Blog #6 - Eiffel Tower

While studying historic preservation, I have been very interested in the reasons why people feel sites should be preserved. It's amazing how different people can have diametrically opposed opinions on whether or not the same structure should stay or go. I wanted to investigate an example of historic preservation that stands as an example of a great success despite meeting opposition. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France struck me as just such an example. When the Tower was constructed it was both loved and reviled by different groups. It wasn't even meant to be a permanent structure, but through various efforts and good fortune it has been made to last until this day, and is now internationally beloved and recognized as an icon of Paris.

The aim of researching the story of the Eiffel Tower is to find out how a structure with such an uncertain future wound up being preserved. I intend to find out who Gustave Eiffel was and why he was chosen to design the tower. Why was the tower being built in the first place? What is it made of? How was the design of the tower new and different? When it was built, who didn't like it, and why? How did Eiffel defend it? How did it come to be preserved? What practical or economic uses has it served? What kind of maintenance needs to be done to keep it standing? From all these questions I intend to illuminate the "why" of preservation, and perhaps shed some light on why it might be important to preserve buildings that may not be very well liked today, but could be important in the future.

blog numero six (sprawl)

For my topic I have chosen to look at sprawl and contrast that to urban renewal and preservation. I find it very interesting that more and more people continue to spread outward from cities and are forced to drive more and more. If you choose to live in the suburbs you have to own a car to get anywhere. This is contrasted with preservation and renewal in the city. Milwaukee is a perfect example to show places like the 3rd ward that have sprouted numerous apartments and condos out of warehouses. Creating livable conditions out of nothing in a centralized location is ideal for growth in my opinion rather than spreading outward. The city supports bicycle and pedestrian traffic and is completely feasible to walk anywhere you want to go. In fact just today I put in almost 4 miles of walking. This is something you can simply not due in the suburbs. There are no sidewalks, limited bicycle lanes and great distances between shops and stores that are pushed back from the street to accommodate the insane amount of parking spaces needed to funnel people into their stores. I plan to focus on Brookfield, the city I lived in for 18 years, and contrast the city panning that has made it impossible to live there without a car with the urban life I have grown to love here in Milwaukee.

Pennsylvania Station

For my topic I am choosing to research the original above ground structure and the demolition of Pennsylvania Station, in New York City. As the major transportation center for commuters travelling in and out of the city, the current above ground structure was completed in 1968 after a bitter and historic battle to save the original and grand above ground station completed in 1910. I want to research the culture, politics, and attitudes about preservation of those on each side of the issue leading to the decision to demolish the original above ground structures. I also want to understand the processes leading to the decision to demolish the train station commonly called Penn Station. My initial thoughts are that destroying Penn Station was a huge mistake and a tremendous loss to the architectural landscape in New York City.

The Iron Horse Hotel & Preservation

On our walk to the Iron Horse Hotel, I was hopeful to be satisfied with the efforts made by the Iron Horse Hotel to rehabilitate the old structure. I was hoping to be educated about by the environment, but was less than impressed after walking around the hotel for just a short while. At first glance the building is beautiful. But when you look closely you can clearly see additions to the foundation and compromises to the integrity of the building both aesthetically and structurally. The lobby it is drenched in tacky, rustic ware. There is a clutter of old parts; bolts, screws, gears and such that are worked into the decor. But I wasn't fooled. It seemed evident that there was a chance for owners to utilize cheap leftover parts to decorate their hotel at an inexpensive cost to bring in higher profits. The Iron Horse should take pride and responsibility in representing the structure according to informative and educational benefits to neighbors, visitors and the community and stop using gimmicks and "historical preservation" to book guests in their ugly rooms. Just saying.

How preserving architecture preserves crafts and trade skills from the past.

Katherine Walton-Myers

Why Preserve The Past?

Fall 2011

How preserving architecture preserves crafts and trade skills from the past.

Often times laws that dictated to care and maintenance of historical homes and districts dictate many constraints on both material usage in keeping with the “quality” and “authenticity” or a building or area. This integrity is often kept intact by the skilled tradespersons that have continued to learn and preserve antiquated technologies when possibly faster or more efficient means could be used to come by a similar end.

Whilst growing up, I lived in a re-done and preserved Victorian home in a historical district in Chicago. It was required that the exteriors and portions of the interiors be maintained in the proper historical state. This meant that many extra steps needed to be taken when doing decorating and or repairs. The wallpaper my parents ordered had to come from a manufacturer overseas, at a greatly exponential cost, simply because they created wallpapers with the proper patterns, colors and materials authentic to the Victorian period.

Same would go for repairs to say, the stained glass windows in our house. The frames had to be painstakingly removed, packaged and shipped to a local glassworks when only the master of all things stained glass was allowed to touch and maintain the beautiful works of art. It was something I found to fascinating. When all other kids needed to buy a new carpet, they would call Empire, however we had to go shopping at the oriental rug mart to find the most authentic one to suite our home’s aesthetic.

As time has gone on, and as an artist, I have found an appreciation for craftsmanship and the beauty in the handmade and the antiquated processes. Typesetting is an art, something that InDesign can never hold a candle to. Printmaking, where you, yourself, run the four layers of a CMYK print over a screen sure do beat the ease of a Xerox printer. The same can be said for the architectural crafts of old. A stonemason who used his hand, in my opinion is far more respectable and awe inspiring than one who uses a wet saw. The fact that the technologies exist that allow for ease and yet some still hold onto the skill-based and technique driven means of the old show that there is something to be said with preserving not only our great architecture, but the means by which they came to be.

I want to make a case for the a people who hold onto not only a slice of history, but keep it alive through the work done to and for areas and spaces that are of historical merit. As an artist I think too often we slip into the desire to find the ease of technologies, and are too quick to jump onto the idea of the “next best thing” when really, possibly the better quality and the more beautiful has been around for longer than the building your computer sits within.

Kneeland-Walker House and Grounds

The building is officially known as the Kneeland-Walker Museum and Preservation Center. It is the headquarters of the Wauwatosa Historical Society. The home was built in 1890 and sits on 1.5 acres which makes it the largest remaining residential lot in Wauwatosa. The Historical Society bought it from the estate of Constance Walker in 1987 in an effort to keep the home and it's gardens together.

This home not only is part of Wauwatosa's history, but it shows excellent features such as the original woodwork of the doors throughout the house, the elevator service that was installed in the 1940's when Mr. Walker first wife became ill, the house paint colors which get repainted every so years but they did a paint analysis to figure out the original colors, and last but not least, it's a fabulous example of a Queen Anne Style Victorian home. Not only does the style of architecture it holds is great reason but it also connects with the idea of the building being reused in various educational programs, preservation work, archive storage, and community events.

What I want to gain from this is the knowledge to understand why this house was preserved along with it's gardens. What features does this building possess that made it worth keeping? What makes it such a treasure? The black and white photo is of the house back in 1890 while the color photo shows what it looks like today.

B&W photo: wauwatosahistoricalsociety.org

Color photo: oldehillcrest.org

LEED with Historic Landmarks

When I started looking at topics for the final research presentation I wanted to see if a LEED certified building could be historic. Unfortunately LEED certification has not been enacted for at least 60 years. I did find that the Empire State Building had recently gone through a long process to become the first LEED certified landmark.

I actually got really excited upon hearing this, for the fact that a landmark could come into the twenty first century energy crisis. My perceptions of old buildings has always been that they are as energy efficient, if not worse, than the day they were created, but are an exception to the rules because they are historic.

As the modern world moves into more energy efficient buildings, I wonder if more historical landmarks will move towards LEED certification? Now there are tax incentives to do it, but I don’t necessarily think that could bring more progress, since the incentives are not advertised. Also how does one keep up with the LEED certification after it has been granted?

I am looking forward to see if the trend in ‘green retro-fitting’ will take over to the more prominent landmarks and see exactly how the Empire State Building proposed and enacted their plans to become a LEED landmark.

Since the complete interior has been redone I can see their being a debate against the landmark status. As it has come up in class if something is completely changed on the inside, can it still hold the same history?

I think this is a fun topic combing both the history and the present. Historically energy efficient? Since it sounds contradicting I think it could make for an interesting topic.

Frank Lloyd Wright Structures

Last semester I visited the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum, both on a field trip and by myself. It was filled with all kinds of blue prints and architectural drawings that Wright came up with ultimately blowing me away with his designs. I spent hours examining the different layouts and finding inspiration in the forms and compositions of the many different structures. Ultimately, Wright’s approach to architecture was very unique and revolutionary for the time. Forgoing over use of decoration and focusing more on the materials and forms that can be created, Wright has made several structures that are famous and perfect examples of modern day preservation.

Thus, I will be writing on the preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright houses and structures focusing more on the houses that are local to Wisconsin. Sure we all preserve famous land marks and president houses, but it’s the wonders of both architectural art and design that should really be preserved; for they are unique and one of a kind and revolutionized art and architecture to what we see today. I believe that especially in the Midwest area, Wright has a good foot hold in many local structures that would be fun to visit and tour. As well as good connections to preservationists who are all about Wright and his famous works. Hence, out of structures that are found around the area, Wright structures are pinnacles of preservationists and art admirers alike and should be preserved.

The Preservation of Historic Bridges

For my research I will be looking into what should be done with bridges of historical significance once they have reached a point when they are no longer safe.

What prompted this idea was in a way by pure accident. I was sitting in an apartment and happened to pick up a copy of the New York Times that was on a coffee table, as I flipped through I noticed a few pictures of some old damaged covered wooden bridges. These bridges, or lack thereof, were what was left of some old wooden bridges after Hurricane Irene had destroyed much of what was left of them.

Bridges have always amazed me, not only how they look, but their structure, how they stay standing, and how humans have taken such a simple concept of creating a path from one point to another and turning it into art, history, and at times feats of human ingenuity. But time takes its toll on just about everything; like the buildings we are studying in class, bridges also go through some wear and tear, weather, and harsh use by humans, maybe even more so than some buildings. This led me to wondering if bridges can be submitted as pieces for historical preservation. Turns out there are quite a few, especially the old covered wooden bridges along the east coast that were so detrimental in connecting the first few colonies in America. But what happens when these bridges get to a point when they are unsafe to cross? Should they be destroyed? What can be done to prevent them from getting to that point? Does the reconstruction of such bridges take away from the historical aesthetic of the bridge? These are a few items that I hope to discover while researching my topic. I not only hope to look into wooden bridges, but also bridges made of man-made materials such as iron that have been exposed to the elements and not properly treated over the years. Along with human use, and material decay I would like to address the problem that the New York Times article brought to attention; what should be done with bridges that have been damaged by natural disasters.

Personally I would imagine that human safety should come first, so once a bridge has reached that point it should be taken down and replaced with a safer one. I would imagine that bridges are different from buildings in the way that most likely when a bridge is present it is there for some sort of transportation purpose and is used more often that a building may be. For instance you may have one hundred people crossing a bridge every day, but that does not mean those same one hundred people are going to the same place. My point being is that bridges should be watched and in turn preserved more thoroughly than buildings, not because they are more important, but because they are used in greater quantities and therefore should be watched more closely, not only for safety of those crossing the bridge but also to ensure that the bridge is preserved in such a manner that its original structure can used year after year with having to be reconstructed to preserve it.

Preservation Paper

When we were talking in class about the issue of expanding the Hwy, right past Miller Park, in order to accommodate heavy traffic flow I was curious about the well being of graveyards in general. Under what conditions are graveyards considered deemed worthy of being saved? And when does the needs of society take precedence over preservation? I was previously aware of the general rule that a graveyard can not be tampered with after 100 years of the last headstone, due to the fact that there was a graveyard in front of my elementary school and there was nothing the school board could do to remove the "eerie presence." There are several topics that are relevant to the class and I'm sure it doesn't cross most peoples' minds very often. That's why I figured this topic most readers would find as intriguing after they get over the weird subject matter. A few subjects that crossed my mind is with a growing society and limited land, what is the line that defines whether building or road construction should take place over keeping the graveyard. Could certain characteristics of a graveyard, such as being" haunted," like the La Belle Cemetery make it historic? If damage is done to a graveyard through natural disasters, accidents, or vandalism what measures are taken to restore the headstones close enough to their original state. Is being buried compared to the graves above ground a better route to go? I believe that there is a certain level of respect that must be maintained for dead and through my research maybe I'll find out if it's better bet to be cremated based on preservation efforts. (Slight joke)

For me the most important aspect of preservation is that of the natural world. Our land, water and wildlife are the most valuable resources we have. Because of this I have chosen to write my research article on link between hunting and conservation in the United States. There are many species of animal that are very overpopulated. This overpopulation causes problems of plant life being exhausted and other animals starving because of it. This allows for other inedible plants to take over and can cause other wildlife to have to vacate certain areas. Hunting helps to control over population of certain animals, like deer and elk. It's not a perfect system it has its pros and cons all of which I will dive into in my article. I will also talk about alternatives to hunting like the reintroduction of natural predators, and programs involving birth control. Overall I hope to show the role hunting plays in conservation of our valuable resources.

The U.S. Bank Center

The U.S. Bank Center, the centerpiece of Milwaukee, the tallest structure in not only the city but also the state, is approaching its 50th birthday within a few years. This building, that can be viewed throughout all of Milwaukee, has structurally been significant to the cityscape as well as the introduction of new and unique architecture of the 1970's. Though, the building has not recently been praised, it has won awards and was built by one of the most famous architectural firms in the United States, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. This firm is currently working on the Freedom Tower in New York as well as built the largest building in the world in Dubai.

Because the class is all about the importance of preservation, I will be purposing the possible preservation of the U.S. Bank Center. The purpose of this is to see whether or not the center has the qualities looked for within Wisconsin's preservation standards. Most of what we preserve is old and historically supported, could a new generation of buildings begin to approach the National Registered listings? Could this be the start of preserving buildings that are architecturally significant to the time period that we live in today?

I chose to research this topic primarily because I despise the building, but mostly because I know nothing about it. It bothers me that the U.S. Bank signage is visible from almost the entire city. To me, because of its approaching birthday, I want to know if it is even an important thing to preserve. It dictates the cityscape of Milwaukee so much that the possibilities of it ruining future plans of our skyline could be ruined if the building is marked with a "do not alter" stamp of approval. It is important for me, in order to make judgements, to know exactly the history and the prospects that this building could provide for this city.

Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay

Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, is thought to be a source of precious metals that value from $345 billion to $500 billion. Alaska’s economy would greatly benefit from this mining project due to tremendous job creation and local business exposure around surrounding the Bristol Bay area. However, the downside to this mining project would be that the surrounding natural environment would be at risk to harmful chemical exposure. The water could become contaminated, resulting in poisoned fish, therefore affecting the entire food chain. Bristol Bay is home to grizzly bears, moose, caribou, and the world’s largest population of sockeye salmon. The project could potentially transform the area into an environment vacant of natural activity. People who used to depend on the wildlife in the Bristol Bay area as a source of traditional recreation, such as hunting, fishing, and camping, would no longer be able to partake in those activities in which the previous generations enjoyed.

What I hope to gain from this research is whether the positive of the mining project outweigh the negatives, vise-versa, or if the positives and negatives are just about equal.

This project pertains to the ideas talked about in class because the mining project is highly weighed on monetary value versus the natural environment, just as the highway system in America is. With any preservation project, it always seems like monetary value is always standing up against any other aspect of preservation, such as historical importance or architectural significance.

I am researching this project because, though I don’t consider myself a ‘tree hugger’, I am concerned about the natural environment and I believe in preserving the beauty of the world and value natural beauty over money. However, I also believe in progressing the World’s economy, so I feel like researching this topic will allow me to come to a sound consensus of how I feel towards the subject and help me decide whether I should stand for or against the mining project.

"Grizzly Bear." Photograph. Bario Neal. Ben Knight. 2011. Web. 10 Oct 2011. .

"Bristol Bay sockeye salmon." Photograph. Bario Neal. Ben Knight. 2011. Web. 10 Oct 2011. .

Arlington Park

For my topic, I have chosen to research the Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and discuss why it is worthy of preservation. This racetrack is referred to as “the most beautiful track in America,” and has been hosting Thoroughbred racing since October 13, 1927 (Duchossois). It is currently owned by Churchill Downs, which is the organization that owns the Churchill Downs racetrack where the Kentucky Derby is held. Churchill Downs is already considered a historic location, so why not preserve Arlington Park, which is essentially the Midwest’s Kentucky Derby, as well? I plan on researching the track’s history, the people and horses who made it a sought-after destination, and how those people, animals, and events have impacted the surrounding environment. Overall, I will be discussing why the racetrack should be preserved, and the significant impact it has had on its community.

There are a few things that I hope to uncover throughout my research. First, I want to understand why the racetrack seems to be in trouble financially, and how it went from a prosperous business to one that is struggling. As referenced earlier, I want to discover how the racetrack has contributed to racing history through significant events, people, horses, or races. Next, I want to research the façade of the building. I was comparing old and new pictures of the building, and it seems like the façade has changed quite a bit due to an unfortunate fire; this will be something to look into, and see if it is perhaps hindering its preservation. However, I see these changes in aesthetic as beneficial rather than hurting the integrity of the building. Lastly, I want to gain a better understanding of how betting ties into the culture and sustainment of the horse racing industry.

Arlington Park connects to the idea of preservation in several ways. It is a location where significant, history-changing events occurred that have impacted a community. The racetrack also stands as a monument to the entire racing culture, which has inspired American culture in several ways, such as movies, finances, and ritualistic viewing and gambling habits. It is also a beautiful location that deserves to be preserved for future generations to enjoy and experience. Preservation is about protecting the past for future generations to enjoy, and the only way to ensure that this racetrack has a prolonged future is to protect it from the harm of destruction.

I chose to research this topic for a few reasons. I wanted to pick something that relates to a subject that I am passionate about, which is horses. These animals are a big part of my life, and they influence a lot of what I do both inside and outside of school. I also chose this subject because I have visited the site before, and was awed by its beauty and scale; the grounds themselves seem to stretch on for miles. This was where I witnessed my first horse race, so it also has sentimental meaning to me. I had such a great time when I was there, and I want to be able to experience this joy and excitement again someday with another visit. Everyone I have talked to mentions how they remember going there at one time or another, and how much they enjoyed their visit. It would be a shame if something so unique and aesthetically pleasing would someday fall into a state of decay and be lost forever.

Works Cited:

Duchossois, Richard L. "History of Arlington Park." Arlington Park. Churchill Downs Incorporated, 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. http://www.arlingtonpark.com/node/1811.

Images:

Front view of building

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=251010&page=33

View of racetrack and back of building

http://www.chicagonow.com/lists-that-actually-matter/2011/07/10-things-i-enjoyed-about-arlington-park-on-saturday/ ­

Art History Proposal

Enhanced Environments through Positive Architectural Significance.

Style, Purpose, Reason, Effect

Style provides a uniformed identity that represents the essence of a place inside and out. It dictates the feel, mood and atmosphere that it displays, presents, and shows. It gives a purpose to the structure that is exposed and intensifies the stories that form a part of an area.

\ Architectural significance will be distinguished by style and its contribution to society. The contribution will be based on the historical value of a structure and the structure itself. Through historical value we will learn how the essence of a community works.

\ A town may

Deliverables

+In this research process, I will expose the importance of architecture and the role that it has in making a positive impact towards society.

+There will be mention on the different types of Architectural impact that will refer back to style.

+I will talk about the benefit of style and the necessary of aesthetics as a part of an identity to the area where architecture is apparent.

+Architecture’s role in building forms, communal spaces and historical areas.

Research Keywords

Value of Architecture

Benefit of Style

What is Style

Types of Styles in Architectural Significance.

Communal Identity

Architectural Impact

Function of a building

Aesthetic benefit in humans

Visual references

What is considered historic

Why historic

The History and Preservation of Chichen Itza

The topic of my research paper is going to be the preservation of the Mayan ruin site of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan in Mexico. My tentative thesis statement so far is: Throughout history, ownership of Chichen Itza, and concurrently archaeological rights to the site, have affected the current state of preservation. From researching my sources so far, I have discovered that Chichen Itza's ownership has changed hands throughout history. Also, the archaeological rites to the site have not always been owned by the landowners of the site,which I find to be extremely interesting.

Chichen Itza contains many temples, formations, and buildings, some of which are still being discovered in the jungles surrounding the area. I went to the site last May and was given a tour by a government archaeologist that currently works on the site. He told me that if we were to go not too much more than a thousand feet into the jungle on the edge of what is now open to the public, that it is very likely that we would be able to find remnants of more temples in the brush. Because of the mismanagement of the land, and the constant battling over who owns the land, preservation and discoveries have been difficult. The Mexican government has just bought the land back from its previous private owner, and that is why preservation is currently underway. The preservation methods that are being used at this time seem to be very professional and responsible, whereas in the past, multiple archaeologists from many places have been allowed to use their own methods to unearth the secrets of Chichen Itza. I think this topic is a very interesting one because of the mismanagement of the land throughout time.

The Mayan people who originally occupied and used these sites also have a rich and intriguing history, which I will share in my paper, in order to explain why these sites are so historically important. The Mayan people vanished from this site, and after their disappearance centuries ago, confusion over what the land was used for and who had rites to it have invited many misguided theories and abuse of the land. I think this topic is very relevant in this class, even though it is not a site in the United States. Chichen Itza is very relevant to our own history, as the Mayans are a very ancient culture that had many important ties to native groups all over the world, some of whom resided in North America before it was stolen by Christopher Columbus. By learning about the site and its history, we can learn more about our own native history. By learning about the mismanagement of this site, we can hope to maintain better practices in the future so that history can be shared in a purer form.

Since I was at this site, a place I have wanted to go for most of my life, it is close to my heart. While walking the ruins, I could feel the heartbeat of the place, and I truly felt that the truth of its origins wanted to be known. Not in stories, or legends, or speculation, but in fact. There are still Mayan people that live on these lands. They do not have rights to the area, aside from being permitted to work on the sites for tourism purposes, and they do not receive much aid from the government. It was shared with our group that most people around the world currently think that the Mayans as a people have vanished, but that is not true. There are still Mayan people living, there are still Mayan schools, and people do still speak the Mayan language. This culture has been perverted in the eyes of many, and I think the responsible preservation of these areas can educate the rest of us, and help a native group's culture live on.