Issue 297 March 16th 2022

The Headlines

Iowa Architectural Foundation To Lead Tour Of Sullivan Buildings In Cedar Rapids

The Iowa Architectural Foundation (IAF) will lead an in-person tour April 2 of two historic buildings in Cedar Rapids designed by famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. Local historian Mark Stoffer Hunter will guide guests through St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and The Peoples Savings Bank, now home to Popoli Ristorante and Sullivan’s Bar. The tour will run from 2 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. April 2. Early bird tickets are available on Eventbrite until March 18 for $15. After that, regular price tickets are $20.

The tours launch at the new Third Avenue entrance of St. Paul’s Church. Built in 1914, the church and neighboring house, where Sullivan resided while designing the building, offer a window into Sullivan’s life late in his career. Mr. Stoffer Hunter will lead a tour of the outside, into the remodeled narthex and through the sanctuary.

Following the church tour, attendees will make their way to the Third Avenue entrance of The Peoples Savings Bank. Built in 1911, the bank is known as the second of a number of small “jewel box” banks in the Midwest designed by Mr. Sullivan. Guests will be invited through the historic atrium, inside the vault, and to visit the basement, a space rarely open to the public.

Paolo Soleri’s Sustainable Urban Experiment Arcosanti Enters New Era

An hour north of Phoenix, an "important experiment in urban architecture" (as a 1976 edition of Newsweek once described it) the sustainable architectural experiment of Paolo Soleri (1919 – 2013). Arcosanti is a prototype in "arcology" — Soleri's personal ideology of architecture blended with ecology.

The project was Soleri’s response to the ills of urban existence: population growth, pollution, natural resource depletion, food scarcity, and poor quality of life. All are themes that remain acutely relevant to this day that Liz Martin-Malikian, Arcosanti's new CEO, aims to underscore in a new era for the project.

With its series of vaults and apses, integrated housing designed around low-tech, passive solar principles (as opposed to using technology), multi-use spaces with large circular windows framing views of cliffs and vast stretches of land, Arcosanti still embodies a ‘back-to-land’ vibe and connection to community that’s fueled by an ideal for a better way to live. Since 1970, over 8,000 volunteers have come here, spending weeks, and sometimes decades, building, improving, and even raising families.

"The first 50-years at Arcosanti were about one vision," says Martin-Malikian. "The next 50 will be about the collective," she adds, referring to multiple collaborations and partnerships with Indigenous communities and beyond that contribute to her aim to "decode the notion of arcology."

"All of the processes, symbols, and meanings represented by Arcosanti will become the elements of an arcology toolbox we are creating to explore issues of erosion, water collection, water management and community building," she says. "The goal is to become the country’s first heat-ready community – equipped to survive a rapidly warming world." More here.

A Visit to Wright’s “Ship in the Woods”

Florida's only-built original Wright residence, the Clifton and George Lewis "Spring House" (1954) in Tallahassee (also compared to a "Ship in the Woods"), which author and photojournalist Mark Hertzberg recently had the privilege of touring with the clients' daughter, Byrd Lewis Mashburn. The family is raising money for needed repairs and a link to their website on how to donate is in the article on Wright in Racine. Read more here.

The 2022 Market At Graycliff

Could there be a more divine venue to host a summer market than Graycliff? For the fifth year, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed summer home of Isabelle and Darwin Martin will be home to a fabulous market series, scheduled to take place on Thursdays in August and September.

Currently, organizers are looking for marketeers to take part in the seasonal marketplace, which features goodies that include homemade baked goods, specialty food items, locally produced wine, cider, and mead, along with quality handmade crafts.

In 2022, there is a focus on "naturally healthy," with locally grown farmed goods, as well as produce grown in Graycliff’s very own historic vegetable garden! People may not be aware that Graycliff features a historic vegetable garden that is ripe for the picking. It’s just another reason that this local landmark is so esteemed. It’s also another one of the draws that makes a trip to this roadside architectural attraction so special.

“The Market is a Producer-Only market, meaning that the re-selling of items is not permitted. All products must be made by the vendors themselves. The Market at Graycliff supports local vendors who help build and strengthen local economies. All products sold at Market must also be produced within the eight counties of Western New York.”

Opening day for the Market is Thursday, August 4, 2022 and ends on Thursday, September 15, 2022. Hours are from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, rain or shine. This year the Market will be concentrated on Graycliff’s historic tennis court, with vendors also set up along the historic approach to the houses.

Food trucks are also invited to participate in the Market. Visitors to the Market at Graycliff are invited to self-tour the main floor of the newly-restored main house for $10. More information here.

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