Doors Open Milwaukee

On Saturday, over the weekend, I was able to take a closer look into Milwaukee's City Hall because of Doors Open Milwaukee. That weekend many historically preserved places were open to the public for tours of the building or for simple exploring. Though I didn't
take a tour of the City Hall, I did sneak up to the bell tour. At the top, which seemed like twelve stories up from the fifth floor, was the most amazing view of the city. I could literally see my house from up there.

The one image is a panoramic of view and the second is view down from the top of the tour.

Third Ward Guidelines

The third ward is a highly designed area with a tonne of rules as to how the streets are to work and be organized. The Third Ward calls for spaces to always be “lively” and “active”. These are indeed good principles that seem to be characteristic, in my experience, seem to be very European in nature. Smaller more enclosed spaces, outdoor dining, walking and large windows allow all pedestrians and patrons to co-mingle together in many different ways. I also found the guidelines for parking very important, guarding the pedestrians from vehicular traffic is definitely an idea I can get behind, because of the then recognized ability to keep traffic and people separate, for both safety and aesthetic purposes.

Design guidelines are useful, and sometimes necessary to create a space that is more easily used, more easily visually processed and more easily activated, but sometimes the charm of an area can be in the dissimilarities of any given area. There are reasons as to designing a space, but one negative I find is the visually boring characteristics of such new development areas. Strategically I find that a well-designed space may be a better use of space, but often an over designed area begins to seem flat. The blending of places like the third ward with its tree-height guidelines, desire for all buildings to meet at the edge of the plot line, etc, seem a bit overworked and somewhat pretentious. I understand the developers were creating and experience, a “look” to keep with the “charm” of the area, but character and aesthetics are a personal goal. I find myself more visually drawn to areas with less demanding guidelines so that buildings can really stand out, Like the Brady Street area of Milwaukee where I live.

Historic Third Ward

I have been down to the Third Ward a couple of times before I started high school with my mom. She loves the little shops that are around here. However, I never paid attention to the design aspect of the buildings, I just thought they were built extremely cool. Since then, there have been renovations here and there to make sure the overall look of the historic ward was together. Back then, I didn't know these buildings were historic. Fast forward to now, I see how all the elements of the buildings and light posts pull together a beautiful design that I think will never go out of style.

As I read the guidelines, I guess I never really thought about how much thought and detail goes into designing a district. No matter how small or big an element maybe, you want to make sure everything is unified. Parking lots, street parking along with the little shops, those are just some of the details that I'm sure took a lot of time and energy to figure out. That's a small area...I'm surprised by how just having a unified look and then something on a building is wrong, it broke or fell off, it ruins the whole districts image. However that goes for every piece that is designed.

I think there should be design guidelines in districts such as the Historic Third Ward. HTW is an awesome example, it's not sore to the eye, it's pleasant to look at and be in. The atmosphere, I think, is totally different than other parts of Milwaukee. To me, it takes me back a little bit; with other districts having design guidelines, they can easily create an area where people can come and escape to present.

Historic Third Ward?

Until this past year, I had no previous knowledge of the Historic Third Ward until my search for a new school. Upon visiting MIAD's facilities I accidentally got lost and ended up driving around the Historic Third Ward numerous times until I found MIAD. Even though I have been to Milwaukee numerous times I never saw the difference of the historic third ward compared to other upscale neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area. There have been a lot more renovations taken place in the area to update broken down buildings, but I never knew it was considered historic. I don't see the historical aspect of the buildings because they all seem to be new and modern. However, I do see a cohesive effect to the design of the buildings as far as their layout and in junction with each other. It's also funny how true a historic district does bump up the economic value of a site. I always thought the prices skyrocketed due to the fact that all the buildings were brand new, but the fact that it's a historic neighborhood has some to do with that as well.

It was interesting to read the guidelines for the district because as small and insignificant as a feature might be on a building can make a large difference in the overall picture. Some interesting features I found were the parking lots, street terraces, the seating required outside of cafes, and even the simplicity of park design. It really goes to show that 'the devil is in the details.' Makes you more aware that its not just the solids, like size of a building or the material it is made out of, but also about the voids such as alley length and how the store front looks.

The historic district my not be as noticeably identical compared to some other historic districts throughout the U.S., but it have three of the main components of districts: defined borders, aesthetic quality, and an overall design of buildings. I do see the need for guidelines in districts and the Historic Third Ward is a perfect example. The entire neighborhood doesn't have to be identical, but it does provide enough structure to create a visually pleasant area. Even in the Historic Third Ward Guidelines it gave a list of options of different styles of historical to modern architecture that could be implemented in the design process.

Rags to Riches

The Historic Third Ward, a rags to riches story if there ever was one. Empty warehouse buildings, high crime rates, and generally run down; all attributes of the area 20 years ago. If we try to come up with attributes for the present the list looks quite different. Thriving public street life, economic incline, abundant retail and dinning options, as well as upscale housing. The revitalization and restoration of the district has created a great asset for the city of Milwaukee.

The majority of the success is due in part to the design guidelines set up for the Third Ward District. They successfully created an area that is varied but very cohesive at the same time. Example being the guideline where the building height can't be the same as an adjacent building, or the option for various architectural styles as long as the architectural composition of base, middle, and top remain constant. The strongest guideline I feel are the ones pertaining to continuing street edge and those contributing to public street life. They helped create an district meant for exploring. From window shopping to sitting outside while eating at a cafe, or just walking the Riverwalk you can't help but be engaged by your surroundings.

While no guidelines are perfect I do think these are a great example of what to do. They allow a district to grow while maintaining a level of continuity without feeling under stimulated. While it may not have preserved as much as some would have liked I feel it was for the benefit of the public. After all if you only preserve the past, how will we preserve our own history.

Van Ells Drug Store

The Van Ells Drug store was built in 1903. The building is designed in in the Flemish Renaissance Revival style. This building was highly interesting to me, not because of its history, but because of its design and its unique composition containing limestone and sheet metal work. It is considered to be ethnic architecture. I was a little confused as to what 'ethnic architecture' truly meant. It means that the building that was built reflects the heritage of its original owner and serves the state as visual evidence to who settled the state and their building traditions brought over from Europe or other countries. Their were many other buildings listed on the milwaukee website that contained more historical value compared to the Van Ells Drug store but the craft of the building is a great example of aesthetic reasoning for preserving a building. The building has a similar effect to the victorian houses called painted lady. The same way the multiple types of paint and structure attract the eye, this store's various materials mixed with both linear and organic shapes also seem steer the eye in that direction. The building has two stories, first level was for retail sales and the upper level served as a living space. The store now is known as the Family Dental Care owned by Robert Wellenstein. For any renovations that have been done have occurred on the interior of the building compared to the exterior.

Preservation wasn't originally in the picture: Third Ward

One thing when you look at Milwaukee as a whole is that it is clearly not the cleanest, slickest, or awe-inspiring city that Wisconsin has to offer. When compared to other cities such as the state’s capitol, Madison, you can definitely see that Milwaukee lacks that certain something. One thing that most people forget is that Milwaukee was never meant to be this metropolitan, high pace place, but rather it was created as a factory and warehouse city. It was only until recent, last few decades, that Milwaukee has truly tried to renovate itself into the ranks of larger, more established cities. With the dubbing of the Historic Third Ward we can see the ambition that the city is trying to hold up to, and there is now a level of importance placed onto the aesthetics of the city.

Because of this, I think that the Historic Third Ward being a Nationally Registered Historic District is a wonderful thing. I have been able to live in the third ward for a few years because the MIAD dorms were, up until recently, located within the boundaries of the district. I have been able to interact with the effects of the third ward on the city. Cleanliness can be seen as a huge comparison especially to the other parts of town: Riverwest, immediate Southside, the neighborhoods past 25^th street. City life has also been rising, this past summer being the busiest I have ever seen it to be. With the title intact to this part of the city, I believe that it has only brought good things to the image of what Milwaukee is and the potential it has.

“The observation has been made that it unfortunately often takes the loss of ones major structure in a community to galvanize its citizens into taking action.” (89, Murtagh) This statement shows some truth to what Milwaukee is. If the restoration aspects of this city had not been brought to attention, I believe that the city would have started deteriorating into nothing. The uses of the Design Guidelines are vital in the operation of keeping the third ward together and coherent.

One of the strengths that the guidelines provide is their tedious detail to what the structures and the over all look of the third ward should be. Attention to back facades, sidewalk signs, ghosting, and rhythm are really little aspects that separately don’t amount to anything. When the boards and comities review aspects of buildings and color choices and all other aspects, though, it almost seems necessary to let everything in this historic ward start to blend together. With uniformity there begins the creation of togetherness, and you can start to recognize where you are.

One problem I had with the guidelines was all the photographs of examples. The idea of having photographic referencing is a excellent idea, but when a good handful of the photos are not of Milwaukee I think that material becomes irrelevant. Examples should be taken out of the context of what already exists in Milwaukee rather than creating a guideline that is brand new to the cities historic integrity. There are pictures of green spaces that would never work within this city, as well as buildings that don’t match the architectural styles that are prominently provided. There seems to be no place to use other cities as major references. Instead we should turn to the places that inspire the preservation of the Historic Third Ward in the first place.

I do believe that all districts should have guidelines. In fact I believe it would be nice, maybe a little problematic, for all neighborhoods of sorts to have guidelines. The way that a city is presented should reflect the intent of why we moved to America. Guidelines not only protect the integrity of a place, but they more importantly make it nice to live in. People want to move to preserved places, people want to live in nice regulated neighborhoods or even gated communities. The element of using a guideline system can be monotonous and sometimes a little ridiculous but it really seems to be better for the community and for the city.

Murtagh, William. Keeping Time, The History and Theory of Preservation in America. 3. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005. 89. Print.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

The Third Ward being on the National Register Historic District is a positive.

The Design Guidelines is a positive.

Compared to the rest of Milwaukee I get a different feel when I am in the Third Ward. A clean, friendly, an all around good feel. The song “Don't Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin should be playing. The Third Ward is in its own little bubble; I do not mean that in a bad way. The restaurants, the shops, the entertainment all have a alternative / indie impression. I love all of Milwaukee, but the Third Ward is so damn neat and stylish.

You see preservation all over the Third Ward. The buildings are kept in, for the most part; really good condition and the design guidelines for the Third Ward are there to help bring change that is necessary to move forward, while allowing the historic characteristic of the area to be preserved. One of the guidelines I like is how “the height of buildings within the Historic District shall be contained within the range of 70% to 130% of adjacent historic building heights along the street edge, but not less than three stories (30 feet).” This helps make newer building seem not so out of place and obtrusive.

www.historicthirdward.org

Monticello

When I used to travel around the U.S. for my sports team, my mother always made the point to take me to well know historical landmark or parks after a long day of playing. I've seen Joshua Tree Park, Williamsburg, and even Gettysburg. No other trip was more memorable and intriguing to me then visiting Thomas Jefferson's house, Monticello. Even though I didn't mind visiting all these sites, I never found them so interesting that I would want to visit them at my own free will.

We bought our tickets and took a bus ride up to the large white mansion. The estate was very large on the top of a large hill. As the tour started I noticed that each part of the building's location or even objects in the house had a function and was designed very strategically. The house was nothing compared to the housing we see today. In some sense it was its own community. The large gardens on two beveled out levels provided enough fresh produce to consider it the grocery store. There was a lower level to the house that included storage for the wines, and stable. There was a elevator system in the house, a intricate clock system through the use of weights that told the time as well as the day of the week. Even though the house is over a hundred years old you could envision the brain capacity of Thomas Jefferson and how inventive he actually was. I made you feel like you were in a flashback and could actually envision how the household operated on a day to day basis. Not only that, but it also made you question Thomas Jefferson. Like, if he was so inventive and his estate mainly sustained itself, then how did he become so broke that he was forced to sell his personal books from his library? It could have been the way the tour presented itself and was set up, but I was not walking aimlessly looking at foreign objects that I could not relate too. This was the first time I was not done thinking after the tour guide ended us conveniently at the gift shop. I wanted to explore the estate some more and wondered what it would be like if buildings were constructed the same way today in order to accommodate independent living conditions.

The movement of preservation could be considered to be started by Ann Pamela Cunningham with saving Mt. Vernon. She seemed to set the example for future preservation organizations to develop. As the movement increased it seemed that almost every president or director of the National Trust is a male, and still is today. My opinion is that since women were not have a lot of rights until the early 1900s, it was hard for them to contribute to the program besides volunteering. Realistically, men made the money to help finance the programs just like John D. Rockefeller and Colonial Williamsburg. Also the key point where men could help grow the National Trust compared to women is being able to influence congress. Fredrick Rath was able to obtain a congressional charter which allowed them national status and ultimately giving the National Trust authority to their statements and positions.

Blog #4 - Historic Districts

Yes, the Historic Third Ward should be in the National Register Historic District. Not only does it preserve the surrounding buildings and charm, but it also keeps money into the area (high rent, nice shops, businesses etc.) which is a must for Milwaukee, especially bordering Wisconsin Avenue which can at some times not be the greatest, depending on where you are.

Pros
So there are a few things that I enjoyed seeing while going over the guidelines for the Third Ward. First, the "patterns of use" on page 10 describes the use of buildings from 1970's and current proposals. Mixing of manufacturing, office space as well as housing has always been something that is interesting to me. I really enjoy being able to have the opportunity to live in a building that also has businesses within it, it creates a fun and inviting atmosphere for the people that live there.

Second, I agree with the fact that the walls of buildings should come to the edges of the street. This creates a nice flowing visual for the viewer and also allows for a straight look of the street, compared to having a wide open lot. Sometimes wide open areas can be used for things other than their intended purposes, which doesn't always bring the greatest people.

Third, the use of windows within buildings to showcase store fronts is the best way to invite people into their stores and to get a sneak peak in what they have to offer. Some store fronts that just have a door may lead to the person not going in, mainly because they have no idea what it is so why should they waste their time? I also agree with having major building entrances to the public, some of which depending on where they are located and the type of place, are very interesting. Lastly, garage doors that line up on outer walls that face the public should be designed nicely and mixed with other surrounding elements. They are after all apart of the buildings and the design, so why would should they not have the same design guidelines?

Cons
There are a couple of things I didn't care for within the guidelines. One is the high-rise development, mainly only being able to do mid-level buildings (that are roughly in line with what is already in tact in the Third Ward). Now, this partly relates to businesses and creating jobs or having the ability to add a substantial amount of money into the city of Milwaukee. Looking at it from that point of view and depending on what the projections are, I think rules could be bent in that case. Say there is a building that would be built and could bring in a significant amount of money and people to the city of Milwaukee, do we risk saying no just because of guidelines, or do we say yes because, after all we are not Chicago, L.A. or N.Y.? Just my thought.

The second thing I didn't care for was the parking lots. The lots themselves are expensive (to be expected in this area, especially being right in the heart of the downtown area) but do not offer a ton of security. Maybe these lots (there are some, but I do not believe they are within the actual Third Ward) could be built to four or five-story parking structures with security. If you are paying top notch dollar for parking, you should at least feel good about your car being there and not getting broken into.

I do believe that historic districts should have guidelines. As far as other cities go, in general, there should be some type of standard, or at least a board that says this can't be here because of reasons a, b, and c. Without guidelines, even loosely based, chaos would incur. Being in Houston, I have seen an area with no zoning laws, and let me tell you, it looks god awful. Being the fourth largest city, you would think there would be MORE guidelines in place to keep everything organized.

The Third Ward Blogger

I am a strong supporter of the Third Ward as an Historic district. I appreciate the different pockets that the city of Milwaukee has to offer, and The Third Ward is by far my favorite of them. The small warehouses turned bars, restaurants, and galleries add to the historic ambiance that make the area so unique. The buildings visual continuity creates a unique urban experience.

The design guidelines for the Third Ward are important for keeping the intent of preserving the areas charm and history. I see that this quote was used before, but I will use it again because it works perfectly. By analogy, a pearl has value. A string of graduated pearls, however, has value that far exceeds the value of all the individual pearls. (Murtagh) A singular building can have charm, but an entire area with similar charm is more impactful. Having an area such as the Third Ward designated as historic means the charm is preserved and is being looked after.

I believe that my favorite part of the guidelines set in place for the Third Ward is the preservation of ghost signs. I was always fascinated by the unique signage in the area and the charm that it ads to the community. I was curious as to why no one had really put forth the time and effort to rejuvenate the signage, but at the same time really appreciate the old world charm that they bring to the city. The restrictions set in place to limit building heights and architectural details help to maintain some sort of consistency which I find to be valuable in terms of aesthetic. It further ads to the pearl analogy in that the area has consistant charm.

Milwaukee's ability to maintain a somewhat consistant aesthetic through the design guidelines put in place keeps the unique urban experience alive and adds to the unique pocket of the city that is the Third Ward.

http://www.historicthirdward.org

Murtagh, William. Keeping Time, The History and Theory of Preservation in America. 3. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005. 91-95. Print.

Bloody Third.

I think that the Historic Third Ward as National Register Historic district is a positive. The Third Ward is attractive in a unique way and sort of sets itself apart from the rest of Milwaukee. The Third Ward is a small quaint gem that the greater city of Milwaukee is able to cherish thanks to the preservation of some of the buildings and uniqueness of the area.

It seems to me that the strengths of the design guidelines for the Historic Third Ward are clear. All intentions for preserving and keeping the district distinct and attractive for tourists and people within the community are respectable. By analogy, a pearl has value. A string of graduated pearls, however, has value that far exceeds the value of all the individual pearls. (Murtagh) I think that is a very strong analogy that Murtagh makes about preserving districts and not just singular buildings. If developers were aloud to come into the Third Ward and build a twenty story high-rise building, the district would begin to lose that feeling of locality that Murtagh mentions that is important to the mood that a historic district promotes.

With that said, there are A LOT of design guidelines regarding buildings and environments in the Third Ward. It is important to be strict if your goal is to maintain locality and a sense of history within an area, but one of the rules that struck me as overboard was the expression line guideline which states: “as a result of the traditional attention paid to concepts such as base, middle, and top, there exists strong horizontal expression or architectural control lines throughout the District. These lines should be respected for all new construction.” This means that if a new building needs to maintain the same/similar expression lines to the building adjacent to it. I don’t entirely understand why this would cause a hindrance in design consistency within the Third Ward even if the architecture and facades are similar to one another.

In conclusion, I think that Milwaukee has done a fairly descent job of trying to preserve the quaint little area and rebuilding it as an area where we can feel safe and somewhat secluded from the rest of the city. As an area of the city once known as the ‘Bloody Third’ (“About The Historic,”), due to its reputation for many colorful fistfights, I think that the area has come a long way.

About the historic third ward. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historicthirdward.org/about/aboutthethirdward.php

Murtagh, William. Keeping Time, The History and Theory of Preservation in America. 3. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005. 91-95. Print.

Designed to be Undesigned

When I visited MIAD for the first time two summers ago, I took a little time to check out the neighborhood. Maybe it was the interesting preserved architecture, maybe it was the fact that my surname is written in huge, red letters on the side of a building down the street, or maybe it was the plentiful (and affordable) supply of beer at a myriad of locations in the area, but I fell in love with the Historic Third Ward.

The pater familias posing by the eponymous façade.

Maybe it's just my naïveté, but I just imagined that an area like the Third Ward comes to exist naturally. That's why I was a little disappointed to discover that the character of this district is artificial. It was sort of like growing up and discovering Disney World's Haunted Mansion isn't really haunted, nor even an actual mansion. It's just a lot of mirrors and props. Once the initial disappointment fades, however, it's replaced by a deep fascination with the careful artistry involved in maintaining the illusion of a haunted mansion, or in the case of the Third Ward, a historic district.

I'm not sure what I expected when I opened the Third Ward's design guidelines, but I sure wasn't expecting a 55 page treatise on the subject complete with photographic examples of right versus wrong architectural features. Once I had found my eyeballs and popped them back into their sockets, I was overjoyed to peruse this document and discover how thoroughly they had thought through the vision for this neighborhood. I was most pleased to see the guidelines for preserving the "ghost signs," which, as an admitted typophile, is one of my favorite aspects of the city of Milwaukee.

Ghost Sign.

After going through the Third Ward's design guidelines, something started to bother me. If the aesthetics of the Third Ward are so carefully planned, why doesn't it feel more cohesive? Admittedly, the odd juxtaposition of disparate elements sitting right next to each other is something I find quite charming about Milwaukee. I thought this was a product of organic and unplanned growth, but apparently there's some sort of grand plan to it all. My question is this: Is everything really going according to plan? It's funny to look back and trace my emotional journey as I learned about the Third Ward. At first, I was charmed by what seemed like the quaint little part of town that time seemed to have forgotten. Then I was disappointed to learn that this anachronistic district was artificial. The design guidelines were impressive, but now I'm left wondering, what purpose do they really serve? Why aren't things... better? Is the Third Ward designed to appear undesigned? And if so, why?

Third Ward - Preserving Community

Out of the different cities and places I have visited, Milwaukee still stands out as a mediocre, relaxed, community driven getaway. This is seen in our Third Ward Community especially. Not too long ago was the Third Ward filled with trash, bums and vacant warehouses. Today, as a part of the historic district, the Third Ward offers a beautiful place for tourists, vacationers, friends and family to soak up some local community in the city.

My boss, friend, and real estate mogul, Robert Joseph explained to me just what the historic district regulates and decides. As a property owner in the Third Ward, Robert explained that he was not allowed to remove any of the old painted advertisements [i.e. "ghost signs"] on the sides of any of his properties. He also had to pay for local cleanup including trash removal, pet friendly sidewalks and landscaping. These were just a few things I knew of before reading the extensive catalog of requirements on Third Ward property owners.

After learning more, I further agree with many of the design guidelines in the catalog. Regulating things like storefronts, walkways and balconies in a manner that promotes community interaction uses preservation as a resource for economic stimulus. I can only hope that preservation becomes the new calculus of a sustainable economy: creating jobs without wasting resources. Personally, I think the Third Ward is promoting a proactive approach to preservation and urban renewal and has proven to change an area that once was decrepit and economically underwater for years into an area that is now considered elite and prestigious.

www.historicthirdward.org

The Hyper Historic Third War

Looks nice. It's clean. It's expensive to live in. It's a valuable resource to Milwaukee's history and preserves the architectural facade that forms a part of the city. Overall, the Third Ward District marks the city of Milwaukee with a cool aura because it makes the past look contemporary, chic and wholesome. The Third Ward is great because of its boutiques, design stores, antique stores, art schools, public market, bars, restaurants, parks and its beautiful river walk. Among other things, the Third Ward deserves its prestige because of its natural surroundings as well as the industrial composition that has become a part of its landscape. It is a comfortable place to be in. The downtown area is near enough and the museums and beaches are also very close. The Third Ward provides a variety of services for all the different crowds and still is authentic to its very own form. As a result, the guidelines given to this historic area are reasonable because of its purity in shape and its interest in progress. The lifestyle provided by this environment uplifts any crowd and aesthetically pleases the hierarchy of a neighborhood that has been well organized. The result of which brings unity within itself and is positive when related to the guidelines that it serves.

On the contrary, one could neglect the style that the guidelines provide and could say that the community is restricted from constructing new opportunities for architectural exploration. To this side of the coin, another may also think that the continuity of the Third Ward's exteriors disorients the inhibitor from newness because it forms clouds of commonality and boredom. It could become repetitive and unattractive.

However, the Third Ward is much more than that. If one only judges the book by its cover then he/she may not be able to comprehend fully the content that it has to offer. In other words, the Third Ward's facade and design guidelines serve as a shell to contain many amazing surprises and different services. Thumbs up.

In yet another hand. I think of many historical cities, districts etc. around the world that are made famous depending on the event that took place there. Acknowledging of course, the people, circumstances and effect that marks the present. Needless to say, history was, and stories are now. Soon they will also be then.

Protecting the Third Ward

The recognition of the Third Ward as a National Historic District is a positive thing. This area is full of industrial history, and most of the buildings reflect a time of the past. The Third Ward has been made into one of Milwaukee’s “go-to” places, and its overall appearance is quite appealing compared to other areas in Milwaukee, such as some of the areas surrounding Marquette. I often hear stories about how this area used to be run-down and full of crime. The fact that it has been turned into the upscale district it has become today represents a promising future for other areas. The value of this area has also increased, and it shows no signs of regressing.

I found many strengths and weaknesses for the Design Guidelines for the Third Ward. First, the inclusion of public parks, and a park size minimum, is important to any urban environment because it allows people to connect to nature (Piwoni 17). The remaining strengths are associated with the façade of the buildings. I think it is a good idea to have large, decorative, transparent storefront windows because they are welcoming and appealing to shoppers (16, 66). When I walk past a building that is all boarded up, like the ones on Broadway right before The Wicked Hop, I feel very uncomfortable and cannot wait to get past that point. I get this same feeling when I walk past a blank street façade or enter a store through a back alley, so I am glad that these are also discouraged (36, 70). It is a good idea to keep the buildings as intact and true to their original aesthetic as possible. This also corresponds to new buildings, which should be able to fit in with the façade of the rest of the neighborhood (30). By doing this, a sense of cohesiveness is created. Another strength is having renovation projects stay true to the original character of a building. A perfect example of this is the old Walgreens building the Marriott wants to consume on Wisconsin Avenue. This building looks like a disaster because it has so many different time periods and façades attached to it. If it had been protected from the beginning, we may have seen a totally different building standing there today. In addition, it is great that the Third Ward is so accepting of art. Public pieces, murals, and street banners on sidewalks offer a sense of security and sophistication (80, 90-91. The fact that existing ghost signs are protected is also a strong a strong guideline. These visuals are not only interesting, but they also reflect the history of Milwaukee, and the businesses that helped make the city what it is today.

Despite these strengths, I also found the Design Guidelines to have some pretty significant weaknesses. The first thing that caught my attention was the set up of parking in the middle of the street, and using it as a means to encourage people to become part of the environment (22). While this sounds nice, from my experience I have found these parking setups to be a pain. They are either always full, or backed up from someone driving very slowly trying to find an open spot; people also have a tendency to not pay attention to their surroundings as they drive through them. Next, having sidewalk seating at cafes has always been an awkward experience for me. While it is meant to draw people in, I am always uncomfortable walking through the middle of the table setup, and having people stare and me and my friends as we walk through as if we were interrupting them (18). To avoid this, I usually end up walking on the street next to the sidewalk, which can be dangerous if someone is driving and not paying attention. These are the biggest weaknesses I found because I have had negative experiences with them. They have actually deterred me from certain areas because I did not want to deal with their inconvenience or discomfort.

I think it would be a good idea for all districts to have guidelines. The biggest reason for this is because it is nice to be in a place where everything seems to go well together, and there is a sense of community and aesthetic appeal. The only problem with this is deciding how strict the guidelines should be because this sometimes hinders the ability for new, unique buildings to be created. In an extreme case, if we preserve everything from the past, we will not have anything to show for our current time because too many things will have restrictions. However, this is unlikely, and overall I do think it is a good idea to have these guidelines so that we can protect the architecture of our past in order to showcase our heritage for the future.

Works Cited:

Piwoni, James. "The Historic Third Ward: Neighborhood Design Guidelines."GoMilwaukee. City of Milwaukee, 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityDCD/planning/plans/ThirdWard/pdfs/ThirdWardDesign.pdf.

Image: http://www.december.com/places/mke/album/catalanosqphotos.html

All In...

I think the fact that the Historic Third Ward is a National Historic District is wonderful. The original purposes of the usage of the Third Ward speaks of the history of the district, and the history, fabric, evolution, personality, and character of our city. My personal hope is that more districts similarly would be preserved in Milwaukee. This is one of the most historically segregated cities in the United States of America; while this is not a positive trait in our history in some respects, speaking from a standpoint of diversity in a city or county, it is a very interesting fact. I believe that this should be exploited in the preservation of architecture in the old ethnic areas of Milwaukee. How many architects would be lucky enough to live in a city, or design for a city, where the ethnicity and history of a neighborhood is as plainly seen as it is here? I never was raised to think of myself as different than anyone else; in fact, I grew up in a neighborhood where I was the minority. That being said, I remember driving around the city as a child and instinctively knowing where one neighborhood or district started and another began. It was never about the people, it was always about respecting the spirit and architecture of place. Aesthetically and historically, I believe this should absolutely be maintained.

The design guidelines for the Third Ward, while seeming immense at first glance, offer much creativity and ingenuity on the parts of designers, architects, and business owners. There are many opportunities for businesses to thrive in the area, as the property value, street traffic, and mean income of residents continue to rise. The opportunity provided by the design guidelines of the district offer not only these mentioned above, but also a chance, a challenge, to exist creatively, uniquely, and individually within a design community. Compared to other historic districts, the Third Ward guidelines can offer so much freedom for developers and business owners because the district already held so many design aesthetics, so many design styles form different periods. One of my favorite guidelines when reading was that ghost signs need to be maintained. I think that is wonderful way to preserve the history of the design of the area. Those ghost signs are landmarks to residents.

The only weakness that I noted in researching the guidelines was that the district lacks a certain homogeneity that some might expect or desire; it also seems that the district's buildings lack much preservation, and instead seem to be more renovated shadows of the past. However, I think this is a benefit to the area. History is being celebrated, shared, built upon, adding to the area's history, and making it a living and breathing entity, rather than a shell or a ghost of the past. I have friends and relatives who live all over the world, and when they come here to visit, I always brag about the Third Ward, because I feel that it expresses both the past and the future of what Milwaukee was, is, and can be. It is everything I love about the spirit and the grit of this town. I only wish more neighborhoods in the city would take ownership as the Third Ward has.

Well, it was important at one point...

For the Historic Third Ward design guidelines I have both an positive and negative stance. I will start with the negatives. I can understand why this district was important to Milwaukee in the past, but I do not see why it has been significantly important in the last 4 years that I have lived here. For a negative impact, it comes with a personal story. A few years back when I started maintenance here at MIAD, I was required to paint the outside windowsills from the traditional teal color to the current bronze. For the most part it did not seem like a problem, so the job was started. After approximately three and a half windowsills were painted we had someone from the city call in and asked if we had the color approved by the Third Ward Committee. This had put an immediate halt on the project until I was instructed to come in on the weekend to finish. The silly thing I found about this experience, was the committee would rather leave windowpanes half painted before approving the color rather than finishing the rest of the building. Now I do not know if it was the cities fault or MIAD’s in that situation, but for that case I would believe finish painting the windows and the doors would be better than leaving a half painted job.

The strengths of the committee are there guidelines and how it makes the community a social and friendly place. For example, the street terraces and details to edge activity are very well planned. Instead of walking directly next to a parking lot a nicely laid brick pathway is put in place. As well as restaurants incorporating seating on the walkway invites people to participate in local businesses. The community also provides good challenges to architects to use the old warehouses as modern objects, which is currently a trend for most cities. Although the guidelines have strict building and façade rules, since this district is really being revived for the better, I do not see a problem with not building a high rise.

If there are historic districts I do believe there should be guidelines, they wouldn’t have to be strict, but they would help keep uniformity that was deemed important by the community. Also guidelines do not necessarily restrict building and can be welcome to introducing a revival of that type of architecture. Although guidelines do promote uniformity it must be remember the district was put on the National Register for a reason.

Milwaukee's Third Ward

Having been living in Milwaukee for all my life, the third ward has always been a cool place to visit and explore. I am glad the third ward is a historic district, I enjoying observing the old architecture and seeing the reminiscent of old signage and advertisement painted on the side of the building walls. I feel that for being a place that is so filled with buildings from multiple eras and styles they all blend very well together and share a good cohesive aesthetic.
After reviewing the Design Guidelines for the Historic Third Ward, I feel they offer a good window of what is expected from old and current buildings; however I also feel the window is pretty wide open. As stated on page one, "bad design is condemned but undefined."; so pretty much anything goes? One of the stronger design guidelines for the Third Ward is that new buildings must use similar materials of brick, window, and concrete to blend in with the current standing buildings. Other guides such as building height, ratio and scale to other buildings are also well defined.
I agree that all districts should have design guidelines, it offers a cohesive theme for new buildings to adhere to which keeps the appeal of the historic buildings in the district. Being a graphic designer I know how important color can play a role in supporting a continuing theme and look of not only a design on screen or paper but also a group of buildings. Other important factors such as materials, scale, and codes also play an important role in the aesthetic appeal of new and renovated buildings in a historic district.

Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

I feel blessed to be able to wake up every morning and have the time in front of me via the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower. At night, in addition to indicating the hour, the clock tower also mimics the moon which is a seemingly beautiful thing to experience.

This structure is also interestingly unique to me because it is the first thing that stands out whenever I arrive to Milwaukee every Sunday night.

As we learned in class, this clock held the record for the world's largest four sided clock. It is 281 feet tall and has a diameter of approximately 40 feet. Emporis is the global provider of building data. It manages a worldwide database on construction data and commercial real estate information.

CHECK THIS OUT -- LUSTRON HOUSE IN MILWAUKEE

The first link is to an article regarding the controversy about this house. The second link is to the video and resolution from the Historic Preservation Commission Meeting on the house (9.6.2011)


http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/129696503.html


http://milwaukee.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=158315&GUID=D63A7C86-6DB5-4871-B567-07A5C0E4FDE2&Options=info|&Search=

St. Hedwig's Church

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St. Hedwig’s Church, built in 1886, is located at 1716 N. Humboldt Ave. A part of Brady Street Historic District, St. Hedwig’s Church is a part of the Roman Catholic faith. Before MIAD was even a thought in my brain, I attended a wedding at this beautiful church. From what I remember of the inside, St. Hedwig’s has soaring ceilings, beautiful stonework and it seemed to be a wonderful place to get married. I now live a mere block away from this building, put on the locally-designated historic structures list in April of 1990. And it’s easy to see why. Besides playing a part in the history of the Polish community, the architecture blends elements of Eastern European churchs that immigrants would have remembered from their homeland and Romanesque-influences, as well as using Cream City brick, a well used building material in Milwaukee at the time of its construction.

Section 106, more simply put, says that the public is involved in whether or not a building should become a historic landmark, that building having a significant effect on the neighborhood and its people. While in some cases, the public may want to save a building that is no longer of architectural value, making the section slightly weak, the case is not so here. St. Hedwig’s was originally built out of wood, and when the demand from 200 people went to 600, they rebuilt the structure to accommodate. Now a part of the Three Holy Women parish, a conglomeration of St. Hedwig’s, Holy Rosary Church, and St. Rita’s, St. Hedwig’s Church adds both historical, cultural, religious and architectural value to the Brady Street Historic District.

Blog #3 - The Astor Hotel

The interior architecture of the Astor Hotel is magnificent. Built in 1920, the main entry areas are so elegant they have to really be looked at in detail to appreciate just how beautiful this structure really is. The outside of the building isn't the prettiest to see, but looks on the outside don't always portray what is on the inside. Many of the oval interiors have amazing crown molding and stained glass is a sight to see. Some of the lighting has been updated for electrical reasons. The light fixtures that are attached to the walls and the chandeliers look gorgeous as well. Updates include carpeting, interior walls of rooms as well as furniture, for obvious reasons, this is a hotel after all.

For section 106, I would think being a hotel makes it a little easier for the public to say whether they are worthy of being historic. Despite many people staying from out of the city, there are thousands of people who are from Milwaukee that stay at the Astor for multiple reasons. They get to see the elegance of this hotel, more than many people might see other historic buildings. Not only are they seeing the interior space, but they are doing it for at least a 24-hour period, sometimes more depending on their length of stay.

The interior elegance is what makes this worthy of the status of historical designation. Many people, not just from Milwaukee, can see the preserved space which makes it all the better and brings and interest in Milwaukee itself. I would agree that this should stay intact as historical. Many people when they come to a hotel will realize the space around them, at some point during the trip. Whether they have to wait in line or are just walking around the area, they will notice pieces that are intriguing and will ask employees about the history of the hotel and struck conversations about the building itself.

images:
http://www.theastorhotel.com/

The Eagles Club

Eagles Club

The Eagles Club is a Milwaukee icon, and place of enjoyment since it’s realization in 1926. At the time it was built it boasted a swimming pool, restaurant, bowling alley and ballroom. Since 1986 it has been part of the National Register of Historic Places and well deservedly so. Once its conversation to concert hall was complete, the Rave/Eagles Club has hosted some of the biggest names in the music business, and I myself have attended a great many of them. I find that places that are restored without the purpose of being used are not worth the process of restoration or preservation.

From my own visits TEC, I sense a bit of disrepair, some indifference but mostly reverences for the grand past of the building. The ceiling, ballroom and staircases really do give you this old, creepy, worn-in, yet beautiful and tender feeling. I love the stories of the many ghosts that haunt the rooms, always and underground passages of the place. The EC has grown to be come part of myth and lore in Milwaukee, not only as a concert venue and host to modern fun.

Section 106 dictates the use of, and inclusion of the public in the makings and decisions as to what the nation, city and other groups deem as having Historical importance. That the world is a changing place, and the people who live within it need to dictate the things that which educate us and we wish to retain as important. The Eagles Club is perfect for explaining a building that not only has had importance, but also will continue to have importance for many years to come. It continues to make history continuously.

Images courtesy of: http://www.therave.com/historic_eagles_club.asp

"National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, As Amended through 2006." Advisory Council

on Historic Preservation. USA.gov, 2011.