If you think Mid-Century Modern is outdated and ugly, and ought to be torn down, you're probably over 45.
The nonprofit group Historic Charlotte has put together a Mid-Century Modern home tour this weekend, (here's a link where you can see a list, a map and buy tickets) featuring 17 homes built from the 1950s to 1970s, to try to show everyone why a lot of younger people are interested in preserving and living in houses from that era. It's part of a whole month of celebrating Mid-Century Modern.
The houses range from modest to impressive, and with local architects Murray Whisnant and the late Jack Orr Boyte among those represented.
It's an architectural style and era not beloved around here – until recently. Diane Althouse, executive director of Historic Charlotte, told Tuesday night's Civic By Design forum that buildings from the era are in greater risk of demolition than others in Charlotte. And of course, we know virtually everything here that doesn't have preservation in its deed restrictions is at risk of demolition.
Here's a measure of how unpopular this modern architecture is. Last fall, in an unprecedented move, the City Council in a 6-4 vote, rejected a move to name a 1957, Jack Boyte-designed house in the Cloisters neighborhood a local landmark. The owners wanted the designation; the city-county historic landmarks commission wanted the designation, the state preservation office had concluded the house was eligible. Usually the council doesn't have a problem, if the preservation experts say something's worth designating, and the owners concur. But council members just said they didn't think the house was very attractive.
If you're old enough to think Mid-Century Modern is ugly, you're probably old enough to remember when Victorian-style buildings were being demolished because they were "too ugly" and far too many treasures were lost.
I confess to some ambivalence about Modernism. As generally carried out, it's too bleak and stark. One modernist building amid older, ornate buildings is sleek and elegant. A whole city (or even whole city block) of nothing but square angles, bare concrete and cold glass would be depressing. But the point of preservation isn't only to preserve buildings we think are pretty. It's to ensure that eras aren't obliterated.
And it's worth pointing out that buildings from this era are coming to be treasured and sought-after. I know of several people who are specifically looking to buy homes from that era.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Mid-Century Modern: Charlotte's bulldozer bait?
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20 comments:
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot!
There are a lot of us over 45 who think mid-century modern is just fine. We’re the retirees who have lived in them for 25-30 years and paid off the mortgages long ago. Those MCM’s that are single-story work quite well for those of us who are rapidly losing mobility. They’re easy to ramp and widen. I’m glad the younger generations appreciate them for other reasons. Perhaps that will benefit us when it’s time to move to assisted living.
Living in a neighborhood that is 100% 1960s and 1970s dwellings, I get a constant stream of mailed inquiries from house-flippers about whether I’d like to sell – or did until the recession hit. It seems like each month some contractor is turning mid-century modern into twenty-first century McMansion. In most cases they’re not leveling the house and starting anew. They’re adding a second floor and expanding the rear. But the result is definitely McM and not MCM, so there goes the chance to preserve that one-of-a-kind house and its architecture.
I think city council, which receives a lot of campaign contributions from developers, realtors and building-trades contractors, may have a reason other than inattractiveness for voting against their preservation.
I'm in Atlanta.
Charlotte. Don't be like Atlanta.
This is a city that hates historic neighborhoods. A historic building in Atlanta is 20 years old. The developers here can't wait until a new building hits the 20 year mark so they can tear the damn thing down. Atlanta is the kind of city where you can live here 20 years, but it feels like you just moved here last week (I still get lost in parts of the metro area-it changes so much). The business culture here is: if it's old, it probably isn't making us (developers) money. So let's tear it down!
Charlotte. Don't act like Atlanta. Take reasonable steps to preserve your neighborhoods. It's what gives a city "character".
Like John Huston's Noah Cross said in Chinatown: "Politicians, ugly buildings, and wh-res all get respectable if they last long enough."
The generational divide is interesting. Many of the over-45'ers who dislike MCMs were likely raised in them or around them. They may not like them because they associate them with their parents' tastes and the whole Man in the Gray Flannel Suit thing they thought they were rebelling against. They either prefer the charm of their grandparents' old neighborhoods (bungalows and such) or brand new developments.
Another datum that may be related is that the show "Mad Men", which is set in the early 60s and has a meticulously MCM aesthetic, seems to be more popular with 20 and 30 somethings than with older viewers.
And, as always, part of it is practical. Many MCM's offer a combination of the durable construction of older housing stock with the roominess of new houses. And many have the open floor plans that have become so popular. Finally, being in older neighborhoods, they're also likely to be closer to downtown areas and have lots of mature trees by now.
Great topic and responses, Mary.
I read in today's Observer where there is overwhelming support in Raleigh for Rep. Nick Mackey's bill to make it a crime to bully a minor over the Internet.
Based on how some have mistreated you in past topics, you and other bloggers need to get behind that legislation and have it expanded to include the bullying of adults.
Good observations, Cato.
Yes, there is more space inside most MCM's than the casual outside observer would assume.
My neighbor has one of those stretched-out, low-slope roofed MCM's like the ones in the slide show. Inside are 4 bedrooms - the master one being especially large - three full baths and plenty of open space. It isn't that pretty to look at from the outside, but it gets the job done.
Can you provide some links to examples we can look at?
Jumper, the links to the Home Tour show photos of the homes on the tour. Also, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission Web site has some info on post-WWII buildings.
Try this: http://snipurl.com/i2unh
And the Google serves up many examples too. Thanks.
Like throwing away good food, there is something sinful about bulldozing perfectly good homes in most cases. Just a thought.
Most of the examples I see look good; well built and they seem to sit in their landscapes comfortably like the professed Frank Lloyd Wright values. (not always successful IMO)
Here's an odd single-family home. I think it has been converted to apartments at the time of this photo:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nEAvGaaxTCI/Sg2AxZXQ0XI/AAAAAAAAAXo/mO28XTRRbbI/s1600-h/grandviewC.JPG
PAVE THE RAINFOREST.
I live in a MCM neighborhood in northeast Charlotte (which unfortunately is not on the home tour, but should be - I guess affordable neighborhoods don't count as historic?). It's really a great choice for younger folks, because the homes are much better built than newer homes (good materials and a real foundation), are often brick (look at how much it costs to get a new home with brick siding) and usually have nice, large, yards with mature trees. We absolutely love our neighborhood and were able to get a nice sized house on a half-acre lot for under 200K, convenient to uptown and the university. It's sad that the city council is more interested in preserving their campaign contributions from developers than they are in preserving livable neighborhoods in Charlotte.
Some of the old shopping centers near downtown built in the 1950’s and 1960’s, now abandoned, like “Amity Garden Shopping Center” and the “Coliseum Center” are fine examples of mid 20th century modern architecture. Sadly they are in such bad dilapidated state that is sad to see that one day they will be bulldozed.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechthefountainhead.html
I live in a livable neighborhood. Isn't where you live a livable neighborhood? If it was not why would you live there?
I love the MCM style and would buy that house in the CLoisters if I could afford it. My house in Barclay Downs was built in 1958 and is a typical all-brick, hip-roofed ranch of the period that I love but it's more traditional than MCM. Still, MCM is a great style not only in architecture but in furnishings as well. And I would never dream of ripping off the roof or otherwise turning it into a McM. MCM is da bomb! :)
Oh I'm 52 and love MCM. Just so you'll know And I'm not the only one. There's just so much fussy Pottery Barn-"Old World" dreck in Charlotte now, isn't there? Too bad...
I lived in a Mies Van Der Rohe building for eleven years in a city that designated its premiere Mid Century Modern neighborhood as a historic district. The only downfall to living in the area was the constant stream of phtographers and documentarians coming through and filming specials for European and Asian television networks.
The US as whole seems unable to grasp the subtle beauty and proportions of well done and true Modernism.
This video link gives a great intro to Modernism done right and what it is like to live in a mixed use village with homes, apartments, a large park, a school and retail.
New Urbanism doesn't need to be gingerbread and front porches. It can be steel and glass and quite lovely.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OROh-5c92Ag
Interesting to see the comments. I was the chair for the MCM home tour and the homes on the tour were mostly my clients, friends or past clietns. I am a real estate broker that specializes in MCM homes and definitely don't think they are bulldozer bait!! An entire new generation is finding these homes and are buying them in original condition (preferred) and retro fitting them for 2009 lifestyles. This usually means updating the applainces, making them more energy efficient but not messing much with the original architecture. Also baby boomers that are into downsizing and are seeking a more minimalistic lifestyle are finding these homes. I abhor the infill McMansions that have destroyed neighborhoods and are now sitting on the market at reduced prices and are often distresses properties. I mourn the MCM homes we lost in the building frenzy..as the homes that were erected were poorly designed, architectural nightmares and energy inefficient- definitely not current with the new architectural paradigms of living. I think the hisotic community of charlotte has done a poor job of bringing attention to these homes or fighting for their preservation. The home tour was a big success and was happy to assist but it is truly the folks that invest in these homes and help maintain a viable market for these properties that keep them from being bulldozer bait. Once they are gone- they are gone and with them a vital part of Charlotte's architectural heritage and diversness. Do we really want Charlotte to look like one Euro-Mediterranean- French Chateau-McMansion hybrid mess? Did I mention columns??
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