welcome Center In keeping with the traditional brick buildings surrounding the courthouse square is Monroeville's ne\v city hall, constructed last year on Claiborne Street. Also planned is a welcome center that will be home to the Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Economic Development. The original plan called for renovating a 1940s concrete block building at the north end of the courthouse square. Yet even with the help of grant money, the cost to renovate the building was pro~ hibitive, explains Sandy Smith, director of the Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber. "It was not a historically significant building, so we're looking to start over," Smith continues. "We plan to design it in keeping with the other brick buildings on the square." New City Historical Commission Taking the advice of the Alabama Historical Commission, Monroeville established a city historical commission this year. One of the commission's responsibili~ ties is to complete a survey of the downtown that was started with a grant but never completed. The community is also working with the University of Alabama's Office of Economic Development to make dO\vntown improvements, including s[Ore fa~ade design. "'It's not a quick fix." Smith admits. "Our downtown looks good, but it could be belter. We want a more updated look and new businesses. Some of the buildings on the square are vacant." Garden Club's Downtown Beautification Hanging baskets adorn the lampposts downtown, and large terra-cotta flower pots are at each corner of the square. In addition to these beautification efforts, the Monroeville Garden Club also funds and maintains the Katherine Lee Rose Garden at the north end of the square. Smith would like to see additional streetscape projects implemented, such as seating areas in the courthouse square. Pride of Place It's no surprise that a sense of pride defines a to\vn immortalized in some of America's greatest literature. \Vith a variety of revitalization efforts underway, Monroeville may one day be as well known for its historic commercial district as its rich literal')1 heritage .• Sets for the play "To Kill (l Mockingbird" grace the courthouse lawll. The Fiuch house is on the left. MOllroeville's city hall was dedicated September 2003. 21 Volume XIV, No. II Community.Profi Ie •• Quintessential Southern Town At the center of its community - physically and symbolically - the courthouse dome or tower cannot be removed from the county seat skyline without leaving a hole no water tower can fill. DesignAlabama 20 - Paul Gaeldner. "Built i1l tbe [SA" T7J€ lwodassical old calmly courtbouse features all oval comtrOO11l, oval porch aud Ollal building. by Jessica Armstrong In many ways Monroeville is the quintessen-tial Southern town, with its shady tree-lined streets, red clay hills, courthouse square and antebellum homes. The heart of Monroeville is its octagonal-domed courthouse, and thanks to local grassroots efforts was saved from extinction - the fate of so many early courthouses. The courthouse is now a museum and site of an annual production of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and the arduous road to returning it to its former glory raised the community's appreciation for historic preservation. Today, several downtown revitalization projects are underway in the town that officially became the "Literary Capital of Alabama" in 1997 when the state Legislature gave the community this distinction. It's no surprise that pride of place would permeate a town that's home to two of America's premier writers - Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Monroeville has rediscovered and revitalized both its literary and architectural traditions. Situated about 25 miles off Interstate-65, Monroeville is about a two-hour drive from Selma to the north, Montgomery to the northeast, Pensacola to the southeast and Mobile to the southwest. Its population just under 7,000, Monroeville is the seat of Monroe County, said to be older than the state itself. Old Courthouse Restoration On the 1\alional Register of Historic Places, the three-story brick old Monroe County Courthouse was constructed in 1903 and features an oval-shaped central room. The distinctive courtroom with dark gum floors and a balcony depicted in the movie starring Gregory Peck was patterned after the actual courtroom. The restoration of the neoclassical building began in the late 1980s and took about $2 million and 15 years to complete. "It is a very interesting plan with an oval courtroom, oval porch and oval building;' notes Nick Holmes III of Holmes & Holmes Architects, the Mobile firm that restored the courthouse. "All of the front rooms are oddly shaped, and entrances are located on the sides of the building. From a structural standpoint it is a very unusual building." Among its unusual features is a concrete-slab second floor, which presented a number of renovation challenges. Fire prevention may have been the reason for this type of second floor, Holmes says. Such common renovation tasks as installing new wiring or air and heating ducts were difficult with a concrete ceiling. "It was a very complicated building to integrate modern systems in," Holmes recalls. Au unusual characteristic of the cQw"lhouse is that Clltral1ces a,'e located 011 the sides. Architect: Brown-Chambless Architects, Montgomery Interior Designer: Brown-Chambless Architects, Montgomery Developer: Summit America, Montgomery Contractor: Whaley Construction Co., Troy Photography by David Robertson Below: Architects Brown-Chambless of Montgomery kept massive timber columns and other structural elements exposed wherever possible to express the rugged past of the former warehouse. Above: The building lobby was raised to offset the original sloping ground floor, the new steps and flooring made of planed-down heart pine salvaged from what are now elevator shafts. Not only is the Winter- Loeb Building a superb example of adaptive-reuse preservation, it also stands on a prominent site within the emerging warehouse entertainment district the City of Montgomery has targeted for revitalization around the new Riverwalk Stadium. (See DA, Spring/Summer 2004.] Completed in 2002, it sets a high standard for what follows. "I don't know that we could have created a more classic warehouse," says John Chambless of Brown-Chambless Architects. "It has exterior load-bearing masonry walls in cut stone and brick in what we describe as neo-Florentine style, massive and substantial." Built in 1903-04 by two families in the wholesale grocery business, the three-story building was served by six railroad spurs at the rear, the tracks still in place. Goods moved from there to all of central and west Alabama. Rather than the more typical 50-foot width, the Winter-Loeb footprint at the corner of Coosa and Tallapoosa streets measures a full 100 by 200 feet. It stands directly opposite the new ballpark which is filling the district with activity. "The magnificent size gives us a 20,000-square-foot floor plate, very desirable in terms of flexibility in space planning," says Chambless. "This also A large window with a massive segmental brick arch provides views out to Montgomery's reviving downtown Warehouse District. means that investment in stairs, elevators and other needed improvements is more efficient." With three stories, the total square footage is 60,000, not counting the 12,000-square-foot basement level which is used for mechanical and storage. The heavy timber interior shaped both the practical and aesthetic aspects of the design. "There is a 3-inch-thick subfloor and rough-hewn interior columns with diagonal bracketing," Chambless explains. "That tongue-and-groove subfloor took care of our fire rating. Most people assume steel would be better, but wood chars and seals itself, so it out-performs." In terms of aesthetics, the grand floor-to-floor volumes (14 feet on the ground floor, 12 feet on the upper two) and the timber framing set the tone. The architects minimized the use of new materials and partitioning, even though this is a multi-tenant building. The structural elements are left exposed in corridors. Ductwork on the ceilings was painted to match the wood. Inexpensive light fixtures suspended on cables bring the viewing level down, but 10 percent up-lighting gives a pleasing glow to the wood ceilings. Since the pine finish floor was heavily damaged from years of warehouse use, a patterned black carpet was installed. The greatest design challenge was the ground floor which sloped following the grade of Coosa Street. To make the transition, the new lobby was stepped up using wide-plank pine planed down by Whaley Construction Co. in Troy. Major tenants are Summit America, a company headed by Daniel Hughes, developer of the Winter-Loeb Building, and the Crosslin Slaten O'Connor law firm. Even with a major tenant/developer, the project was budget-restricted. "He gave us lots of room on the design, as long as the total cost did not exceed $100 per square foot," says Chambless. "And that included the acquisition cost." III 19 Volume XIV, NO. II Below: The architects repeated the bracketed canopies to give the later, plainer faf}ade more interest and visually link the two buildings. "They didn't look like much," says architect Evans Fitts. The block held a rundown, single-story retail/warehouse structure, another that once housed a trolley and bus repair shop and two bungalow houses in disrepair. But they were part of the fabric of downtown, and the two larger buildings now serve the community in a new way. A first phase involved the renovation of the 15,000-square-foot retail/ warehouse built in 1905 with a heavy timber structural system and load-bearing exterior brick walls. The warehouse side faced the interior of the block with wood-framed storefronts facing the sidewalk. The interior was gutted and built-out with all new walls, finishes and mechanical and electrical systems. Wood posts and beams, as well as the roof supports, were left exposed and integrated into the decor. The exterior brick was cleaned and repointed, a new roof installed and wood storefronts repaired. As simple as this building is, the rhythm of the handsome bays along the sidewalk create an appealing urban character so often missing in new buildings that lack such detail. Offices inside include the license bureau, the department of planning and development and the registrar. Left: Now serving Tuscaloosa County office needs are two formerly abandoned buildings, a former retail/warehouse built in 1905 (right) and a later structure long used as a repair shop. Fitts Architects used bracketed canopies over what once were warehouse loading doors to suggest the earlier use. Above: Restored wooden storefronts in the 19D5 building give the sidewalk a pleasing rhythm and scale. Architect: Fitts Architects, Tuscaloosa Owner: Tuscaloosa County, Tuscaloosa Photographs courtesy of Fitts Architects Visitors access these via a circulation route along the windows, so the experience is the opposite of the expected internal corridors. Former doors facing the interior of the block were replaced with windows and fitted with bracketed canopies that suggest their original use. In a second phase, the l,OOO-square-foot former repair shop was renovated to hold offices for the county and extension service office. These walls are also load-bearing rnasonry, but large steel trusses spanned the space. Again, the interior was gutted and the structural elements exposed as part of the redesign. The clear span worked well for an auditorium located to the rear with its own after-hour access. In Tuscaloosa, the typical tear-down mentality was turned around and a modest but appealing part of the city's historic fabric saved for new purpose .• Metal roof trusses in the former repair shop keep the new auditorium column4ree. DesignAlabama 18 The team found that tenant location neatly sorted itself out. Region 2020 needed storefront visibility, so it took the corner where there had once been a saloon. The RPC with its sizable staff was a natural for the large, open space on the second floor. And the top floor, which had always remained warehouse, suited perfectly the Auburn Center's need for a loft-like studio. Sloss Realty's Cathy Crenshaw, who has a reputation for taking on urban revitalization projects like Pepper Place and Hope VI, wants the balance of the ground floor to be a vital, welcoming place where issues shaping the city and region can be explored. Along with large meeting rooms where design charrettes have been held or the RPC invites residents of a client town to discuss their plans, there is the evolving Franklin Setzer Gallery, dedicated to the memory of the founder and first director of the Auburn Center. "That space emerged as the heart of the project," says Engel. "It extends frorn that arched doorway to the west side of the building and the parking lot. About 15 feet wide and 100 feet long with an existing skylight above, it works both as a gallery and gathering space and as a nice way for employees and visitors to enter." Remarkably, the once open-air stables now feel almost open-air again .• Architect Christopher Engel determined that a high, 100·foot-/ong space carved out under an existing skylight would be perfect for a gallery named after the late Franklin Setzer, founding head of the city's Auburn University design center. Leading from the arched doorway (permanently sealed) to the side parking lot (visible at far end), it also serves as the primary entrance. CENTER REGIONAL PLANNING AND D£Sl&~ 17 Volume XIV, No.11 Architect: Christopher Engel, Birmingham Preservation Consultant: Linda Nelson, Birmingham Developer: Sloss Real Estate Group, Birmingham Contractor: Stone Building Co., Birmingham rvoung&Vann .Building • R nEW LIFE: Photography by Wes Frazer Those Clydesdale horses pulling the beer wagon in the Anheuser-Busch holiday television spots once made deliveries leaving through the grand arch on the side of this recently restored Birmingham building. In the historical report prepared for Sloss Real Estate Group Inc. by preservation consultant Linda Nelson, the three-story grey brick building at First Avenue North and 18th Street is noted as one of the city's few surviving examples of Victorian Romanesque commercial architecture. It states: The building was built in the late 1890s as the Alabama distribution center for St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. The structure was based on generic plans from Anheuser-Busch, with local association of the architectural hrm Wheelock, Joy and Wheelock. It originally included an ofhce, a beer warehouse, horse stables and facilities for the beer wagons. Large wooden double doors, still in existence, served as the gateway for the wagons. With the enactment of Prohibition in 1907, beer companies curtailed operations and the brewer eventually vacated. Industrial hardware supplier Young & Vann occupied the building from 1910 to 2002, modifying and later giving it a limestone-clad single-story addition. Soon after it was vacated, Sloss approached a group of potential tenants about renovating the building for their use. Working as a team, with architect Christopher Engel as designer and Stone Building Co. as contractor, were DesignAlabama 16 Anchoring an important corner downtown, the Young & Vann Building was built for AnheuserBusch Co., a rare Romanesque-revival survivor from Birmingham'S late Victorian boom years. Sloss Realty Group renovated it as a center for community design organizations. the owner and principle future occupants: the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC), Region 2020 (a 10-county community visioning nonprofit) and the Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies (AUCAUS). Completed and occupied in 2003, the Young & Vann building houses these and other nonprofit groups. The three major tenants have also joined forces as the Center for Regional Planning and Design. (See box, p. 17.) "It was exciting to work with those organizations from the beginning," says architect Engel, who was working independently at the time but is now director of design for Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood. "The key to that building was putting a lot of effort up front to understanding it. Young & Vann had been there so long and so much was covered up. They had slipped in some floors where the ceilings were 6 feet above the floor. We had to really dig so we could get back to and reveal the original character." Original linen drawings still in the possession of the Vann family were of invaluable help. Among the discoveries? The rear portion of the building where the arched passage remains was originally stables with only a shed between it and the main building, the wall facing the street only a screen. ';LIt some point the stables building was reduced to a fa,ade and a two-story concrete structure inserted," Engel explains. "It's disappointing that some really neat things disappeared over the years, but there was still much to work with." A minimalist approach was used, partly due to budget but also to keep existing fabric. Adoption of the Universal Building Code by the City of Birmingham was a great help. "Under that code, you get a lot more leeway on fire ratings if you go with a sprinkler system." The arched doorway in the lower, rear part of the building once opened to an open-air passage and stables where horses and wagons came and went with beer deliveries. The date notes the founding year of Young & Vann, the second and longtime occupant. This project also represents a major commitment to downtown revitalization by Corporate Realty Development, whose partners include Chris and Brian Giattina, along with Robert Simon and Geoff Golden of Golden & Associates, the contractor on Jemison Flats. (Note: the same investment group has announced a new nine-story residential building to be built facing a planned new park at First Avenue South and 18th Street.) With the architect and contractor so fully engaged in the process, there was a chance to explore options that balanced design and functional demands with budget constraints. One of the major decisions made to serve both aesthetics and cost: to expose and stabilize existing building fabric but not fully restore or extend it. For example, sections of original floor tile are visible within an expanse of concrete floor as fragments. Doors and windows cut through thick masonry party walls are left rough, not covered over. The most visible effect of this approach can be seen to the rear of the buildings where a large commercial sign and a wall mural painted on the blank back wall of the tower several decades ago are kept, but punched through with needed windows. It is this candid, unapologetic interplay between what the buildings accumulated over time and what has been done to put them to new use that gives Jemison Flats its particular thrust. Contemporary elements are played off the historic fabric with equal directness - though with great finesse. Crisp new white ceiling planes in the Giattina Fisher Aycock space float several inches free of the exposed brick exterior walls. Sleek metal and glass components wrap conference rooms, offices and works paces following their own, cool aesthetic. Adaptive-reuse here employs an ethic quite different from the exquisite restoration given the landmark Alabama Theatre just blocks away. It's a different language, and one of great potential for the many nearby buildings yet to be tackled .• Left: BIG Advertising, with a Shoney's Big Boy welcoming visitors, makes creative use of the space under the sky~/it domed room origi~ nally used by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. In the same 'archeological' approach taken elsewhere, the deteriorated decora~ tive paint was kept but not restored, although the plaster moldings around the base were. Below: The original wood storefront bays lining the two Jemison Flats street frontages, replaced by bronze~aluminum frames and tinted glass in the 1980s, were rebuilt with clear glass. Due to cost, modern windows on upper floors were kept. Below: Sleek, modern materials in Jemison Flats lofts play off old wood floors, brick wal/s and exposed ceiling structure, Large windows bring in light and downtown skyline views. Along with the seven~ story building erected in 1908 as home of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the mjxed~use Jemison Flats project includes a former retail building next door and the 1928 National Birmingham Garage, the first parking deck in the city. 15 Volume XIV, No. II In Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects own ground floor space crisp new ceiling planes float free of the exposed brick bearing walls. Large windows bring in light and views of the new pocket park. Architect: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects, Birmingham Interior Designer: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects, Birmingham Landscape Designer: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects, Birmingham Developer: Corporate Realty Development, Birmingham Contractor: Golden & Associates, Birmingham DesignA!abama 14 To begin with, this is the first major project west of 20th Street (the Loft District lies to the east along Morris Avenue and First, Second and Third avenues north), so it sets good precedent for an area with many empty or under-used buildings. In addition to the seven-story former office building at the corner, Jemison Flats includes an adjoining four-story building and, beyond that, the 1928 National Parking Garage, the city's first parking deck. The pocket park occupying the space of a former parking lot is also a first example of an urban amenity folded into such a project, built on private land but with participation by the City of Birmingham. Along with being multi-building, Jemison Flats is also multi-use. There are 57 residential lofts, 25,000 square feet of office space and parking for 200 cars. Office clients include Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. on the ground floor of the tower, highly visible at the corner of First Avenue North and 19th Street, and BIG Advertising, which has carved out a creative studio/ office under the dome of what once served as the assembly room for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the building's first tenant in 1909. The back and sides of buildings never intended to be seen, one painted with the sign of a retail tenant and the other with a weathered art mural, have been punched through with new openings as part of the Jemison Flats project. Along with the new pocket park, it has an interesting look layered by time. Photography by Wes Frazer Solid walls that sealed off the mezzanine in the 1980s were removed and glass railings in keeping with the art moderne architecture installed. Cohen. "The previous tenant had walled in the mezzanine, so we removed the walls and put in glass railings so you could see the whole space." New contemporary light fixtures were made, inspired by the originals. All of these moves were helped by a fortuitous event: When Richardson Construction, the original contractor on the building from the '30s, heard about the current project, it brought the photos of the then-just-completed building for the owners, architects and current contractor, Charles & Vinzant, to use. "That firm has been around about a hundred years," says Cohen. "We just couldn't believe it." To make the most of the opportunity for the owner/occupant, Cohen & Company cut in a new grand stair leading from the lobby to upper floors of the six-story building. When a pre-existing tenant's lease for part of the fifth floor expires, the stair will extend uninterrupted from the lobby to the sixth where a skylight will wash the full depth with natural illumination. Upper floors, which were filled with small offices and corridors from when federal agencies were the occupants, were essentially gutted. Here Cohen & Company repeated the art moderne ceiling patterns in the open core areas using gypsum board rather than plaster. Perimeter offices and conference rooms have extended clear glass transoms with frosted glass panels below, bringing light to the interiors. This also lets the decorative ceilings be seen from those spaces. Floors three through five have 12,000 square feet, the ground floor 14,000 square feet and the mezzanine 8,000 square feet. The 5,000-square-foot penthouse on the sixth level, added during the 1980s modernization to be a restaurant, now houses an employee lounge that opens to a rooftop terrace. Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis has just under 100 employees, including 34 attorneys and 17 partners. "We were in a Class A high-rise, and as we explored whether to lease or own, we decided on the latter and formed a consensus to stay and help with the redevelopment of downtown," says partner Rocco Calamusa Jr., who volunteered to oversee the project for the firm. "Tammy and Stan Corsen of Cohen & Company had the vision, and Charles & Vinzant did a fabulous job. The new stair makes a big difference, both functionally and otherwise. The light and openness keeps the floors from feeling isolated." The Kress Building, built for retail and modified for office use twice within the span of 20 years, found the third time truly charmed. It's more architecturally whole than ever. _ The architects, Cohen & Company, designed a new stair extending from the lobby to the mezzanine and upper f/oors. For the law firm, the stair brings fight. openness and a sense of community to employees working on different floors. 13 Volume XIV. No. II Having the tower work both as a link to Mobile's past and as an exciting symbol for the future also came into play, Given the waterfront location and the city's maritime tradition, the top is meant to suggest a buoy or lighthouse, As it soars higher the tapering glass reveals the steel structure within, terminating with a very thin steel tower At the other end of the spectrum is how the building meets the intimate streets of downtown Mobile, The restoration of the Battle House Hotel (Smith, Dalia Architects of Atlanta) which stands between the tower and downtown, goes a long way to mediate the transition, But TVS has also designed the tower base to create an appealing pedestrian scale along Dauphin Street all the way to Water Street and the waterfront. This is facilitated by the fact that the parking deck is across the street from the tower, not massed at its base, TVS, which some years ago designed the city's new convention center across Water Street, welcomed the opportunity to continue Mobile's waterfront revival, They were impressed with RSAs commitment to producing a fine new landmark, "This is an office building and has to work to that purpose," says Hoover 'But we were given the chance to make this an important symbol, It was an intangible mission, but I think the tower will achieve it.' III Tile site pla17 sllows WiIter Street 017 Ille riglll, tile U-sllape olille BailIE! House Hotel aod tile parki17g deck across OaiJpl!!i7 Street (lop). A birds-eye view illustrales 11I8oas8 01 tl78 tower faClilg Waler Stree/, lj'plcaloflice/loor pla17, 23 Volume XiV. No. II Historic@Perspectives DELANO PARK : Historic Treasure by Jessica Armstrong Photography by Sloane Bibb 1111:1),'<: rqmxlu(<:d by pcrmi,;s;on of !i1G :\1;,b~!11" D.:{Xlrun<:m of Ar~hi\'c" and Hi,;t()ry, .\1()Il!:;,olllcl)'. Ala. DesignAiabama 24 Bath/lOllse and wading pool ul1der COils/ruction circa 1930. Nature does not complete things. She is chaotic. Man must finish, and he does so by making a garden - Robert Frost When we think of historic preservation, old neighborhoods and buildings first come to mind. Yet many of our early parks are just as worthy of careful rehabilitation. These green spaces are physical reminders of a shared past and add to the singular character of a city just as its other landmarks do. For more than a century, Decatur's Delano Park has fostered community spirit with its natural scenery and distinctive architectural and landscape design. An ambitious plan is underway to revitalize and expand the historic park, which sat neglected for years as new parks were developed. Friends of Delano Park joined the City of Decatur to develop rehabilitating the park's 19305, WPA-built stone buildings designed by Carolyn Cortner Smith, Alabama's first licensed female architect. Additional phases include improving the children's facilities and con-and fund a master plan and landscape design by necting Delano Park with a pedestrian and bike trail, Nimrod Long & Associates, which began with revital- along with other adjacent green spaces. izing the original rose garden by landscape architect Sam Barnett of Schoe! Design Group in Decatur. Development of a complete architectural rehabilitative plan and landscape design for the entire park is being implemented in phases. The plan includes Historic Precedent The importance of reserving space for public use has long been valued in America. The first settlers provided their towns with commons or village greens, and as communities expanded they included new "work must be readily distinguishable from the parks in their civic planning. Named in 1941 in mem- historic elements.\\/e've been fortunate to find some 01'1' of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's mother. Delano very helpful photographs of the park in the Alabama Park was designed in 1887 by notable New York landscape architect Nathan Franklin Barrett. "Just as Central Park in New York has been called the most important ,vork of American art in the 19th century, Delano Park remains after 117 years, an embodiment of the art of landscape architecture for the people of north Alabama;' says Barbam Kelly, v./ho is involved '''ith design, development and grant acquisition for the Friends of Delano ParI.:.. ''At 30 acres, Dclano Park is the largest park in Alabama surrounded by its original historic residential neighborhood." Its original 1887 land parcel is intact and unaltered in shape, and the open, informal character of the Barrett plan has retained its character, says Joel Eliason of Nimrod Long & Associates in Birmingham, the firm that also rehabilitated historic Vulcan Park in Birmingham. Delano Park's other distinct and character~ defining elements include the 19305 structures: gazebo, bathhouse, rose garden, armory, tennis courts and picnic pavilion, he adds. "We are maintaining, or in some cases restoring individual structures within the context of the park's history, and also adding new uses to the park that \vere never part of the original park construction," explains Eliason. "While any new construction or new site elements will be designed and installed to be in keeping with the original park character, they will not be constructed so that they appear to be from the original construction .... We can and will use materials and construction techniques contemporary with the park's period of major significance that can be documented in the Decatur area, but the Department of Archives and History, as well as in the TVA archives." New Amenities Several significant changes to the park are proposed, adds Eliason. First is the addition of a \valking trail through the length of the park connecting it to city sidewalks and bike trails. This 'history' trail \vilI have several intelvretive stations that tell the history of the park and community. The next addition, he says, \vill likely be a \vater play area built on the DELANO PARK MASTER PLAN Nilllrod Long & As,oci~lcs inc. The planting oftbe rose garden is shown in the circa 1930 historical photo below. lm~2~ r"i'rndl<,,~d hy p~rmi~sion of ,~" A "hama lXp;,,,mc>m of :\rchiw, a;](\ )1;'10:;". :"·h'n!i=mn~ry. AI;, 25 Volume XIV, No. Ii original location in the general character and layout original intent, as we understand it, and the later of a popular 1930s wading pool that was demol- 1930s period which is deemed to be the park's ished. The master plan also includes a new memo- period of significance. When working with a place rial plaza and picnic area. like Delano Park, you need to be very conservative Another important component of the master plan in what you add to the place and a little ruthless in is a tree list. The park is almost exclusively canopied removing later elements that are not in keeping with with hardwoods, mainly oaks with a few smaller the character of the place." ornamentals such as dogwood, Bradford pear and Additionally, the master plan also includes a crape myrtle, says Eliason. As trees are lost, the list Boundless Playground, designed to provide complete will help determine what species (primarily native) accessibility for children with various disabilities. should be used as replacements. These full-access playgrounds are also being built in "I think the challenge is understanding what ele- other regions in Alabama. (See Project News, p. 6.) ments need to be subtracted from the present park to bring it more in line with both the designer's TlJe rose garden rebabilitation is tbe first major project of tbe master plan to be implemented. Park Fund-raising Delano Park is city owned, and the city has agreed to match all grants that the Friends of Delano Park acquire, adds Kelly, who notes that the project is going to take "lots more money than we currently have." To help raise interest and funds for the project, a booklet was designed by Sloane Bibb of MindVolt Inc. in Decatur that captures the beauty and ethereal quality of the park ''The brochure design emphasizes the original elements of the garden - simplicity and structure," explains Bibb. "To spark the interest of potential donors, the brochure's photography details the garden's bones - the stone wall and the sheltering oak trees. Other photographs present the entire garden in its raw form, proof that it did, indeed, need saving. The combination of the colors, mustard and black, embraces the sentiment of the park and gives the brochure a stately feel, much like the family for which it was named. The mustard also adds warmth and a sense of nostalgia to the photography." Delano Park is a unique and special place that unites people of diverse ages and backgrounds, notes Nell Standridge, campaign co-chair of finances for the Friends of Delano Park. "True to its original intent, the park will bring people together as they seek respite from the \vorld and pleasure from "True to its original intent, the park will bring people together as they seek respite from the lUorld and pleasure from the arts, " the arts." - Jessica Armstrong is a freelance writer living in Auburn. DesignAlabama 26 DesignAlabamatUpdate Makin ~:;: "~~; ~~ ~ :;::- > \l Gina Glaze Clifford Economic development is a key component to the growth of any city or town in Alabama. Such is the case with the development of McClellan in Anniston, which is rapidly becoming a community with families, businesses, recreation and the arts since it closed as a United States army base in September 2000. Working through the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) [the organization charged with bringing the former fort back to a viable planned community], a number of individuals recently gathered to create a plan for part of McClellan as a center for the arts that crosses all disciplines and will serve to attract tourism and talent from across the state, country and world. Building a Partnership • In December 2003, DesignAlabama established a partnership with the Joint Powers Authority to bring together a number of design professionals to generate a master plan for approximately 11 acres of the property for use The Charrette by arts-related organizations, individual artists, retailers and the general public, The focus is seven structures in the historic motor pool area designated Creekside Village in the master plan, The red brick buildings once served as housing for both horses and automobiles on the base, It is the hope of the JPA that these buildings will be developed into lofts, studios, cafes, restaurants and marketplaces that will attract artists to McClellan and work in partnership with the Buckner Arts and Exhibit Center, a building restoration project by architect Julian Jenkins of Anniston, • 'Design charrettes are always exciting because they are inherently intense, where a tremendous amounto! information is synthesized in a short time frame, and they are a situation where the end product is generally ,loose in nature and speaks to the overall character of the proposed reuse,' Brewer explains, • Several months of planning preceded the charrette, Then on July 201h approximately 15 design professionals and artists from across the state met for the first steps of the process, Pete Conroy from the JPA board of directors began with the history of the vision JPA had created for the McClellan property, The group then toured the current facilities. While the historic brick buildings might conjure up images of horses, blacksmiths and military officers, participants of this design charrette were challenged not to look at the past but rather the future of what this area can become, The group first worked through a brainstorming and SWAT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Assets • The foundation for this vision was created in early talks between DesignAlabama and the JPA. Then DesignAlabama solicited design professionals interested in leading a charrette and creating a se! of renderings that the JPA could use to sell their ideas to artists and developers, A number of design tirms across the state responded wilh proposals, and DesignAlabama in partnership Witll the JPA selected Goodwyn,Milis & Cawood (GM&C) of Montgomery to lead the envisioning process Team leader Jeffrey Brewer ofGM&C was enthusiaslic about the project in which he notes, "Redevelopment of the property into an interactive live/work community could nOlonly serve the needs of the artistic community within the region, but also be an economic driver for the overall redevelopment of McClellan," and Threats) analysis togelher A broad disClission ensued aboul the potential of this community what was needed by the arts component and what could and would be sustainable as pari of this new arts and retail community; in short, what would help to .further economicallyrJevelop McClellan. Participants worked throughout the afternoon, investigating all aspects of lhebuildings from overall potential uses to detailed physical measurements, By the end of the day, the group had produced a number of ideas and thoughts for Ihe GM&C design team 10 ponder lhat night as they worked to produce draft drawings and renderings, The plan presented the next day encapsulated the group's ideas and met all initial design goals. 27 Volume XIV. No. 11 The Plan • Over the two-day period the GM&C design team had for regional and national artists. Plans for other compiled information from a wide range of sources buildings and spaces include a cafe. bookstore including the JPA. OesignAlabama. architects. planners, and gallery all to be located in two historic arts organization and local leaders. The result was a stables, working artists and retail areas and an series of master plan drawings and character sketches open green space for recreation. that embrace the quality of the existing buildings and illustrate the potential rebirth of Creekside Village. Within It is clear that there is great potential for the those drawings are a number of recommendations on economic redevelopment of McClellan as those how this property could be used and what could be attending the charrette and others who have developed and sustained at McClellan. Among the ideas been to McClellan can attest The hope is that generated: an amphitheatre, orchestra shell to become the summer home for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, a performance venue, artist cottages and an open-air market The market would be located in two open-sided sheds that once provided cover for cars and horses, but now wouid shelter fresh fruit and vegetables from the region, arts and crafts and an interactive fountain, all drawing from a wide range of demographics A third garage is designated as work studios and loft apartments this exercise will jump-start the eliort to realize an arts-centered community in the region and serve as a model for other potential projects .• Stable to be converted into cafe and bookstore. Elevated view of proposed courtyard in Creekside Village. Streetscape envisioned for a converted garage at McClellan. Current garage at McClellan. Outside view of historic stables in Creekside Village. Floor plans for converting historic stables in Creekside Village. OesignAlabama 28 Rural Studio Design Among World's Best Antioch Baptist Church, a small church in rural Perry County redesigned and rebuilt by students from Auburn University's Rural Studio, has been named among the top 100 best designs in the world by New York-based Metropollian Home magazine. 'The spirit of much-beloved architect-educator Sam Mockbee lives on in a tiny Alabama church," the magazine says in its June issue. '[Students] from the workshop Mockbee founded transformed materials salvaged from a derelict chapel into a striking house of worship wrapped in glass and metaL" Mockbee, who died in 2001, co-founded the Rural Studio, which is part of AU's Department of Architecture in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction. Andrew Freear, co-director and associate professor at the Rural Studio's Newbern campus in West Alabama, says, "In terms of the extraordinary achievements of the Rural Studio, this is one of the best. The church is very sophisticated spatially, programmatically and in its details. Spiritually, it sets a beautiful context for the next 100 years of this small congregation It reminds you of a project completed by an architect with many grey hairs, not great youth.' Freear says a church leader approached him about the possibility of rebuilding the structure, which became a 2001-02 thesis project for Jared Fulton, Marion McElroy, Gabe Michaud and Bill Nauck. The church, which had a small congregation based on only four families, lacked a restroom and baptismal font and was losing membership The existing building had major foundation problems and was sagging, so a decision was made to replace it, Freear explains. The students used all of the salvageable materials from the original church including roof and floor joists, wood wall paneling, tongue-and-groove boards and corrugated metaL 'To reuse almost 75 percent of the materials from the original building sends an extraordinary message to the world,' says Freear. The new SOO-square-foot building has a dramatic sloping roof held up by hand-built composite metal and wood trusses which form a retaining wall and water diverter next to the cemetery. The main view from the sanctuary of the church is through a horizontal window that allows the congregation to be at eye level with the graveyard. Architecturally, the building contains two interlocking wrapping forms: one runs north-south containing the soaring south wall, the ceiling and the horizontal glass waiL The other wrap runs eastwest and forms the baptistery at the west and minister's room and restroom at the east entrance. The baptismal font is below the baptistery and accessed by a secret tiled stairway The exterior of the building is clad in student-installed galvalum. Top to bottom: The main view from the sanctuary of the Antioch Baptist Church is through a horizontal window that allo'>'>'s the congregation 10 be at eye level ','lith the graveyard The exterior of the church is ciad in Qalvalum This interior detail shows wood wall paneliilg recycled from the original churc.tJ. A w A R o s 29 Volume XIV No II Art Museum at Auburn Receives National Design Award The first newsletter published by The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art (JCSM) at Auburn University received a coveted second place in the American Association of Museums' 2004 Museum Publications Design Competition in April The national, juried competition divided institutions according to budgets of more or less than $SOO,OOO. Falling into the larger category, JCSM competed with institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Phiiadelphia Museum of Art; The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The contest drew more than 9S0 entries. Twenty-three received first prize, 19 second prize and 101 honorable mention. In the newsletter category, first place was awarded to The Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.; second place to JCSM; and honorable mentions to The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, Mass; The Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; and The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services, Washington D.C. JCSM Assistant Director Haden Holmes Brown, noting the critical role publications play for a new museum, explains, "That publication must transfer the concepts of quality, professionalism and scholarship for which a university art museum stands. At the same time," she adds, "it must be inviting and accessible to people of varied backgrounds." Designer Dana Ezzell Gay, an assistant professor of graphic design in AU's Department of Art saw this as "an opportunity to create a memorable and sophisticated identity." She adds, "I felt that it was important to focus on color, space and image - all strong visual aspects of the museum itself. Integrating these forms with clean, readable typography was crucial to developing a consistent graphic style that could be applied to other printed collateral, therefore delivering an overall cohesive and unified graphic look for the museum." JCSM NewsleHer Cover and Spread East Alabama Textile Mill Rehabs Two former textile mills in East Alabama, Langdale Mill and Opelika Manufacturing, are being rehabbed for new uses. This past spring the City of Valley purchased the 2S-acre Langdale Mill complex City leaders are looking into the possibility of turning the former textile mill into a downtown area with hotel and conference center, specialty shops, restaurant and loft apartments. An old steam plant may be transformed into an environmental learning center while an area by the mill could be turned into a master gardening area. There is grant money available to cover the $300,000 purchase price and conversion of the property Auburn University's Small Town Initiative and KPS Group of Birmingham are helping through a study to plan the development of the mill The Opelika Cotton Mills, organized in the late 1800s, last did business as Opelika Manufacturing. The red brick facility gained fame as the site of the filming of "Norma Rae" in 1977. Now plans cail for the old mill to be turned into 120 loft apartments. The upscale units will feature heart pine floors and beams, SO-ioot ceilings with two 10-by-16-foot windows. Developer Burt Pace says that application has been made to place the lofts on the historical registry for future protection In May fashion designer Iris Joanna Billiter of Irisewn Designs presented her collection in the old Lowe Mill in Huntsville. The textile factory backdrop was a contrasting counterpoint to her modern dress designs. Before an audience of approximately 2S0, models hit the runway in clothing with a futuristic flare fashioned in original shapes and bright colors. Live music with heavy drum beats echoed in the large industrial space as 20 models appeared one by one in silhouette before emerging onto the runway. Background colors changed to complement and accentuate the outfits. The first model wore a pink Opelika Textile Mill (top) al1d Langdale Mil! shiny taffeta circle wrap over a simple black dress containing tub-ing in the sleeves and hemline. Others followed wearing Billiter's clothing line that featured accent shapes sewn into the fabric and her signature tubing which gives the fashions individual shape and avant garde flare. Billiter will be producing another sh_il'N~ +_ at the Lowe Mill in Huntsville on November 27, 2004, at 8 pm. I Tickets may be purchased at the door Ilisewn Coilection Presentation in Huntsvit!e Support the Arts Purchase a "Support the Arts" car tag and help support educational design art in Alabama schools. Help to increase awareness of design disciplines that influence our environmentl stimulate economic development and enhance the quality of life for all Alabamians. When you purchase a "Support the Arts" car tag, your $50 registration fee is tax deductible and directly helps arts education programming in Alabama. The elegance of Hollywood comes to the Huntsville Museum of Art this fall with the exhibition "Fashion in Film Period Costumes for the Screen." Thirty-five costumes from recent major motion pictures including "Titanic," "Evita," "Out of Africa," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Gosford Park" will be displayed on mannequins and accompanied with stills from the films. The museum is the national debut venue for this exhibition which will open November 7 and be on view through January 23, 2005. For further information: www.arts.state.al.us or call your local county probate office. The costumes demonstrate the development of fashion from about 17S0 to 1960. Lavishly embroidered suits and elaborate dresses from "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Jefferson in Paris," both taking place in pre-revolutionary Paris, show the sumptuous and colorful fashion of the period around 178S. Fashion greatly changed after the French Revolution. Dresses from the film adaptation oi Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" show the plainness and freedom of fashion at the beginning of the 19th century This simplicity did not last long. In "The Portrait of a Lady," starring Nicole Kidman and based in the 1870s, dresses are tight and constricting. The materials are heavy and dark in color DesignAlabama 30 Places in Peril 2004 The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) and the Alabama Preservation Alliance (APA) announced Alabama's nine most endangered places for 2004, Allen-Weathers House, Oxford, Calhoun CountyOnce the center of Hudson Allen's prosperous plantation, the Allen-Weathers House is a rare surviving example of a Federal period 'I' house and was built in the mid- 1830s, Scholars suspect the intricate wood detailing is the work of Lev and Griffen Borders, enslaved local artisans, Evidence of decorative painting exists on the plaster walls, an unusual early find, The family cemetery, a brick smokehouse and other outbuildings help complete this picture of life in early Alabama, Although a fire in spring 2002 caused significant damage, much of the original fabric remains, The AHC, the APA and the Heritage Conservation Network stabilized the building, Without a plan for its reuse and rehabilitation, the building may not survive, locust Hill, Tuscumbia, Colbert County - A fine and very early residence, Locust Hill is one of the oldest surviving brick houses in the state, Constructed in 1823, it was the home of William H, Winter of Prince William County, Virginia, and his wife, Frances Washington, kin to George, During the Civil War the house served as headquarters for Gen, Florence Cornyn Cabinetmaker William Braden carved its fine mantelpieces and Federal-style woodwork, An exuberant Eastlake porch was added in the 1880s, Currently unoccupied, Locust Hill was on the market for several years with no plans for its preservation, However, as a result of this listing, the building has been sold to owners wishing to restore it Otto Marx Mansion, Birmingham, Jefferson County - Designed by noted Birmingham architect William C. Weston, the Otto Marx Mansion is one of the finest examples of mission revival domestic architecture in the state, Two years after it was constructed in 1909, the house was pictured in The Archilectural Record, a prestigious trade magazine, More recently known as the Mary Lewis Convalescent Center, the mansion is a major landmark on Highland Avenue, Birmingham's elegant turn-of-the century boulevard, Despite its architectural significance, its prime location makes it a tempting target for demolition and redevelopment A developer who has a contract on the property plans to demolish it and construct a high-rise condominium in its place, Preservationists and the local neighborhood association have convinced the City to delay action on issuing the demolition permit Johnston-Curtright House, Tuskegee, Macon County - The JohnstonCurtright House is among Tuskegee's finest surviving Greek revival dwellings, Constructed around 1850 for Burr Johnston, a prominent lawyer and delegate to the Alabama Constitutional Convention, the house features a two-story portiCO with six fluted Doric columns and a hand-carved staircase, Now seriously threatened by neglect, the Johnston-Curtright house is open to vagrants, Ruinous chimneys and open windows expose sections of the interior to the elements, Local preservationists are trying to work with the owners to encourage the stabilization of the building and to look into options for purchase and rehabilitation, Old Rock House, Harpersville vicinity, Shelby Cou nty - Threatened by deterioration and neglect, the Old Rock House, possibly dating before 1842, may be the state's lone surviving example of an early stone dwelling, It may also have region-wide significance as one of but a few existing houses of its kind in the Southeast With its small upper level windows, carefully laid native limestone blocks, twin doorways, and paneled, recessed and arched stone surrounds, the rock house looks decidedly out of place in the Alabama landscape, So unique is this dwelling that surveyors with the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) photographed and recorded it in 1935. Today the house remains mostly intact though one corner of the house leans and vegetation has caused deterioration of the mortar and window sills, The current owner is aware of its significance and hopes to preserve the house if possible. YMCA, Selma, Dallas County - Possibly the oldest surviving YMCA in Alabama, the 1887 building is prominent on Selma's main thoroughfare, Although alterations have occurred over the years - most notably the removal of its mansard roof - it retains its architectural significance and many of the distinctive elements of the second empire style, Preservationists are working to find options for preservation and adaptive reuse, A 1979 architectural rendering by noted Mobile architect Nicholas Hotmes illustrates just how spectacular the old 'Y' might look if restored to its former grandeur. Winter Place, Montgomery, Montgomery County - Threatened with demolition by neglect, Winter Place is a forgotten landmark, To generations of Montgomerians, this once proud house evoked a glamorous past. Built in the mid-19th century for one of the city's wealthiest families, it reflected the then-current fashion for 'Italian villas' with its tower, brackets and heavy moldings, Now hidden behind dense overgrowth in a marginalized neighborhood, it is slowly moldering away An interested buyer eager to preserve the house with protective restrictions offers some encouragement for its future, Harris-Hill Plantation, Huntsvitie, Madison County - Harris Hill is among Huntsville's oldest surviving working farms, Frances Eppes Harris purchased the land in 1813, and generation after generation made a living working it The main house, which incorporates materials from two earlier residences, dates from 1935 and features a classical portico and fine entrance way, Several outbuildings remain as does an important early cemetery containing the remains of Ellord Bently, a Revolutionary War soldier. Huntsville'S rapid expansion makes this land ripe for development A plan to build a Wal-Mart on the site generated iocal outrage and is currently on hold, Although the propertyis still zoned residential, the owners are seeking to sell their land. 1856 Memphis and Charleston Railroad Freight Depot, Huntsville, Madison County - Severely damaged by fire in March, the 1856 depot and its nearby 1860 passenger depot may well be the only pre-Civil War complex of its type left in the United States, Norfolk Southern's chairman, David Goode, agreed to hand the building over to the AHC and donate funds targeted toward its demolition to help stabilize the building The Historical CommiSSion added the building to its endangered properties program and allocated emergency funds, The AHC will hold the property until the Historic Huntsville Foundation is able to take possession and restore it The Russell County Historical Commission has finished the reconstruction of the 1813 Ft MitchelL The fort, which once housed close to 1,000 soldiers, has walls which stand 16 feet high and on two corners block houses two stories taiL A blacksmith shop is currently under construction and plans are to build other log structures such as a replica tavern, hospital, trading post and building to house horse-drawn equipment and vehicles, The commission, under President Bill Benton, broke ground in July on a $1 ,6 plus million visitors center designed by W. H, Hogencamp Architects of Columbus, Ga, The project manager is Dean Hogencamp, The 12,000- square-foot rustic-style center will feature a 100-seat theatre, large lobby with artifacts and museum depicting the fort from 1813 to the Civil War. It was funded by state and federal grants plus a $350,000 anonymous foundation grant. The $4-5 million cost of the total project was a 15-year effort by the Russell County Historical Commission which helped raise funds through hard work and numerous yard sales, cake sales and aluminum can drives, The project should be completed by spring 2005 .• Fort Mitchell Visitors Center 31 VOlume XIV No. II Desi nAlabama Volume XIV, Issue II PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines (Vesign is not just that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and what it looks like economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and and feels like. investment in good design. Design is how A D APT I V ERE USE it works.)) ('Form follows function -' -Steve Jobs that has been misunderstood. (Wot everything that is faced Form and function can be changed, should be one, but nothing can be changed joined in a until it is faced.)) spiritual union. ') - James A. Baldwin - Frank Lloyd Wright For additional inlormation about DesignAlabama. please call (334) 353-5081.
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Title | Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 14, Issue 2, 2004 |
Description | This is the Volume XIV, Issue II, 2004 issue of Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, a newsletter dedicated to all types of design in Alabama. This issue features articles on the theme "A New Life: Buildings Transformed". The newsletter also describes different types of design projects in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, engineering, interior design, industrial design, graphic design, and fashion design plus historic buildings and sites. |
Article List | 1. Puzzle of Space Intrigues Award-Winning Designer: Interior Designer: Alice H. Cutright; 2. A New Life: Buildings Transformed: Adamson Ford, Kress Building, Jemison Flats, Young & Vann Building, Tuscaloosa County Offices, Winter-Loeb Building; 3. Monroeville: Quintessential Southern Town; 4. Sky-Scraping in Mobile; 5. Historic Perspectives: Delano Park: Historic Treasure; 6. Making Over McClellan |
Creators | Design Alabama, Inc.; Alabama State Council on the Arts; Auburn University |
Date | 2004-09 |
Decade | 2000s |
Editor | Clifford, Gina Glaze |
Art Director | Hartsfield, Nancy |
Writers | Armstrong, Jessica; Brown, Elizabeth Via; Dugas, Tomie; Morris, Philip |
LC Subject Headings |
Architecture -- Alabama City planning -- Alabama Urban renewal -- Alabama Interior decoration -- Alabama Historic sites -- Alabama |
TGM Subject Headings |
Buildings Building construction Historic sites Skyscrapers Office buildings Architecture City planning Urban renewal Remodeling Cities & towns County government |
EOA Categories |
Peoples -- Urban Life Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Cities and Towns Business & Industry -- Construction Geography & Environment -- Natural Environment -- Parks, Reserves and Natural Areas History -- Historic Sites Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Counties Arts & Literature -- Architecture |
Type | Text; images |
Format | |
File Name | 2004 Fall-Winter DA.pdf |
Source | Design Aalabama, Inc. |
Digital Publisher | Auburn University Libraries |
Language | eng |
Rights | This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. |
Submitted By | Carter, Jacqueline |
Transcript | Fall/Winter 2004 Volume XIV, Issue II $400 Des.• abama THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA Board of Directors Debbie Quinn, Chair Fairhope City Council Fairhope Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair Auburn University, Professor Emerita Montgomery Michelle G. Jordan, Secretary CUy of Decatur Planning Department Decatur Joseph R. Oooofro, Treasurer Donotro & Associates Architects Inc. Dothan Arnelle Adcock Central Alabama Electric Cooperative Prattville HB Branlley Brantley Visioneering Inc. Birmingham Elizabeth Ann Brown Alabama Historical Commission Montgomery Charles Callans Birmingham Realty Birmingham Janet Driscoll Driscoll Design Monigomery Scott Finn Auburn University Auburn Cathryn Campbell Gerachis Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood tnc. Monigomery 80 Grisham Brookman! Realty Birmingham Debra Hood Greenville Robert Martin Southern Progress Corp. Birmingham Edward Vaughn Dothan larry Watts Birmingham Regional Planning Commission Birmingham Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus Volume XIV, Issue II Cover: A rehabilitation of Adamson Ford in Birmingham exposed the building's dramatic space and its unusual history. This publication is made possible through funding by the following contributors. Advantage Marketing Communications AlabamaAssociation of Regional Councils Sloss Real Estate Group Inc. KPS Group Inc. Dperatkm New Birmingham Support the Arts Tag Advisory Committee A Alabama State ~CO""d! ~11,m'ne ~ .. :\rts DAVIS ARCHITECTS ~kinner D:~ISCOLL DES1GN~ GEt-JIVE Si:R'/iCES BRASFIELD &GORRIE WILLIAMS, BLACKSTOCK ARCHITECTS GiATllNA FISHERAYCOO< Editor: Gina Glaze Clifford Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield Associate Art Director: Ross Heck Assistant Art Directors: Kelly Bryant Tomie Dugas Bruce Dupree Dana Gay Samantha Lawrie Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong Elizabeth Via Brown Tomie Dugas Philip Morris , , , Sullmissian Inffolmaltio,rn, , , DesignAlabama encourages submissions from its readers. Articles about work from all design disciplines are requested, as well as copy related to historic preservation. Please submit copy along with visuals (photos, slides, drawings, etc.) to DesignAlabama tnc., PO. Box 241263, Montgomery, AL 36124. Items for Project News and Details of Interest should include a paragraph summary detailing the nature of the project, the design firm, principals and associates involved and any other details that may be of interest such as unusual or special design features, completion date, approximate cost, square footage, etc. Also include the name, address and phone and fax number of the client and an individual whom we may contact for further information. Direct inquiries to (334) 353- 5081 or mail to gina.clififord@arts.alabama.gov. Past journal issues are available for $6.00 including postage and handling. Contact DesignAlabama at the above numbers for availability information and to order. A special thanks to Philip Morris for his ongoing assistance and advice with this publication. Correction: The volume number on the Spring/Summer 2004 issue was listed incorrectly. It should have read: Volume XIV, Issue I. We reg rei any confusion this may have caused. © 2004 DesignAlabama Inc. ISSN# 1090-0918 This issue oj DesignAlabama was designed and produced on Maciniosh Computers utilizing InDesign CS. Proofs were printed on a HP 4050N and Phaser 7700, with tinal Him output on a Compugraphic 9400. Designing space by visualizing how people funclion at work. p7 DesignAlabama is a publication of OesignAlabama Inc. Reader comments and submission of articles and ideas for lulure issues are encouraged. CONTENTS Restoring the original character to an art moderne building. p9 FEATURES "A New Life" . ~~ilgiQg~TraQ~l 0 rfIl~g ADAMSON FORD KRESS BUILDING JEMISON FLATS YOUNG & VANN BUILDING Creating a commanding symbol for downtown Mobile. p.22 .. ~~ .. ~,,-~----~--------- 9 10 12 14 17 TUSCALOOSA COUNTY OFFICES 18 WINTER-LOEB BUILDING 19 DEPARTMENTS ---------------------_._ ...•..... __ .. -.-. Project .... News Work of Statewide Significance 4 Designer@lProfile Alice H. Cutright 7 CommunityeProfi Ie Monroeville 20 Design.Makes A Difference RSA Tower 22 Historical~Perspectives Delano Park 24 AlabamatUpdate McClelland 27 Details+Of Interest Noteworthy Observations 29 Preserving and revitalizing an historic park in Decatur. p24 Project ... News Project News is a regular feature of DesignAlabama and provides an opportunity to keep up-to-date on design projects that have an impact on our communities, T Spring Hill Administraiion Building and Mo~re Hall in Photo and with Renovations and Addiiions in DraWing Byrne Memorial Hail Myers Real Estate Corporate HeadQuariers DesignAJabama 4 The Architects Group of Mobile is working with Spring Hill College on a 140,000-square-foot renovation addition project involving five National Register-listed buildings, as well as the National Register- : eligible 1930 Charles Rogers-designed library renamed in : the master plan as Byrne Memorial Hall. : The renovation and repurposing of one of the campus' : oldest and most high profile structures, the circa 1870 : Administration Building, is now in the planning stages, It : will provide space for a number of programs and offices for business, financial aid, the registrar and some faculty An addition to the adjacent Moore Hall wlil house admissions and the president's office, The concept is to provide all the services students need in one location, The former Byrne Memorial Library will house offices that have an oUPNard focus such as development, alumni affairs and public relations, Walls and interior delineation will be largely preserved, but plumbing and electrical systems will be replaced, The focal point will be the new great roomthe former library reading room - which will become the college's primary site for speeches, ceremonies and events, : TAG is also designing a Mediterranean-style, 36,000- square-foot new corporate headquarters for Meyer Real Estate, currently under construction in Gulf Shores, The new four-story building will be state-of-the-art while remaining sensitive to the natural surroundings of the environment. It will feature a courtyard, a park area and a dramatic two-story glass atrium lobby that will wrap around mature oak trees already established on the property, Bristol Southside Apartments The Birmingham News Building Pullman Flats Williams-Blackstock Architects of Birmingham has been selected to design the new office building for The Birmingham News, Four firms were vying for the project which involves designing the exterior and interior including : furniture and technology and even relocation coordination : for the employees, A location for the office building has yet . to be determined as with technology today, the newspaper office no longer has to be located next to production facili: ties. The building has been designed with a glass internal structure featuring an atrium fronted by a traditional commercial fa~ade with shades of red brick, '*' Alex and Jeanne Krumdieck of A+I Design of Birmingham have designed plans for a proposed residential- office-retail development to be cailed Pullman Flats. 'liNO structures are to be built at 2226 First Ave, South at the site of a recently demolished long-abandoned warehouse in Birmingham. The development's name derives from the nearby railroad tracks, A two-story building facing First Avenue South wili be connected by a courtyard to a three-and-a-half-story structure facing the railroad, The development will include retail and office space at ground level and 14 loft units, One-bedroom units wiil sell for from $140,000-$200,000 each, Bristol Development Group of Nashville plans to build two four-story buildings in a 170-apartment complex near the University of Alabama in Birmingham The $20 million project includes lofts with open-floor plans and high ceilings mixed with more conventional apartment floor pians, Apartments will range from 700-1,300 square feet and contain from one to three bedrooms, The Bristol Southside : Apartments will include a pool and courtyard, fitness center : and business center with a cyber cafe. There will be an adJa, cent parking deck and skywalks to connect the buildings on the three upper floors. Construction began this fall with the apartments ready for occupation fall 2005. Donofro and Associates Architects of Dothan and Major Holland and Associates of Tuskegee are designing renovations and additions to the 1976-built Lakepoint Resort in Eufaula. Eight new cabins, a swimming pool complex and chapel will be built and the marina and main lodge with guest wings renovated and expanded. Additionally general landscaping, way lighting, entrance signage and civil infrastructure will be improved. In keeping with historic lodge architecture, the renovation palette wili include heavy tim-ber trusses, rustic stone veneers, lap siding, slate flooring, Stickley-period light fixtures and stained woods. The lodge and guest wings will receive major design and renovation emphasis with new electrical, lighting, plumbing, mechanical and interiors. A new 660-seat bailroom will overlook the rear terraces and lake. There will be three meeting rooms, a lakeside grill and pub for informal dining and an expanded dining room. The lobby will be decorated Stickley style with exposed wood, stone veneers, slate flooring and anchored by a signature stone fireplace. The cabins, sited on the old beach area, range from single bedroom to three bedroom/three bath to duplex units with internet and cable. A marina store and grill is being renovated with updated bathrooms, enlarged dining room and new interiors. The pool complex will feature children'S water sprays, outside hot tub, game room, tiki bar and trellised patio for pools ide parties An amphitheatre-chapel will host concerts, weddings, plays and movies. The $14 million project is slated to be finished in late 2005. Lakepoint Resort POOl House Lakepoint Resort Lodge ArchitectureWorks of Birmingham is renovating the Harris Warehouse and Transfer Building in the UAB district of downtown for the new Fish Market Restaurant on the same block as the existing restaurant. The ground floor will be renovated to provide for a new market, restaurant and kitchen, as well as allowing the storage business to stay in operation and occupy the upper floors. A new trellised terrace and outdoor patio fronting the restaurant is 100-feet long by 16-feet wide. The planned expansion from 4,500 square feet to 13,800 square feet will provide much needed additional dining space, as well as a new grocery/market with fresh produce, I ive seafood and other foodstuffs. Three authentic fishing boats from Greece will become part of the display and aesthetic of the interior space Lisa Beasley of Design South has worked closely with the owner and architects to create an interior environment that recognizes the history of the warehouse while accommodating its new capacity as a market and eating establishment Much of the existing shell will remain as is, with the incorporation of a series of high quality elements - oyster bar, live tanks and service counter - that reveal the building's new life. • .-~-- .,.. . ~ Developed by Hodges & Associates of Birmingham for Metropolitan Gardens Developers LLC (a jOint venture of Sioss Real Estate of Birmingham and Integral Properties of Atlanta), the name and logo for Park Place represents a new vision of residential living in the heart of Birmingham Arrayed against a dramatic background of lush green mountains and the distinctive Red Mountain cut is a graphic depiction of high- and low-rise buildings that define an urban vocabulary unique to the city Central to the design is a repetition of trees that comprises the urban oasis - suggesting the serenity to be found in the city'S revitalized central parks. The name and logo are clearly meant to reflect the best of urban living - safe, clean and within walking distance of the c'lty'S major art and cultural institutions. Creative direction was by Greg Hodges with design and illustration by Patricia Hooten. l" l" l" l" l" l" l" l" '!\i" PARK PLACE FISH MAR.KET RESTAURAtfl WHOLESALE-RETA!L SEAFOOD •. c'- ',,~, t~lEr2JX:b , ... :- -. ,- ;> ., •• ' " .. ., Fish Market Restaurani Sentell Engineering Inc. of Tuscaloosa designed the downtown revitalization of two city blocks in Uniontown. This project involved the rehabilitation of existing sidewalks which were constructed more than 30 years ago with an exposed aggregate. During the past several years this has become a hazardous situation with people slipping and falling The design included replacing existing sidewalks with stamped concrete, decorative lighting and landscaping. This project is of particular interest due to the historical significance of the downtown area of Uniontown. Construction began in September 2004. The project was funded in part with a grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation Enhancement Program. andscape rchitecture • y Eufaula Rails to Trails received a boost as the City recently learned it was awarded a $480,000 Department of Transportation grant, which along with an earlier Tea-21 grant of $28,000, will fully fund the first two phases of the project The trail runs along the northeastern side of downtown on the old Norfolk Southern railroad line. It begins at the Eufaula/Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Building in downtown Eufaula and wili end at the Old Creek Town Park without touching U.S. Highway 431 which traverses town. The 12-foot wide asphalt trail will have bike racks and water fountains along its path The project was one of the cornerstones of the Envision 2020 strategic plan and a part of the recommendations of the City's planning consultant, LDR of Baltimore, Md., in its master plan for Eufaula. Construction is complete on renovations to the sanctuary and music suite at First Baptist Church of Decatur. TurnerBatson Architects of Birmingham provided the architectural and interior design services. The project included an interior renovation of the church's ornate 1969 sanctuary. The chancel was redesigned with the addition of new pews and balcony seating, theatrical and house lighting, new finishes and expanded video capabilities. The project team included Dave Reese, AlA, principal-in-charge; Jamie Collins, AlA, project architect; Noelle Norman, MIA, project coordination; and Kristin Corley, IIDA, interior designer. First Baptist Church of Decatur 5 Voiume XIV. NO.1! • A different type of playground is being constructed nationwide and in Alabama. The Boundless Playgrounds project was started to provide the opportunity to children with and without disabilities to play side-by-side. More than five million : children in the United States have some type of disabil- . ity that makes it difficuit or impossible for them to enjoy : conventional playgrounds. The primary aim is to remove : all architectural barriers and allow children to play without : having to abandon their special equipment and crawl onto : the play area. Boundless Playgrounds offer greater acces: sibility than the minimal requirements set by the American : Disibilities Act Co-founder Jean Schappet, CPSI, is the cre: ative director who leads a team of environmental designers. : The Boundless Playgrounds designers coordinate with local : design professionals regarding site design issues and con- : struction details. In Montgomery a Boundless Playground : in Vaughn Road Park was funded by a grant from Alabama : District Kiwanis International. The organization has also : funded a Boundless Playground in Sheffield and at Langan : Park in Mobile. ~ Vaughn Park Playground Sherlock, Smith & Adams Inc. (SS&A) of Montgomery has provided master planning and estimating services to the town of Shorter in an effort to secure grant funding for an industrial park. The town of 500 located about 2 miles east of Montgomery has a small commercial/retail base supported largely by interchange : traffic from Interstate-85. Businesses include a campground, : gas stations, dog racing track and restaurants. In an effort to : attract industry, the town has launched an aggressive cam-paign to upgrade its infrastructure and provide an industrial : site that would take advantage of the close access to 1-85. : The development of the industrial site is divided into three phases: 1) design and construction of an access road to the : site (including the expansion of available utilities); 2) design : and construction of a sanitary sewer system to serve the industry and other potential commercial/retail customers; : and 3) development of the site for industry As the project : develops, SS&A will be involved in the design of the access road and sanitary sewer system. : Shorter Industrial Park Pian : In fall 2003 the Auburn University Center lor : Architecture and Urban Studies (AUCAUS) assisted the : community of Cordova to articulate a vision for the town of : 2,500. The Small Town Design Initiative program, conducted : with the help of seven fourth and fifth year architecture : students, included town hall meetings, site visits, meetings : with leadership and stakeholders, investigations and stud-ies. The process resulted in a set of concepts and drawings : that constitute an illustrative master plan presented to the : community in poster format The AUCAUS is still involved in the planning process that will lead to a comprehensive : plan drafted by the Regional Planning Commission 01 : Birmingham (RPC). : The initiative created a scenario to capitalize on the town's : exceptuallocation in light of Corridor "X"/1-22, now under : construction, which will link Cordova with Jasper and : Birmingham The proposal also focused on making the : downtown a destination. Critical to this was restoration and : revitalization of the historic downtown core. The plan also : addressed recreational and housing opportunities relative to : the Black Warrior River. : The City of Vestavia has adopted a Comprehensive Plan, a : first for the century-old city Its plan is a document of poli- : cies and strategies to guide the City in all municipal service : areas as the community confronts future development issues : and the preservation and improvement of neighborhoods : and business areas. The plan identifies areas for new growth : while putting a new emphasis on redevelopment Through : redevelopment, existing commercial areas will become vital : centers for both the community and commerce-walkable, : mixed-use centers that aspire to a high level of design to • complement the community's vibrant neighborhoods. The : plan also emphasizes better connecting the community, its : neighborhoods and centers and the surrounding region : through improved infrastructure for motorists, transit users : and pedestrians and bicyclists ..... ~. VE'STAVIA HILLS i'VTt":;;,E GRC\vr" CC",CEPT Veslavia Hills Future Use Plan C"';"~'''''''''O-~,,,, l",."H.',,-,',,« G,""'>'··'·~~c.,,~, t/ain SUes; looking East toward the Taiiui2h Hole! shov.,!nc! proposed RGsto(2.t!ons ~ Proposed Master Plan for Downtown Cordova and Restoration Proposals OesignAlabama 6 Interior Designer: Alice H. Cutright Puzzle of Space Intrigues Award-Winning Designer Life, sometimes, has a way of changing lanes just when the course seems steady on another path. Such was the case for Alice H. Cutright. ASID, who had set her sight on becoming an architect, but pursued an art degree instead to suit her personal needs at the time. As it turned out. art school gave her the background she needed to become an interior designer. and now she combines elements from both principles to plan public spaces in wblch people work and function. "I can visualize how people will really work in particular spaces," says Cutright. an interior designer with The Architects Group Inc. (TAG) in \lobile. Working in tandem with an architectural team from the outset of a project. an interior designer can create themes and motifs that extend throughout a project. "Making space configuration work is like a puzzle," she says. "It's my favorite part of any project." Before beginning her career as an interior designer, Cutright spellt several years in carpet design and sales, \vhic11 helped her understand the Ileed for creatively designed floors. Today, she says, her designs par dose attention to floors, because they add color, direction and playful-ness to a project. Her attention to details recently garnered the deSigner her sixth and seventh project awards bestowed by the Alabama Chapter of the American Society of Interior DeSigners. She was cited for work at the \lobile \luseull1 of Art and at the corporate headquarters of Integrity \ledia Inc.. also in ;\lobile. Both were projects in which Cutright worked \vith architect Dan Borcick)·, also of TAG. In the museum the spaces linking the galleries are artistic, as \ve!l as functional. At Integrity ~ledia the designers capitalized on the building·s beautifully wooded site with an exterior of reflecting mirrored glass. The interior features the firn'-s oval logo repeated in the reception area, the recessed lighting space over the squared-oval conference table, a hanging globe and the carpet, \\·i1ich features a geometlic cilde and square pattem. But, Cutright·s role in a project involves more than selecting carpets or furnishings. "j design the space Integrity Media Inc. atrilJm. itself,.· she explains. "and not just the surface materials.'· Along with space planning her tasks include preparing construction drawings and specifications for cabinetry Designer~Profi Ie by Elizabeth Via Brown Mobile MuselJm of Art entrance and grand lobby. Integrity Media Inc. media/conference room. PlJatography by Tbigfte1l PbatagraplJy (p. 8) mid Dalliel Borciek)", TAG (p. 7). 7 Volume XIV, No. II DesignA!abama 8 Pediatric oncology unit treatment area at USA's Children's and Women's Hospital. fabrication and making sure plans meet specific codes. Before she ever sets pencii to paper, she spends time with clients determining their needs, wants and plans for using tbe completed spaces. "Expressing a client's purpose is rewarding," says Cutright. Of all her projects, the one in which sbe takes special pride is the pediatric oncology unit at the Women's and Children's Hospital at the University of Soutb Alabama in ivlobile. [sing tbe staffs desire for an underwater [heme, Cutright chose a palette of blues and greens in a watery texture and illuminated with special lighting to soften the space for patients. I-Ier design also created custom areas for medical equipment and for privacy. So special was the project, the whole staff at TAG got involved to paint tile colorful ceiling tiles that were too expensive for the client's budget. Cutright's awards also include renovations to the auditorium at the Alabama School of \\atl1 and Science in \lobile. tor which she is now at work on the new library, and for three projects at branches of Regions Bank in Gulf Shores, Bay \1inette and \lobile. Currentl)', she and her colleagues are also working on renovations to the courthouse in Pensacola, the campgrounds and bathhouses at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, a daycare facility in \lississippi and a nc\v home office for :\leyer Real Estate, also in Gulf Shores. (See Project t\ews. p. 4.) ,. Elizabeth Viii Brow1l is II freelance writer tilling in J.Jmltgomery. Display shelving for the gift shop at USA's Children's and Women's Hospital. The reception area includes swirls of color and watery blue glass that maintain the ocean theme at USA's Children's and Women's Hospital. 8!::1 PHILIP mORRIS It would be hard to overstate the importance of saving historic buildings, blocks and entire districts to the character of Alabama's towns and cities. The rich accumulation of varied architecture, diverse scale and building types adds up to a distinctive sense of place nothing else can match. From the start, OesignAlabama has given attention to both full restoration and what is termed 'adaptive-reuse'. Finding new purposes for older buildings has been going on for decades, and we have featured many. These have included individual projects, as well as community reports like the recent one on Eufaula where almost the entire town is one continuing adaptive·reuse. We are pleased to present a survey of recent projects illustrating the continued strength of this movement They are: • Rehabilitating a building for Birmingham's Adamson Ford dealership and discovering a surprising past • Converting the 1939 art moderne Kress Building in downtown Birrningham into the headquarters for a law firrn • Pursuing a new aesthetic approach with Jemison Flats, a mixed-use development in downtown Birmingham • Transforming the Young & Vann Building into a center for community design for the Birmingham region �� Turning two modest buildings into Tuscaloosa County Offices while saving a piece of downtown's past • Giving impetus to Montgomery's emerging Warehouse District by renovating the landmark Winter-Loeb Building. What you will discover in these projects is a remarkable range of building types, clients and design approaches. And something else worth noting: This is not just about bricks and mortar, but about community spirit and our culture. As with the environmental movement, we now have a second or third generation for whom caring about our architectural heritage is as natural as breathing. Philip Morris has more than 30 years experience in magazine work including tenures as executive editor and editor-at-Iarge at Southern Living, Coastal Livingand Southern Accents. Although he retired in 2000, Morris remains active as a freelance writer and respected lecturer on design, as well as a major contributor to OesignAlabama. 9 Voiume XIV No. Ii When the architect discovered huge timber roof trusses above the original second floor ceiling, spanning between masonry side walls, he convinced the owner to keep the entire space exposed. This view, from the front of what was a second floor stage, shows parts of the floor removed to make a mezzanine within the lofty volume. Architect: AI Chiesa, Birmingham Structural Consultant: Bob Barnett, Birmingham Owner: Adamson Ford, Birmingham Photography by Wes Frazer DesignA!abama 10 As part of a comprehensive rebuilding and reorientation for the dealership, it was decided to renovate the historic two-story, brick-walled building facing Second Avenue South. "There was layer on layer of renovations, all downhill," says architect AI Chiesa, asked by owner Bill Israel to explore what might be done. "The inside was all chopped up into little hallways and offices, and the building looked like it had run its course." On the second floor, the architect noticed some tiles missing from the 40-year-old dropped-ceiling. He got a ladder and above that could see a decorative tin ceiling. When he looked through a hole he was dumbfounded. "1 could see all the way up to the original roof and the huge wooden trusses that spanned the space. When we later took out a wall we discovered the fly-loft above where the second floor stage had been. There was a trap door in the floor, and the loft still had catwalks and metal ladders extending up walls." There was no evidence of a raked floor, so Chiesa thinks there was a saloon on the main floor with a stair leading up to the performance hall. Though some thought it may have been erected in the 1880s when Birmingham was a wild-west kind of boomtown, research by the Birmingham Public Library archives department indicates otherwise. "The first indication of a building on that site from the city directory indicates the Grand Theatre, which apparently only operated between 1913 and 1914," says archives director Jim Baggett. "By 1919 it already housed an auto dealership, the Scouten Motor Co." While the decorative tin ceiling and other elements left over from the theatre use were too far gone to save, the architect felt the big move should be to expose the original load-bearing masonry walls and the impressive roof support system, opening up the full height. "It was obviously more than the client anticipated, and Bill Israel asked what they might wind up with," says Chiesa. "But he was open-minded and got excited as the idea unfolded." The idea? Float the new uses within the 50-by-140-foot space so it would keep its drama and raw, structural aesthetic. To achieve that, all existing interior walls were removed and portions of the second floor opened up so it would work like a mezzanine. All offices and conference rooms are open or wrapped with glass in black-painted steel frames to keep the visual flow while providing acoustic separation where desired. The client enthusiastically embraced the openness. This photograph from the late 19405 shows the original arched entrance facing Second Avenue South. The building has been used as a car dealership since 1919. Concrete floors on the ground level are stained a warm, aged-leather color, suitable for both auto display and sales. Plaster walls that extend up to the level of the tin ceiling were patched but left, the thick brick walls above exposed. With the original stage-level floor removed, the full 55-foot height of the fly loft is visible (about 35 feet for the main building). With portions removed, the second floor required some new column supports, and new composite rafters were added length-wise to make up for bracing provided by the original tin ceiling (structural consultant Bob Barnett). To give the renovated building primary exposure to 20th Street, what was a blank party wall was opened up and sheltered with a large, simply detailed portico in keeping with the original structure. The rest of the block holds existing service department functions, all reworked and given a compatible paint scheme. For this downtown dealership (one of many remaining, unusual among cities today) the stunning loft space encountered by first-time visitors provides a handy tool for Adamson Ford sales personnel- a good conversation-starter. • A large glass-walled conference room on the mezzanine takes in the view of the exposed original structure and new HVAC ductwork. The original plaster waifs stopped at the level of the decorative tin ceiling. The long, composite rafter is one of several added to the bottom of the trusses for bracing once provided by the ceiling. Above: Glass panels set in black-painted steel frames were used for offices, conference rooms and workstations to retain the openness. A leatherwfoned polished concrete floor is both beautiful and functional, including occasional displays of current models. Left: To reorient Adamson Ford toward busy 20th Street South, large openings were cut in what was once a party wall and a farge, boldly scaled portico added. The fly-loft part of the o,;ginal theatre visible to the ,;ght is fully exposed inside - much as the original performers were. 11 Volume XlV. No. II On the main floor, terrazzo floors were uncovered, walls removed from the original mezzanine and new lighting fixtures modeled from 1939 photographs of the space recovered from the construction company that built it. DesignA!abama 12 Left: Under renovation for a law firm headquarters, the art moderne Kress Building's terra~cotta fayade was cleaned and damaged tiles regJazed in situ. A new entrance was opened facing 19th Street. Architect. Cohen & Company, Birmingham Owner: Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis, Birmingham Contractor: Charles & Vizant, Birmingham While the 1980s conversion of the Kress Building in downtown Birmingham to office use was not sympathetic to its 1939 art moderne design, it accomplished one important thing: It kept the building occupied and in good shape. Some other long-empty buildings nearby have deteriorated to the point they will be more difficult to reuse. Now the building has been returned to its early modern aesthetic under a sensitive design by Cohen & Company of Birmingham for the law firm of Wiggins, Childs, Quinn and Pantazis - a dramatic turnaround that reinforces the larger revival of 19th Street linking the upper and lower parts of downtown. "The Kress Building's original entrance facing Third Avenue North had been linked to an adjoining building with a modern atrium by the Costa-Head partnership," says architect Amy Cohen. "They returned to separate ownership, so for our clients we reoriented the building to the primary frontage on 19th Street with a new entrance, restoring the original as an emergency exit only. This move also strengthens the relationship with the McWane Center and the new One Federal Place." A compatible new metal canopy bearing the firm name repeats the smooth curves found at the prominent corner. The light grey terra-cotta tiles that smoothly wrap the exterior were in generally good shape, and those that had spalled were reglazed in situ by a specialist from Philadelphia. Steel windows were repaired and repainted, and the raised "Kress" lettering incorporated into the fa<;ade was regilded. The new entry leads to the most dramatic feature: the restored ground floor and mezzanine that now functions as lobby and in-house conference center for the firm. "We took the space back as close as possible to its original character, removing carpet glued to the terrazzo floors, restoring the plaster ceiling and its diagonal patterns that link the columns," says Design.Makes A Difference • &EWe have worked to make sure that It comple.ments Ilr:; urban settln!l and at the same tuoe takes advanta!le of the opportunity to be a comn/al/dln!l spi1Jbol H DesignAiabama 22 • era In [n the hands of TVS, a leading At[anta architectural firm, the 35-story RSA Batt[e House Tower now rising on the Mobi[e waterfront has been shaped into what promises to be a singular [and mark for the city and state, Some residents stil[ think it's bigger than the city needs, but in this revised design it is going to be graceful - and stirring 'From the start and from ali sides, including Dr. Bronner and Mayor Dow, the size and scale of the tower has been something everyone's been sensitive about,' says Ray Hoover of Thompson Ventu[ett Stainback (TVS) "We have worked to make sure that it complemenls its urban setting and at tile same time takes advantage of the opportunity 10 be a commanding symbol," The building really is tall with an elegant g[ass-andsteel cap stretching the overall heighllo Ihe equivalent 01 41 stories, But the area 01 each tower level will be only 20,000 square leet, considerably less than the I[oor plate of most comparable office buildings, The apparent bulk is lurther reduced bycut-away corners that siim the profile Exterior cladding, which wil[ include different tones of glass, a custom metal-framed curtain wa[1, cast stone and granite, are employed both to enrich the fa,ade and emphasize the vertical thrust TVS architects, including Hoover and Gene Montezinos, took the c[assical formula for making ta[1 buildings - base. shaft, top - with special attention to how it could make the tower work from varying perspectives and distances. "The tower will be highly visible from a distance, so the top and the overall proportions will be most important there," Hoover says, "As you come closer you'l[ become more aware of the shaft And as you corne closer still by car or on foot, the base comes more into play"~ 117is fmdefiflg liluslf81es how pfomil7ml Il7e lowef will be 8S 8 flew 18f1dm8fk 8bove Mobile B8Y 117e 8fcl7ilecls ffileclll7e citys m8filime17efil8ge will7 8 lowef evokiflg ligl71l7ouse: I I ole by Philip Morris AI18f1tJ-Msed lVS; Ille 8fcliitecls fespoosib/e 10/ /Ile II[JW RSA BBllle !louse lOwef io Mobile (oefe sl7owoiBcifig fIIIBlef Stfee/), oBve givefl il B gfBcfiul proNe will7 CUI-BWBY comefS Bod B glBss Bfld ste8/ top II7Bt IBpers 10 B oe8dle splle The bBse fIIediBles belweeo loe lowef aod 1M feslofed BBllle!louse!lolel bel7ifld A view (if :Vorth Alflbama Avenue jto", Ibe gozeh," 01, the . ..•.. historic tow:i~ square. The project was completedil)ase(ies()fs!ll~l\phases as the money waS raised. "ThMown. w;ls' not t)lrivirtg¢cononlically," he~dds,"yet tlwyworkel( long aml hard without losing sight of their goal, which says so much about the people of the community." "Most towns with dirt roads and only a couple thousand people did not possess such a stately courthouse," notes Kathy McCoy, director of the Monroe County Heritage Museum, located in the old courthouse. "This elaborate courthouse raised their consciousness of design and influenced the entire radius of the square and the to\vn." Most of [he buildings in the commercial district are brick and were built about the same time as the courthouse, says Jane Ellen Clark of the Monroe County Heritage Museum. Buildings that pre-date the courthouse were made of wood and as they burned were replaced with brick structures, she adds. Although it was unusual for a small, rural town to have such a significant courthouse, by the turn of the last century, formal academic training for architects dominated courthouse design \vith various European Renaissance borrowings. Not until the 1920s and 1930s was regionalism a strong influence on courthouse architecture. Andrew J. Bryan, the architect who designed the Monroe County Courthouse, built many other courthouses in a similar neoclassical style throughout Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. New City Hall and Welcome Center In keeping with the traditional brick buildings surrounding the courthouse square is Monroeville's ne\v city hall, constructed last year on Claiborne Street. Also planned is a welcome center that will be home to the Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Economic Development. The original plan called for renovating a 1940s concrete block building at the north end of the courthouse square. Yet even with the help of grant money, the cost to renovate the building was pro~ hibitive, explains Sandy Smith, director of the Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber. "It was not a historically significant building, so we're looking to start over," Smith continues. "We plan to design it in keeping with the other brick buildings on the square." New City Historical Commission Taking the advice of the Alabama Historical Commission, Monroeville established a city historical commission this year. One of the commission's responsibili~ ties is to complete a survey of the downtown that was started with a grant but never completed. The community is also working with the University of Alabama's Office of Economic Development to make dO\vntown improvements, including s[Ore fa~ade design. "'It's not a quick fix." Smith admits. "Our downtown looks good, but it could be belter. We want a more updated look and new businesses. Some of the buildings on the square are vacant." Garden Club's Downtown Beautification Hanging baskets adorn the lampposts downtown, and large terra-cotta flower pots are at each corner of the square. In addition to these beautification efforts, the Monroeville Garden Club also funds and maintains the Katherine Lee Rose Garden at the north end of the square. Smith would like to see additional streetscape projects implemented, such as seating areas in the courthouse square. Pride of Place It's no surprise that a sense of pride defines a to\vn immortalized in some of America's greatest literature. \Vith a variety of revitalization efforts underway, Monroeville may one day be as well known for its historic commercial district as its rich literal')1 heritage .• Sets for the play "To Kill (l Mockingbird" grace the courthouse lawll. The Fiuch house is on the left. MOllroeville's city hall was dedicated September 2003. 21 Volume XIV, No. II Community.Profi Ie •• Quintessential Southern Town At the center of its community - physically and symbolically - the courthouse dome or tower cannot be removed from the county seat skyline without leaving a hole no water tower can fill. DesignAlabama 20 - Paul Gaeldner. "Built i1l tbe [SA" T7J€ lwodassical old calmly courtbouse features all oval comtrOO11l, oval porch aud Ollal building. by Jessica Armstrong In many ways Monroeville is the quintessen-tial Southern town, with its shady tree-lined streets, red clay hills, courthouse square and antebellum homes. The heart of Monroeville is its octagonal-domed courthouse, and thanks to local grassroots efforts was saved from extinction - the fate of so many early courthouses. The courthouse is now a museum and site of an annual production of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and the arduous road to returning it to its former glory raised the community's appreciation for historic preservation. Today, several downtown revitalization projects are underway in the town that officially became the "Literary Capital of Alabama" in 1997 when the state Legislature gave the community this distinction. It's no surprise that pride of place would permeate a town that's home to two of America's premier writers - Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Monroeville has rediscovered and revitalized both its literary and architectural traditions. Situated about 25 miles off Interstate-65, Monroeville is about a two-hour drive from Selma to the north, Montgomery to the northeast, Pensacola to the southeast and Mobile to the southwest. Its population just under 7,000, Monroeville is the seat of Monroe County, said to be older than the state itself. Old Courthouse Restoration On the 1\alional Register of Historic Places, the three-story brick old Monroe County Courthouse was constructed in 1903 and features an oval-shaped central room. The distinctive courtroom with dark gum floors and a balcony depicted in the movie starring Gregory Peck was patterned after the actual courtroom. The restoration of the neoclassical building began in the late 1980s and took about $2 million and 15 years to complete. "It is a very interesting plan with an oval courtroom, oval porch and oval building;' notes Nick Holmes III of Holmes & Holmes Architects, the Mobile firm that restored the courthouse. "All of the front rooms are oddly shaped, and entrances are located on the sides of the building. From a structural standpoint it is a very unusual building." Among its unusual features is a concrete-slab second floor, which presented a number of renovation challenges. Fire prevention may have been the reason for this type of second floor, Holmes says. Such common renovation tasks as installing new wiring or air and heating ducts were difficult with a concrete ceiling. "It was a very complicated building to integrate modern systems in," Holmes recalls. Au unusual characteristic of the cQw"lhouse is that Clltral1ces a,'e located 011 the sides. Architect: Brown-Chambless Architects, Montgomery Interior Designer: Brown-Chambless Architects, Montgomery Developer: Summit America, Montgomery Contractor: Whaley Construction Co., Troy Photography by David Robertson Below: Architects Brown-Chambless of Montgomery kept massive timber columns and other structural elements exposed wherever possible to express the rugged past of the former warehouse. Above: The building lobby was raised to offset the original sloping ground floor, the new steps and flooring made of planed-down heart pine salvaged from what are now elevator shafts. Not only is the Winter- Loeb Building a superb example of adaptive-reuse preservation, it also stands on a prominent site within the emerging warehouse entertainment district the City of Montgomery has targeted for revitalization around the new Riverwalk Stadium. (See DA, Spring/Summer 2004.] Completed in 2002, it sets a high standard for what follows. "I don't know that we could have created a more classic warehouse," says John Chambless of Brown-Chambless Architects. "It has exterior load-bearing masonry walls in cut stone and brick in what we describe as neo-Florentine style, massive and substantial." Built in 1903-04 by two families in the wholesale grocery business, the three-story building was served by six railroad spurs at the rear, the tracks still in place. Goods moved from there to all of central and west Alabama. Rather than the more typical 50-foot width, the Winter-Loeb footprint at the corner of Coosa and Tallapoosa streets measures a full 100 by 200 feet. It stands directly opposite the new ballpark which is filling the district with activity. "The magnificent size gives us a 20,000-square-foot floor plate, very desirable in terms of flexibility in space planning," says Chambless. "This also A large window with a massive segmental brick arch provides views out to Montgomery's reviving downtown Warehouse District. means that investment in stairs, elevators and other needed improvements is more efficient." With three stories, the total square footage is 60,000, not counting the 12,000-square-foot basement level which is used for mechanical and storage. The heavy timber interior shaped both the practical and aesthetic aspects of the design. "There is a 3-inch-thick subfloor and rough-hewn interior columns with diagonal bracketing," Chambless explains. "That tongue-and-groove subfloor took care of our fire rating. Most people assume steel would be better, but wood chars and seals itself, so it out-performs." In terms of aesthetics, the grand floor-to-floor volumes (14 feet on the ground floor, 12 feet on the upper two) and the timber framing set the tone. The architects minimized the use of new materials and partitioning, even though this is a multi-tenant building. The structural elements are left exposed in corridors. Ductwork on the ceilings was painted to match the wood. Inexpensive light fixtures suspended on cables bring the viewing level down, but 10 percent up-lighting gives a pleasing glow to the wood ceilings. Since the pine finish floor was heavily damaged from years of warehouse use, a patterned black carpet was installed. The greatest design challenge was the ground floor which sloped following the grade of Coosa Street. To make the transition, the new lobby was stepped up using wide-plank pine planed down by Whaley Construction Co. in Troy. Major tenants are Summit America, a company headed by Daniel Hughes, developer of the Winter-Loeb Building, and the Crosslin Slaten O'Connor law firm. Even with a major tenant/developer, the project was budget-restricted. "He gave us lots of room on the design, as long as the total cost did not exceed $100 per square foot," says Chambless. "And that included the acquisition cost." III 19 Volume XIV, NO. II Below: The architects repeated the bracketed canopies to give the later, plainer faf}ade more interest and visually link the two buildings. "They didn't look like much," says architect Evans Fitts. The block held a rundown, single-story retail/warehouse structure, another that once housed a trolley and bus repair shop and two bungalow houses in disrepair. But they were part of the fabric of downtown, and the two larger buildings now serve the community in a new way. A first phase involved the renovation of the 15,000-square-foot retail/ warehouse built in 1905 with a heavy timber structural system and load-bearing exterior brick walls. The warehouse side faced the interior of the block with wood-framed storefronts facing the sidewalk. The interior was gutted and built-out with all new walls, finishes and mechanical and electrical systems. Wood posts and beams, as well as the roof supports, were left exposed and integrated into the decor. The exterior brick was cleaned and repointed, a new roof installed and wood storefronts repaired. As simple as this building is, the rhythm of the handsome bays along the sidewalk create an appealing urban character so often missing in new buildings that lack such detail. Offices inside include the license bureau, the department of planning and development and the registrar. Left: Now serving Tuscaloosa County office needs are two formerly abandoned buildings, a former retail/warehouse built in 1905 (right) and a later structure long used as a repair shop. Fitts Architects used bracketed canopies over what once were warehouse loading doors to suggest the earlier use. Above: Restored wooden storefronts in the 19D5 building give the sidewalk a pleasing rhythm and scale. Architect: Fitts Architects, Tuscaloosa Owner: Tuscaloosa County, Tuscaloosa Photographs courtesy of Fitts Architects Visitors access these via a circulation route along the windows, so the experience is the opposite of the expected internal corridors. Former doors facing the interior of the block were replaced with windows and fitted with bracketed canopies that suggest their original use. In a second phase, the l,OOO-square-foot former repair shop was renovated to hold offices for the county and extension service office. These walls are also load-bearing rnasonry, but large steel trusses spanned the space. Again, the interior was gutted and the structural elements exposed as part of the redesign. The clear span worked well for an auditorium located to the rear with its own after-hour access. In Tuscaloosa, the typical tear-down mentality was turned around and a modest but appealing part of the city's historic fabric saved for new purpose .• Metal roof trusses in the former repair shop keep the new auditorium column4ree. DesignAlabama 18 The team found that tenant location neatly sorted itself out. Region 2020 needed storefront visibility, so it took the corner where there had once been a saloon. The RPC with its sizable staff was a natural for the large, open space on the second floor. And the top floor, which had always remained warehouse, suited perfectly the Auburn Center's need for a loft-like studio. Sloss Realty's Cathy Crenshaw, who has a reputation for taking on urban revitalization projects like Pepper Place and Hope VI, wants the balance of the ground floor to be a vital, welcoming place where issues shaping the city and region can be explored. Along with large meeting rooms where design charrettes have been held or the RPC invites residents of a client town to discuss their plans, there is the evolving Franklin Setzer Gallery, dedicated to the memory of the founder and first director of the Auburn Center. "That space emerged as the heart of the project," says Engel. "It extends frorn that arched doorway to the west side of the building and the parking lot. About 15 feet wide and 100 feet long with an existing skylight above, it works both as a gallery and gathering space and as a nice way for employees and visitors to enter." Remarkably, the once open-air stables now feel almost open-air again .• Architect Christopher Engel determined that a high, 100·foot-/ong space carved out under an existing skylight would be perfect for a gallery named after the late Franklin Setzer, founding head of the city's Auburn University design center. Leading from the arched doorway (permanently sealed) to the side parking lot (visible at far end), it also serves as the primary entrance. CENTER REGIONAL PLANNING AND D£Sl&~ 17 Volume XIV, No.11 Architect: Christopher Engel, Birmingham Preservation Consultant: Linda Nelson, Birmingham Developer: Sloss Real Estate Group, Birmingham Contractor: Stone Building Co., Birmingham rvoung&Vann .Building • R nEW LIFE: Photography by Wes Frazer Those Clydesdale horses pulling the beer wagon in the Anheuser-Busch holiday television spots once made deliveries leaving through the grand arch on the side of this recently restored Birmingham building. In the historical report prepared for Sloss Real Estate Group Inc. by preservation consultant Linda Nelson, the three-story grey brick building at First Avenue North and 18th Street is noted as one of the city's few surviving examples of Victorian Romanesque commercial architecture. It states: The building was built in the late 1890s as the Alabama distribution center for St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. The structure was based on generic plans from Anheuser-Busch, with local association of the architectural hrm Wheelock, Joy and Wheelock. It originally included an ofhce, a beer warehouse, horse stables and facilities for the beer wagons. Large wooden double doors, still in existence, served as the gateway for the wagons. With the enactment of Prohibition in 1907, beer companies curtailed operations and the brewer eventually vacated. Industrial hardware supplier Young & Vann occupied the building from 1910 to 2002, modifying and later giving it a limestone-clad single-story addition. Soon after it was vacated, Sloss approached a group of potential tenants about renovating the building for their use. Working as a team, with architect Christopher Engel as designer and Stone Building Co. as contractor, were DesignAlabama 16 Anchoring an important corner downtown, the Young & Vann Building was built for AnheuserBusch Co., a rare Romanesque-revival survivor from Birmingham'S late Victorian boom years. Sloss Realty Group renovated it as a center for community design organizations. the owner and principle future occupants: the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC), Region 2020 (a 10-county community visioning nonprofit) and the Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies (AUCAUS). Completed and occupied in 2003, the Young & Vann building houses these and other nonprofit groups. The three major tenants have also joined forces as the Center for Regional Planning and Design. (See box, p. 17.) "It was exciting to work with those organizations from the beginning," says architect Engel, who was working independently at the time but is now director of design for Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood. "The key to that building was putting a lot of effort up front to understanding it. Young & Vann had been there so long and so much was covered up. They had slipped in some floors where the ceilings were 6 feet above the floor. We had to really dig so we could get back to and reveal the original character." Original linen drawings still in the possession of the Vann family were of invaluable help. Among the discoveries? The rear portion of the building where the arched passage remains was originally stables with only a shed between it and the main building, the wall facing the street only a screen. ';LIt some point the stables building was reduced to a fa,ade and a two-story concrete structure inserted," Engel explains. "It's disappointing that some really neat things disappeared over the years, but there was still much to work with." A minimalist approach was used, partly due to budget but also to keep existing fabric. Adoption of the Universal Building Code by the City of Birmingham was a great help. "Under that code, you get a lot more leeway on fire ratings if you go with a sprinkler system." The arched doorway in the lower, rear part of the building once opened to an open-air passage and stables where horses and wagons came and went with beer deliveries. The date notes the founding year of Young & Vann, the second and longtime occupant. This project also represents a major commitment to downtown revitalization by Corporate Realty Development, whose partners include Chris and Brian Giattina, along with Robert Simon and Geoff Golden of Golden & Associates, the contractor on Jemison Flats. (Note: the same investment group has announced a new nine-story residential building to be built facing a planned new park at First Avenue South and 18th Street.) With the architect and contractor so fully engaged in the process, there was a chance to explore options that balanced design and functional demands with budget constraints. One of the major decisions made to serve both aesthetics and cost: to expose and stabilize existing building fabric but not fully restore or extend it. For example, sections of original floor tile are visible within an expanse of concrete floor as fragments. Doors and windows cut through thick masonry party walls are left rough, not covered over. The most visible effect of this approach can be seen to the rear of the buildings where a large commercial sign and a wall mural painted on the blank back wall of the tower several decades ago are kept, but punched through with needed windows. It is this candid, unapologetic interplay between what the buildings accumulated over time and what has been done to put them to new use that gives Jemison Flats its particular thrust. Contemporary elements are played off the historic fabric with equal directness - though with great finesse. Crisp new white ceiling planes in the Giattina Fisher Aycock space float several inches free of the exposed brick exterior walls. Sleek metal and glass components wrap conference rooms, offices and works paces following their own, cool aesthetic. Adaptive-reuse here employs an ethic quite different from the exquisite restoration given the landmark Alabama Theatre just blocks away. It's a different language, and one of great potential for the many nearby buildings yet to be tackled .• Left: BIG Advertising, with a Shoney's Big Boy welcoming visitors, makes creative use of the space under the sky~/it domed room origi~ nally used by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. In the same 'archeological' approach taken elsewhere, the deteriorated decora~ tive paint was kept but not restored, although the plaster moldings around the base were. Below: The original wood storefront bays lining the two Jemison Flats street frontages, replaced by bronze~aluminum frames and tinted glass in the 1980s, were rebuilt with clear glass. Due to cost, modern windows on upper floors were kept. Below: Sleek, modern materials in Jemison Flats lofts play off old wood floors, brick wal/s and exposed ceiling structure, Large windows bring in light and downtown skyline views. Along with the seven~ story building erected in 1908 as home of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the mjxed~use Jemison Flats project includes a former retail building next door and the 1928 National Birmingham Garage, the first parking deck in the city. 15 Volume XIV, No. II In Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects own ground floor space crisp new ceiling planes float free of the exposed brick bearing walls. Large windows bring in light and views of the new pocket park. Architect: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects, Birmingham Interior Designer: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects, Birmingham Landscape Designer: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects, Birmingham Developer: Corporate Realty Development, Birmingham Contractor: Golden & Associates, Birmingham DesignA!abama 14 To begin with, this is the first major project west of 20th Street (the Loft District lies to the east along Morris Avenue and First, Second and Third avenues north), so it sets good precedent for an area with many empty or under-used buildings. In addition to the seven-story former office building at the corner, Jemison Flats includes an adjoining four-story building and, beyond that, the 1928 National Parking Garage, the city's first parking deck. The pocket park occupying the space of a former parking lot is also a first example of an urban amenity folded into such a project, built on private land but with participation by the City of Birmingham. Along with being multi-building, Jemison Flats is also multi-use. There are 57 residential lofts, 25,000 square feet of office space and parking for 200 cars. Office clients include Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. on the ground floor of the tower, highly visible at the corner of First Avenue North and 19th Street, and BIG Advertising, which has carved out a creative studio/ office under the dome of what once served as the assembly room for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the building's first tenant in 1909. The back and sides of buildings never intended to be seen, one painted with the sign of a retail tenant and the other with a weathered art mural, have been punched through with new openings as part of the Jemison Flats project. Along with the new pocket park, it has an interesting look layered by time. Photography by Wes Frazer Solid walls that sealed off the mezzanine in the 1980s were removed and glass railings in keeping with the art moderne architecture installed. Cohen. "The previous tenant had walled in the mezzanine, so we removed the walls and put in glass railings so you could see the whole space." New contemporary light fixtures were made, inspired by the originals. All of these moves were helped by a fortuitous event: When Richardson Construction, the original contractor on the building from the '30s, heard about the current project, it brought the photos of the then-just-completed building for the owners, architects and current contractor, Charles & Vinzant, to use. "That firm has been around about a hundred years," says Cohen. "We just couldn't believe it." To make the most of the opportunity for the owner/occupant, Cohen & Company cut in a new grand stair leading from the lobby to upper floors of the six-story building. When a pre-existing tenant's lease for part of the fifth floor expires, the stair will extend uninterrupted from the lobby to the sixth where a skylight will wash the full depth with natural illumination. Upper floors, which were filled with small offices and corridors from when federal agencies were the occupants, were essentially gutted. Here Cohen & Company repeated the art moderne ceiling patterns in the open core areas using gypsum board rather than plaster. Perimeter offices and conference rooms have extended clear glass transoms with frosted glass panels below, bringing light to the interiors. This also lets the decorative ceilings be seen from those spaces. Floors three through five have 12,000 square feet, the ground floor 14,000 square feet and the mezzanine 8,000 square feet. The 5,000-square-foot penthouse on the sixth level, added during the 1980s modernization to be a restaurant, now houses an employee lounge that opens to a rooftop terrace. Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis has just under 100 employees, including 34 attorneys and 17 partners. "We were in a Class A high-rise, and as we explored whether to lease or own, we decided on the latter and formed a consensus to stay and help with the redevelopment of downtown," says partner Rocco Calamusa Jr., who volunteered to oversee the project for the firm. "Tammy and Stan Corsen of Cohen & Company had the vision, and Charles & Vinzant did a fabulous job. The new stair makes a big difference, both functionally and otherwise. The light and openness keeps the floors from feeling isolated." The Kress Building, built for retail and modified for office use twice within the span of 20 years, found the third time truly charmed. It's more architecturally whole than ever. _ The architects, Cohen & Company, designed a new stair extending from the lobby to the mezzanine and upper f/oors. For the law firm, the stair brings fight. openness and a sense of community to employees working on different floors. 13 Volume XIV. No. II Having the tower work both as a link to Mobile's past and as an exciting symbol for the future also came into play, Given the waterfront location and the city's maritime tradition, the top is meant to suggest a buoy or lighthouse, As it soars higher the tapering glass reveals the steel structure within, terminating with a very thin steel tower At the other end of the spectrum is how the building meets the intimate streets of downtown Mobile, The restoration of the Battle House Hotel (Smith, Dalia Architects of Atlanta) which stands between the tower and downtown, goes a long way to mediate the transition, But TVS has also designed the tower base to create an appealing pedestrian scale along Dauphin Street all the way to Water Street and the waterfront. This is facilitated by the fact that the parking deck is across the street from the tower, not massed at its base, TVS, which some years ago designed the city's new convention center across Water Street, welcomed the opportunity to continue Mobile's waterfront revival, They were impressed with RSAs commitment to producing a fine new landmark, "This is an office building and has to work to that purpose," says Hoover 'But we were given the chance to make this an important symbol, It was an intangible mission, but I think the tower will achieve it.' III Tile site pla17 sllows WiIter Street 017 Ille riglll, tile U-sllape olille BailIE! House Hotel aod tile parki17g deck across OaiJpl!!i7 Street (lop). A birds-eye view illustrales 11I8oas8 01 tl78 tower faClilg Waler Stree/, lj'plcaloflice/loor pla17, 23 Volume XiV. No. II Historic@Perspectives DELANO PARK : Historic Treasure by Jessica Armstrong Photography by Sloane Bibb 1111:1),'<: rqmxlu(<:d by pcrmi,;s;on of !i1G :\1;,b~!11" D.:{Xlrun<:m of Ar~hi\'c" and Hi,;t()ry, .\1()Il!:;,olllcl)'. Ala. DesignAiabama 24 Bath/lOllse and wading pool ul1der COils/ruction circa 1930. Nature does not complete things. She is chaotic. Man must finish, and he does so by making a garden - Robert Frost When we think of historic preservation, old neighborhoods and buildings first come to mind. Yet many of our early parks are just as worthy of careful rehabilitation. These green spaces are physical reminders of a shared past and add to the singular character of a city just as its other landmarks do. For more than a century, Decatur's Delano Park has fostered community spirit with its natural scenery and distinctive architectural and landscape design. An ambitious plan is underway to revitalize and expand the historic park, which sat neglected for years as new parks were developed. Friends of Delano Park joined the City of Decatur to develop rehabilitating the park's 19305, WPA-built stone buildings designed by Carolyn Cortner Smith, Alabama's first licensed female architect. Additional phases include improving the children's facilities and con-and fund a master plan and landscape design by necting Delano Park with a pedestrian and bike trail, Nimrod Long & Associates, which began with revital- along with other adjacent green spaces. izing the original rose garden by landscape architect Sam Barnett of Schoe! Design Group in Decatur. Development of a complete architectural rehabilitative plan and landscape design for the entire park is being implemented in phases. The plan includes Historic Precedent The importance of reserving space for public use has long been valued in America. The first settlers provided their towns with commons or village greens, and as communities expanded they included new "work must be readily distinguishable from the parks in their civic planning. Named in 1941 in mem- historic elements.\\/e've been fortunate to find some 01'1' of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's mother. Delano very helpful photographs of the park in the Alabama Park was designed in 1887 by notable New York landscape architect Nathan Franklin Barrett. "Just as Central Park in New York has been called the most important ,vork of American art in the 19th century, Delano Park remains after 117 years, an embodiment of the art of landscape architecture for the people of north Alabama;' says Barbam Kelly, v./ho is involved '''ith design, development and grant acquisition for the Friends of Delano ParI.:.. ''At 30 acres, Dclano Park is the largest park in Alabama surrounded by its original historic residential neighborhood." Its original 1887 land parcel is intact and unaltered in shape, and the open, informal character of the Barrett plan has retained its character, says Joel Eliason of Nimrod Long & Associates in Birmingham, the firm that also rehabilitated historic Vulcan Park in Birmingham. Delano Park's other distinct and character~ defining elements include the 19305 structures: gazebo, bathhouse, rose garden, armory, tennis courts and picnic pavilion, he adds. "We are maintaining, or in some cases restoring individual structures within the context of the park's history, and also adding new uses to the park that \vere never part of the original park construction," explains Eliason. "While any new construction or new site elements will be designed and installed to be in keeping with the original park character, they will not be constructed so that they appear to be from the original construction .... We can and will use materials and construction techniques contemporary with the park's period of major significance that can be documented in the Decatur area, but the Department of Archives and History, as well as in the TVA archives." New Amenities Several significant changes to the park are proposed, adds Eliason. First is the addition of a \valking trail through the length of the park connecting it to city sidewalks and bike trails. This 'history' trail \vilI have several intelvretive stations that tell the history of the park and community. The next addition, he says, \vill likely be a \vater play area built on the DELANO PARK MASTER PLAN Nilllrod Long & As,oci~lcs inc. The planting oftbe rose garden is shown in the circa 1930 historical photo below. lm~2~ r"i'rndl<,,~d hy p~rmi~sion of ,~" A "hama lXp;,,,mc>m of :\rchiw, a;](\ )1;'10:;". :"·h'n!i=mn~ry. AI;, 25 Volume XIV, No. Ii original location in the general character and layout original intent, as we understand it, and the later of a popular 1930s wading pool that was demol- 1930s period which is deemed to be the park's ished. The master plan also includes a new memo- period of significance. When working with a place rial plaza and picnic area. like Delano Park, you need to be very conservative Another important component of the master plan in what you add to the place and a little ruthless in is a tree list. The park is almost exclusively canopied removing later elements that are not in keeping with with hardwoods, mainly oaks with a few smaller the character of the place." ornamentals such as dogwood, Bradford pear and Additionally, the master plan also includes a crape myrtle, says Eliason. As trees are lost, the list Boundless Playground, designed to provide complete will help determine what species (primarily native) accessibility for children with various disabilities. should be used as replacements. These full-access playgrounds are also being built in "I think the challenge is understanding what ele- other regions in Alabama. (See Project News, p. 6.) ments need to be subtracted from the present park to bring it more in line with both the designer's TlJe rose garden rebabilitation is tbe first major project of tbe master plan to be implemented. Park Fund-raising Delano Park is city owned, and the city has agreed to match all grants that the Friends of Delano Park acquire, adds Kelly, who notes that the project is going to take "lots more money than we currently have." To help raise interest and funds for the project, a booklet was designed by Sloane Bibb of MindVolt Inc. in Decatur that captures the beauty and ethereal quality of the park ''The brochure design emphasizes the original elements of the garden - simplicity and structure," explains Bibb. "To spark the interest of potential donors, the brochure's photography details the garden's bones - the stone wall and the sheltering oak trees. Other photographs present the entire garden in its raw form, proof that it did, indeed, need saving. The combination of the colors, mustard and black, embraces the sentiment of the park and gives the brochure a stately feel, much like the family for which it was named. The mustard also adds warmth and a sense of nostalgia to the photography." Delano Park is a unique and special place that unites people of diverse ages and backgrounds, notes Nell Standridge, campaign co-chair of finances for the Friends of Delano Park. "True to its original intent, the park will bring people together as they seek respite from the \vorld and pleasure from "True to its original intent, the park will bring people together as they seek respite from the lUorld and pleasure from the arts, " the arts." - Jessica Armstrong is a freelance writer living in Auburn. DesignAlabama 26 DesignAlabamatUpdate Makin ~:;: "~~; ~~ ~ :;::- > \l Gina Glaze Clifford Economic development is a key component to the growth of any city or town in Alabama. Such is the case with the development of McClellan in Anniston, which is rapidly becoming a community with families, businesses, recreation and the arts since it closed as a United States army base in September 2000. Working through the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) [the organization charged with bringing the former fort back to a viable planned community], a number of individuals recently gathered to create a plan for part of McClellan as a center for the arts that crosses all disciplines and will serve to attract tourism and talent from across the state, country and world. Building a Partnership • In December 2003, DesignAlabama established a partnership with the Joint Powers Authority to bring together a number of design professionals to generate a master plan for approximately 11 acres of the property for use The Charrette by arts-related organizations, individual artists, retailers and the general public, The focus is seven structures in the historic motor pool area designated Creekside Village in the master plan, The red brick buildings once served as housing for both horses and automobiles on the base, It is the hope of the JPA that these buildings will be developed into lofts, studios, cafes, restaurants and marketplaces that will attract artists to McClellan and work in partnership with the Buckner Arts and Exhibit Center, a building restoration project by architect Julian Jenkins of Anniston, • 'Design charrettes are always exciting because they are inherently intense, where a tremendous amounto! information is synthesized in a short time frame, and they are a situation where the end product is generally ,loose in nature and speaks to the overall character of the proposed reuse,' Brewer explains, • Several months of planning preceded the charrette, Then on July 201h approximately 15 design professionals and artists from across the state met for the first steps of the process, Pete Conroy from the JPA board of directors began with the history of the vision JPA had created for the McClellan property, The group then toured the current facilities. While the historic brick buildings might conjure up images of horses, blacksmiths and military officers, participants of this design charrette were challenged not to look at the past but rather the future of what this area can become, The group first worked through a brainstorming and SWAT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Assets • The foundation for this vision was created in early talks between DesignAlabama and the JPA. Then DesignAlabama solicited design professionals interested in leading a charrette and creating a se! of renderings that the JPA could use to sell their ideas to artists and developers, A number of design tirms across the state responded wilh proposals, and DesignAlabama in partnership Witll the JPA selected Goodwyn,Milis & Cawood (GM&C) of Montgomery to lead the envisioning process Team leader Jeffrey Brewer ofGM&C was enthusiaslic about the project in which he notes, "Redevelopment of the property into an interactive live/work community could nOlonly serve the needs of the artistic community within the region, but also be an economic driver for the overall redevelopment of McClellan," and Threats) analysis togelher A broad disClission ensued aboul the potential of this community what was needed by the arts component and what could and would be sustainable as pari of this new arts and retail community; in short, what would help to .further economicallyrJevelop McClellan. Participants worked throughout the afternoon, investigating all aspects of lhebuildings from overall potential uses to detailed physical measurements, By the end of the day, the group had produced a number of ideas and thoughts for Ihe GM&C design team 10 ponder lhat night as they worked to produce draft drawings and renderings, The plan presented the next day encapsulated the group's ideas and met all initial design goals. 27 Volume XIV. No. 11 The Plan • Over the two-day period the GM&C design team had for regional and national artists. Plans for other compiled information from a wide range of sources buildings and spaces include a cafe. bookstore including the JPA. OesignAlabama. architects. planners, and gallery all to be located in two historic arts organization and local leaders. The result was a stables, working artists and retail areas and an series of master plan drawings and character sketches open green space for recreation. that embrace the quality of the existing buildings and illustrate the potential rebirth of Creekside Village. Within It is clear that there is great potential for the those drawings are a number of recommendations on economic redevelopment of McClellan as those how this property could be used and what could be attending the charrette and others who have developed and sustained at McClellan. Among the ideas been to McClellan can attest The hope is that generated: an amphitheatre, orchestra shell to become the summer home for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, a performance venue, artist cottages and an open-air market The market would be located in two open-sided sheds that once provided cover for cars and horses, but now wouid shelter fresh fruit and vegetables from the region, arts and crafts and an interactive fountain, all drawing from a wide range of demographics A third garage is designated as work studios and loft apartments this exercise will jump-start the eliort to realize an arts-centered community in the region and serve as a model for other potential projects .• Stable to be converted into cafe and bookstore. Elevated view of proposed courtyard in Creekside Village. Streetscape envisioned for a converted garage at McClellan. Current garage at McClellan. Outside view of historic stables in Creekside Village. Floor plans for converting historic stables in Creekside Village. OesignAlabama 28 Rural Studio Design Among World's Best Antioch Baptist Church, a small church in rural Perry County redesigned and rebuilt by students from Auburn University's Rural Studio, has been named among the top 100 best designs in the world by New York-based Metropollian Home magazine. 'The spirit of much-beloved architect-educator Sam Mockbee lives on in a tiny Alabama church," the magazine says in its June issue. '[Students] from the workshop Mockbee founded transformed materials salvaged from a derelict chapel into a striking house of worship wrapped in glass and metaL" Mockbee, who died in 2001, co-founded the Rural Studio, which is part of AU's Department of Architecture in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction. Andrew Freear, co-director and associate professor at the Rural Studio's Newbern campus in West Alabama, says, "In terms of the extraordinary achievements of the Rural Studio, this is one of the best. The church is very sophisticated spatially, programmatically and in its details. Spiritually, it sets a beautiful context for the next 100 years of this small congregation It reminds you of a project completed by an architect with many grey hairs, not great youth.' Freear says a church leader approached him about the possibility of rebuilding the structure, which became a 2001-02 thesis project for Jared Fulton, Marion McElroy, Gabe Michaud and Bill Nauck. The church, which had a small congregation based on only four families, lacked a restroom and baptismal font and was losing membership The existing building had major foundation problems and was sagging, so a decision was made to replace it, Freear explains. The students used all of the salvageable materials from the original church including roof and floor joists, wood wall paneling, tongue-and-groove boards and corrugated metaL 'To reuse almost 75 percent of the materials from the original building sends an extraordinary message to the world,' says Freear. The new SOO-square-foot building has a dramatic sloping roof held up by hand-built composite metal and wood trusses which form a retaining wall and water diverter next to the cemetery. The main view from the sanctuary of the church is through a horizontal window that allows the congregation to be at eye level with the graveyard. Architecturally, the building contains two interlocking wrapping forms: one runs north-south containing the soaring south wall, the ceiling and the horizontal glass waiL The other wrap runs eastwest and forms the baptistery at the west and minister's room and restroom at the east entrance. The baptismal font is below the baptistery and accessed by a secret tiled stairway The exterior of the building is clad in student-installed galvalum. Top to bottom: The main view from the sanctuary of the Antioch Baptist Church is through a horizontal window that allo'>'>'s the congregation 10 be at eye level ','lith the graveyard The exterior of the church is ciad in Qalvalum This interior detail shows wood wall paneliilg recycled from the original churc.tJ. A w A R o s 29 Volume XIV No II Art Museum at Auburn Receives National Design Award The first newsletter published by The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art (JCSM) at Auburn University received a coveted second place in the American Association of Museums' 2004 Museum Publications Design Competition in April The national, juried competition divided institutions according to budgets of more or less than $SOO,OOO. Falling into the larger category, JCSM competed with institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Phiiadelphia Museum of Art; The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The contest drew more than 9S0 entries. Twenty-three received first prize, 19 second prize and 101 honorable mention. In the newsletter category, first place was awarded to The Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.; second place to JCSM; and honorable mentions to The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, Mass; The Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; and The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services, Washington D.C. JCSM Assistant Director Haden Holmes Brown, noting the critical role publications play for a new museum, explains, "That publication must transfer the concepts of quality, professionalism and scholarship for which a university art museum stands. At the same time," she adds, "it must be inviting and accessible to people of varied backgrounds." Designer Dana Ezzell Gay, an assistant professor of graphic design in AU's Department of Art saw this as "an opportunity to create a memorable and sophisticated identity." She adds, "I felt that it was important to focus on color, space and image - all strong visual aspects of the museum itself. Integrating these forms with clean, readable typography was crucial to developing a consistent graphic style that could be applied to other printed collateral, therefore delivering an overall cohesive and unified graphic look for the museum." JCSM NewsleHer Cover and Spread East Alabama Textile Mill Rehabs Two former textile mills in East Alabama, Langdale Mill and Opelika Manufacturing, are being rehabbed for new uses. This past spring the City of Valley purchased the 2S-acre Langdale Mill complex City leaders are looking into the possibility of turning the former textile mill into a downtown area with hotel and conference center, specialty shops, restaurant and loft apartments. An old steam plant may be transformed into an environmental learning center while an area by the mill could be turned into a master gardening area. There is grant money available to cover the $300,000 purchase price and conversion of the property Auburn University's Small Town Initiative and KPS Group of Birmingham are helping through a study to plan the development of the mill The Opelika Cotton Mills, organized in the late 1800s, last did business as Opelika Manufacturing. The red brick facility gained fame as the site of the filming of "Norma Rae" in 1977. Now plans cail for the old mill to be turned into 120 loft apartments. The upscale units will feature heart pine floors and beams, SO-ioot ceilings with two 10-by-16-foot windows. Developer Burt Pace says that application has been made to place the lofts on the historical registry for future protection In May fashion designer Iris Joanna Billiter of Irisewn Designs presented her collection in the old Lowe Mill in Huntsville. The textile factory backdrop was a contrasting counterpoint to her modern dress designs. Before an audience of approximately 2S0, models hit the runway in clothing with a futuristic flare fashioned in original shapes and bright colors. Live music with heavy drum beats echoed in the large industrial space as 20 models appeared one by one in silhouette before emerging onto the runway. Background colors changed to complement and accentuate the outfits. The first model wore a pink Opelika Textile Mill (top) al1d Langdale Mil! shiny taffeta circle wrap over a simple black dress containing tub-ing in the sleeves and hemline. Others followed wearing Billiter's clothing line that featured accent shapes sewn into the fabric and her signature tubing which gives the fashions individual shape and avant garde flare. Billiter will be producing another sh_il'N~ +_ at the Lowe Mill in Huntsville on November 27, 2004, at 8 pm. I Tickets may be purchased at the door Ilisewn Coilection Presentation in Huntsvit!e Support the Arts Purchase a "Support the Arts" car tag and help support educational design art in Alabama schools. Help to increase awareness of design disciplines that influence our environmentl stimulate economic development and enhance the quality of life for all Alabamians. When you purchase a "Support the Arts" car tag, your $50 registration fee is tax deductible and directly helps arts education programming in Alabama. The elegance of Hollywood comes to the Huntsville Museum of Art this fall with the exhibition "Fashion in Film Period Costumes for the Screen." Thirty-five costumes from recent major motion pictures including "Titanic," "Evita," "Out of Africa," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Gosford Park" will be displayed on mannequins and accompanied with stills from the films. The museum is the national debut venue for this exhibition which will open November 7 and be on view through January 23, 2005. For further information: www.arts.state.al.us or call your local county probate office. The costumes demonstrate the development of fashion from about 17S0 to 1960. Lavishly embroidered suits and elaborate dresses from "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Jefferson in Paris," both taking place in pre-revolutionary Paris, show the sumptuous and colorful fashion of the period around 178S. Fashion greatly changed after the French Revolution. Dresses from the film adaptation oi Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" show the plainness and freedom of fashion at the beginning of the 19th century This simplicity did not last long. In "The Portrait of a Lady," starring Nicole Kidman and based in the 1870s, dresses are tight and constricting. The materials are heavy and dark in color DesignAlabama 30 Places in Peril 2004 The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) and the Alabama Preservation Alliance (APA) announced Alabama's nine most endangered places for 2004, Allen-Weathers House, Oxford, Calhoun CountyOnce the center of Hudson Allen's prosperous plantation, the Allen-Weathers House is a rare surviving example of a Federal period 'I' house and was built in the mid- 1830s, Scholars suspect the intricate wood detailing is the work of Lev and Griffen Borders, enslaved local artisans, Evidence of decorative painting exists on the plaster walls, an unusual early find, The family cemetery, a brick smokehouse and other outbuildings help complete this picture of life in early Alabama, Although a fire in spring 2002 caused significant damage, much of the original fabric remains, The AHC, the APA and the Heritage Conservation Network stabilized the building, Without a plan for its reuse and rehabilitation, the building may not survive, locust Hill, Tuscumbia, Colbert County - A fine and very early residence, Locust Hill is one of the oldest surviving brick houses in the state, Constructed in 1823, it was the home of William H, Winter of Prince William County, Virginia, and his wife, Frances Washington, kin to George, During the Civil War the house served as headquarters for Gen, Florence Cornyn Cabinetmaker William Braden carved its fine mantelpieces and Federal-style woodwork, An exuberant Eastlake porch was added in the 1880s, Currently unoccupied, Locust Hill was on the market for several years with no plans for its preservation, However, as a result of this listing, the building has been sold to owners wishing to restore it Otto Marx Mansion, Birmingham, Jefferson County - Designed by noted Birmingham architect William C. Weston, the Otto Marx Mansion is one of the finest examples of mission revival domestic architecture in the state, Two years after it was constructed in 1909, the house was pictured in The Archilectural Record, a prestigious trade magazine, More recently known as the Mary Lewis Convalescent Center, the mansion is a major landmark on Highland Avenue, Birmingham's elegant turn-of-the century boulevard, Despite its architectural significance, its prime location makes it a tempting target for demolition and redevelopment A developer who has a contract on the property plans to demolish it and construct a high-rise condominium in its place, Preservationists and the local neighborhood association have convinced the City to delay action on issuing the demolition permit Johnston-Curtright House, Tuskegee, Macon County - The JohnstonCurtright House is among Tuskegee's finest surviving Greek revival dwellings, Constructed around 1850 for Burr Johnston, a prominent lawyer and delegate to the Alabama Constitutional Convention, the house features a two-story portiCO with six fluted Doric columns and a hand-carved staircase, Now seriously threatened by neglect, the Johnston-Curtright house is open to vagrants, Ruinous chimneys and open windows expose sections of the interior to the elements, Local preservationists are trying to work with the owners to encourage the stabilization of the building and to look into options for purchase and rehabilitation, Old Rock House, Harpersville vicinity, Shelby Cou nty - Threatened by deterioration and neglect, the Old Rock House, possibly dating before 1842, may be the state's lone surviving example of an early stone dwelling, It may also have region-wide significance as one of but a few existing houses of its kind in the Southeast With its small upper level windows, carefully laid native limestone blocks, twin doorways, and paneled, recessed and arched stone surrounds, the rock house looks decidedly out of place in the Alabama landscape, So unique is this dwelling that surveyors with the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) photographed and recorded it in 1935. Today the house remains mostly intact though one corner of the house leans and vegetation has caused deterioration of the mortar and window sills, The current owner is aware of its significance and hopes to preserve the house if possible. YMCA, Selma, Dallas County - Possibly the oldest surviving YMCA in Alabama, the 1887 building is prominent on Selma's main thoroughfare, Although alterations have occurred over the years - most notably the removal of its mansard roof - it retains its architectural significance and many of the distinctive elements of the second empire style, Preservationists are working to find options for preservation and adaptive reuse, A 1979 architectural rendering by noted Mobile architect Nicholas Hotmes illustrates just how spectacular the old 'Y' might look if restored to its former grandeur. Winter Place, Montgomery, Montgomery County - Threatened with demolition by neglect, Winter Place is a forgotten landmark, To generations of Montgomerians, this once proud house evoked a glamorous past. Built in the mid-19th century for one of the city's wealthiest families, it reflected the then-current fashion for 'Italian villas' with its tower, brackets and heavy moldings, Now hidden behind dense overgrowth in a marginalized neighborhood, it is slowly moldering away An interested buyer eager to preserve the house with protective restrictions offers some encouragement for its future, Harris-Hill Plantation, Huntsvitie, Madison County - Harris Hill is among Huntsville's oldest surviving working farms, Frances Eppes Harris purchased the land in 1813, and generation after generation made a living working it The main house, which incorporates materials from two earlier residences, dates from 1935 and features a classical portico and fine entrance way, Several outbuildings remain as does an important early cemetery containing the remains of Ellord Bently, a Revolutionary War soldier. Huntsville'S rapid expansion makes this land ripe for development A plan to build a Wal-Mart on the site generated iocal outrage and is currently on hold, Although the propertyis still zoned residential, the owners are seeking to sell their land. 1856 Memphis and Charleston Railroad Freight Depot, Huntsville, Madison County - Severely damaged by fire in March, the 1856 depot and its nearby 1860 passenger depot may well be the only pre-Civil War complex of its type left in the United States, Norfolk Southern's chairman, David Goode, agreed to hand the building over to the AHC and donate funds targeted toward its demolition to help stabilize the building The Historical CommiSSion added the building to its endangered properties program and allocated emergency funds, The AHC will hold the property until the Historic Huntsville Foundation is able to take possession and restore it The Russell County Historical Commission has finished the reconstruction of the 1813 Ft MitchelL The fort, which once housed close to 1,000 soldiers, has walls which stand 16 feet high and on two corners block houses two stories taiL A blacksmith shop is currently under construction and plans are to build other log structures such as a replica tavern, hospital, trading post and building to house horse-drawn equipment and vehicles, The commission, under President Bill Benton, broke ground in July on a $1 ,6 plus million visitors center designed by W. H, Hogencamp Architects of Columbus, Ga, The project manager is Dean Hogencamp, The 12,000- square-foot rustic-style center will feature a 100-seat theatre, large lobby with artifacts and museum depicting the fort from 1813 to the Civil War. It was funded by state and federal grants plus a $350,000 anonymous foundation grant. The $4-5 million cost of the total project was a 15-year effort by the Russell County Historical Commission which helped raise funds through hard work and numerous yard sales, cake sales and aluminum can drives, The project should be completed by spring 2005 .• Fort Mitchell Visitors Center 31 VOlume XIV No. II Desi nAlabama Volume XIV, Issue II PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines (Vesign is not just that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and what it looks like economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and and feels like. investment in good design. Design is how A D APT I V ERE USE it works.)) ('Form follows function -' -Steve Jobs that has been misunderstood. (Wot everything that is faced Form and function can be changed, should be one, but nothing can be changed joined in a until it is faced.)) spiritual union. ') - James A. Baldwin - Frank Lloyd Wright For additional inlormation about DesignAlabama. please call (334) 353-5081. |
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