9 BUILDINGS BY

GUNNAR BIRKERTSPROPOSAL FOR A STUDY TOUR

University of MichiganPh.D Program in ArchitectureFall 2013

Prepared by Michael AbrahamsonAugust 23, 2013

Latvian-American late modern architect Gun-nar Birkerts, based near Detroit for most of this career, produced no less than 15 substantial buildings in Southeast Michigan. The proposed study tour would expose participants to nine signifi cant buildings designed by Birkerts over the course of a single day.

From a 2600 square foot private offi ce to a sprawling suburban complex nearly a mile long, these buildings vary in scale, program, and completion date. Covering Birkerts’ career from the early 1960s to the 1990s, the tour would introduce participants to some of the architect’s formal preoccupations and address the ways he and his associates dealt with dif-fi cult environmental and programmatic issues.

Given that many buildings that are a part of this proposal are places of business, the tour will likely need to take place during the week. A weekend trip is also possible, but would involve access to fewer interiors.

Birkerts’ personal and professional papers are held by the Bentley Historical Library at UM, and the introduction of a small group of doctoral students to the work of this internationally rec-ognized architect may have a direct impact on interest in and use of these extensive holdings.

Provisional Schedule:

8:30 AM Meet at (1) UM Law Library10:00 AM Depart UM Campus10:15 AM (2) Domino’s Farms11:00 AM Depart Domino’s Farms11:35 AM (3) Holtzman & Silverman Offi ce12:15 PM Depart H & S / Lunch1:00 PM End of Lunch1:15 PM (4) Catholic Church of St. Bede2:00 PM Depart St. Bede2:10 PM (5) IBM Regional Offi ce3:00 PM Depart IBM3:15 PM (6) Fisher Building, Detroit Mercy3:45 PM Depart Fisher Building4:00 PM (7) 1300 East Lafayette4:30 PM Depart 13004:35 PM (8) Calvary Baptist Church5:15 PM Depart Calvary5:30 PM (9) Marathon Oil Building5:45 PM Depart Marathon7:00 PM Arrive back at UM Campus

Provisional Budget (Up to 14 Participants):

Vehicle Rental $100 (2 vans, UM Rental)Gasoline $50 (approx. 125 miles)Lunch (Optional) $140 ($10 / person)Booklet Printing $56 ($4 / color copy)________________________Total $346

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13

The Allan and Alene Smith

Law Library AdditionGunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1974-1981

Location: Law Quad, UM CampusCondition: Well-maintainedArrangements: Open to UM students and faculty, large groups require permission

Presented with the challenge of adding a modern library to a 19th century Neo-Gothic quadrangle, Birkerts located all three fl oors of the building underground, bringing light into the space through an L-shaped trench framing the existing masonry structure. Through clever diffusion and refl ection, light penetrates deep into the space, enabling this underground building to be one of the most pleasant places on campus.

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Master Plan and Architecture

Domino’s FarmsGunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1984-199X

Location: Plymouth Road at US 23Condition: Well-maintainedArrangements: Open to the public

Nearly a mile long and comprised of a corporate headquarters, speculative offi ce space, and public facilities, this massive complex is a kind of hyper-Prairie House, deploying the image and materials of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early work onto geometries and forms reminiscent of other Birkerts works.

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Holtzman & Silverman Offi ceGunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1983-1989

Location: Telegraph Road at I-696, South-fi eldCondition: Well-maintainedArrangements: Small private offi ce, per-mission required for entry, only open during normal business hours

Engaged in a steep valley, this diminu-tive, half-buried offi ce space was com-missioned by a pair of real estate devel-opers for whom Birkerts had built. A cast concrete entry tower leads visitors via elevator to an intricately composed of-fi ce space facing onto a small green con-taining a part of the owners’ collection of sculpture.

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Church of St. BedeRoman Catholic Parish of Southfi eld

Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1966-1969

Location: Southfi eld Road at West Twelve Mile Road, Southfi eldCondition: Recently shuttered but remains in fair shape and unalteredArrangements: Current ownership situation unknown, requires research

An early example of Birkerts’ expressive plan geometries, this church makes its impact with a large copper-clad light scoop depositing an ethereal illumination on the main altar. Also prominent are confessionals that project toward the street, accessible from interior and exterior.

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IBM Regional Offi ceGunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1974-1979

Location: West Nine Mile Road at Highway 10, Southfi eldCondition: In use, well-maintainedArrangements: Private offi ce, will require permission for entry and tour

An experiment in indirect illumination and energy conservation, this sixteen-story, metal-clad offi ce building uses curved refl ectors to harvest light through its downward-facing lites. Clad in two tones of gray, the building’s elegant insulated wall system presents a more rugged and innovative alternative to the ubiquitous glass box.

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Fisher Administrative CenterUniversity of Detroit Mercy

Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1964-1966

Location: Livernois Avenue, DetroitCondition: Questionably maintained, with minor but insensitive exterior alterationsArrangements: Permission likely required for entry and tour

A precocious early work, this academic offi ce created prestige offi ce space for the university president using a suspended roof that enabled its top fl oor to be clad entirely in glass. Placed on a plinth, this nearly black jewel box is clad in dark stone and tinted glass. False structural ribs on the facade correspond to those found on the roof. Within the plinth are offi ces facing outward reminiscent of James Stirling’s Cambridge History Faculty.

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1300 East LafayetteApartment Tower

Birkerts and Straub, 1961-1963Location: East Lafayette at Rivard Street, DetroitCondition: In use, well-maintainedArrangements: Private apartment tower, arrangements required for entry

The most distinctive element of this tower is its irregular structural grid, composed from the inside out to correspond with desired apartment layouts. Between each concrete column is a small bay window projecting outward around two feet. Across the street from Mies van der Rohe’s Lafayette Park, one can’t help but see this building as a response to his dogmatic, rectangular towers.

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Calvary Baptist ChurchGunnar Birkerts and Associates, 1974-1977

Location: East Lafayette at Robert Brady Street, DetroitCondition: Showing its age, but original design remains unalteredArrangements: Permission likely required for entry and tour

Distinguished from its surroundings by its orange metal skin and odd geometric shape, this church saves its mystery for the interior. Dominated by a wall of angled mirrors, the sanctuary affords its congregation a refl ections of itself and of the altar from above.

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Marathon Oil Offi ceDetroit Refi nery

Birkerts and Straub, 1962-1964

Location: South Fort Street, DetroitCondition: In use, well-maintained exterior, unsure of interiorArrangements: Secure offi ce building with gated entry to parking lot

One of Birkerts’ fi rst commissions, this small offi ce was designed with its harsh refi nery environment in mind. The metal curtain wall was selected because it was supremely washable, preventing the polluted air that surrounds the building from spoiling the architecture or its shaded but bright interior space. Mechanical systems were run through troughs on the exterior, creating shade for the building’s ribbon windows.