preservation — Blog — Molly Block

In landmark art preservation news:

It’s hard to miss the 70-foot-tall blue saxophone as you drive down Richmond Avenue [in Houston].
Its name is Smokesax, and it has been at that location on 6025 Richmond for the past 20 years. But Wednesday, the … — In landmark art preservation news:

It’s hard to miss the 70-foot-tall blue saxophone as you drive down Richmond Avenue [in Houston].

Its name is Smokesax, and it has been at that location on 6025 Richmond for the past 20 years. But Wednesday, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, a local folk art organization [mentioned previously here], announced it is going to acquire the oversize horn, which is made out of car parts, oil field pipes and a surfboard, as well as an entire Volkswagen Beetle that forms the U-joint at its base.

The big brass was built by legendary Texas artist Bob Wade as a special installation for Billy Blues Bar & Grill. It was fully restored three years ago, and the current property owners, Kensinger Properties Ltd., said they wanted the Orange Show to ensure the piece would be preserved for future generations.

The saxophone will be removed from its current location at 10 a.m. on Feb. 28. The process to remove the massive piece will take a full day. Then, Smokesax will begin its 13-mile journey from Richmond Avenue to Munger Street. Artist Bob Wade will be overseeing the entire removal and transportation. Once at the Orange Show, it will be housed in the organization’s warehouse until an exact location has been chosen for permanent display.

(via Orange Show Center for Visionary Art to acquire Smokesax - Houston Business Journal)

February 28, 2013

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright made it easy for the owners of his Houston home to take a dip in their swimming pool:
His design for the bathroom featured the narrow vertical opening pictured above – a door that swings out over the pool’s e… — Architect Frank Lloyd Wright made it easy for the owners of his Houston home to take a dip in their swimming pool:

His design for the bathroom featured the narrow vertical opening pictured above – a door that swings out over the pool’s edge!

Seeing the house on Sunday was quite a treat; additional photos (and notes) from my visit can be found here.

During the visit, we learned Mr. Wright never visited the site, and he didn’t envision the house being air conditioned – he thought natural ventilation would be adequate. The original owner who commissioned Wright (in 1954) to design the home insisted that AC be included. Wright complied; the design solution involved the placement of air registers in the home’s concrete floors.

In addition, we learned the current owner bought the house in 1991, after the New York Times ran this story – Houston Journal - A House With a History May Not Have a Future - NYTimes.com. From 1991-95, the owner renovated the house, removing up to six layers of paint (in shades of pink and white) in some areas, and expanded it, adding some 7,000+ square feet of space. In the living room, ceiling tiles were removed, exposing the angled ceiling, and a banquette and other furniture was built from specs found in the home’s original plans.

Let’s hope that future owners are as good stewards of the home’s architectural heritage as the current one.

(Background about the house and my visit here, in my last post.)

September 28, 2010

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollyblock/se...

Wright stuff:
I’m excited to be part of a small group visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s one contribution to architecture in the city of Houston – a private residence located in the Memorial area.
Among the few stories I’ve found online… — Wright stuff:

I’m excited to be part of a small group visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s one contribution to architecture in the city of Houston – a private residence located in the Memorial area.

Among the few stories I’ve found online about the house (designed in 1954) is this New York Times piece from 1991: Houston Journal - A House With a History May Not Have a Future - NYTimes.com. Even then, almost 20 years ago, the house was threatened by possible demolition. Since then, from what I’ve been told, significant modifications, including an addition (designed by Kirksey), have been made to the house.

I like this, from the NYT:

Mr. Thaxton [original owner who commissioned Wright] said it cost $125,000 to build the house, an astronomical sum at the time. The amount included Wright’s $25,000 fee. “You didn’t work with Mr. Wright,” Mr. Thaxton said. “You presented Mr. Wright with a piece of property.”

The house is owner-occupied, so we don’t know if we’ll be allowed to take photos today. Will take a few, if it’s okay.

Related: Previous posts about the preservation and maintenance of Wright-designed properties elsewhere.

September 25, 2010

Via architizer:

John Lautner’s classic Shusett House in Beverly Hills was demolished this month, and we’ve obtained rare, never-before-seen photographs of the pre-demolition house as well as the post-demolition site. Contributor David Hay has comme… — Via architizer:

John Lautner’s classic Shusett House in Beverly Hills was demolished this month, and we’ve obtained rare, never-before-seen photographs of the pre-demolition house as well as the post-demolition site. Contributor David Hay has commentary on LA, Lautner, and the ethics of destroying landmark architecture.

Check out our full piece here.

LAUTNER1 — Via architizer:

John Lautner’s classic Shusett House in Beverly Hills was demolished this month, and we’ve obtained rare, never-before-seen photographs of the pre-demolition house as well as the post-demolition site. Contributor David Hay has commentary on LA, Lautner, and the ethics of destroying landmark architecture.

Check out our full piece here.

September 24, 2010

“It’s Just Different Here”: Austin’s once-forlorn South Congress neighborhood is flourishing again — with all of its quirks intact.
Nice urban-revival story by Joe Nick Patoski in National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Ju… — “It’s Just Different Here”: Austin’s once-forlorn South Congress neighborhood is flourishing again — with all of its quirks intact.

Nice urban-revival story by Joe Nick Patoski in National Trust for Historic Preservation’s July/August issue of @PreservationMag.

Photo credit: Matt Rainwaters

July 5, 2010

View a favorite vintage sign photo series:

Texas Vintage Neon Signs