Southfield Mid-Century Modern Architecture Tour, October 12

**Kathleen** · September-24-14, 11:34 AM

The city of Southfield, the Southfield Historical Society and DoCoMoMo will host a Mid-Century Modern Architecture Tour on Sunday, October 12 from 2-4:30 p.m. throughout Southfield.

The bus tour will begin at 2 p.m. at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, 27375 Bell Road at 11 Mile Road, and will include some of the best examples of Mid-Century Modern architecture in Southfield, including the Northland area, a loop through Northland Gardens, Washington Heights and Cranbrook neighborhoods, as well as the Northwestern Highway Corridor. Free parking is available at Shaarey Zedek.

Tickets are $20 per person [[including the bus tour and program booklet) and are available in the Southfield City Hall lobby [[26000 Evergreen Road) Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or through tour facilitator, Southfield historian and City Councilman Ken Siver. Tickets will also be sold the day of the tour for $25 [[if any space is still available).

For more information, contact Councilman Ken Siver at [[248) 569-4286 or ksiver@cityofsouthfield.com or City Planner Terry Croad at [[248) 796-4154 or tcroad@cityofsouthfield.com
.

More info:
https://www.cityofsouthfield.com/New...2/Default.aspx

**Kathleen** · September-24-14, 11:37 AM

Preserving a piece of Southfield's history
http://www.hometownlife.com/story/ne...tory/15019755/

**RickBeall** · September-24-14, 12:26 PM

Everyone who hates mid-century modern architecture raise their hand.

Give me a hundred years, and then I'm sure I'll come 'round and like it.

**Bham1982** · September-24-14, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Everyone who hates mid-century modern architecture raise their hand.

Give me a hundred years, and then I'm sure I'll come 'round and like it.

It's good in very small doses. When it's the prevailing context, you get Warsaw, or the suburbs of East Berlin, or, for that matter, the autocentric Northland version.

**Kathleen** · October-06-14, 11:34 AM

Bump!!

The tour is this Sunday, October 12.

I was on the inaugural tour last year in June, and found it very interesting to see the different types of mid-century modern building and their uses.

**gazhekwe** · October-06-14, 12:22 PM

I plan to take it this year. I live in one of the featured neighborhoods, so my dog and I will be out sprucing up our street before we head to the tour.

**motz** · October-08-14, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Everyone who hates mid-century modern architecture raise their hand.

Give me a hundred years, and then I'm sure I'll come 'round and like it.

I've grown to admire MCM decor/furniture quite a bit and am coming around to the architecture too... I would love to go on this tour if it wasn't for the plans I've already made

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · October-08-14, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

It's good in very small doses. When it's the prevailing context, you get Warsaw, or the suburbs of East Berlin, or, for that matter, the autocentric Northland version.

I guess you haven't been to Palm Springs.

**gazhekwe** · October-08-14, 03:37 PM

Good news for those interested in MCM architecture and neighborhoods. A second bus has been added! If you want to go on the tour Sunday, stop by the Southfield Civic Center office and there will be tickets available there tomorrow afternoon Thursday Oct 9, and quite possibly on site before the tour at Shaarey Zedek. 2 pm Sunday, October 12. See you there!

**poobert** · October-09-14, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

It's good in very small doses. When it's the prevailing context, you get Warsaw, or the suburbs of East Berlin, or, for that matter, the autocentric Northland version.

Very insightful.

Are there any midcentury Detroit tours?

This guy sold not long ago:
http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...cal-secret.php

I'm wondering if it was coming off war fatigue or the influx of GI's and their Bills but midcentury America was bizarre.

**gazhekwe** · October-09-14, 09:34 AM

I love how the buildings and homes played with melding inside and outside living spaces, and the light coming in with all the big open window designs is wonderful.
Maybe not so practical in Michigan winters, but how you face the building means a lot.

**Kathleen** · October-10-14, 05:50 AM

Information Southfield's Mid-Century Modern Architecture:

https://www.cityofsouthfield.com/Por...MidCentMod.pdf

https://www.cityofsouthfield.com/Por...s_6-Mar-12.pdf

https://www.cityofsouthfield.com/Por...M-Brochure.pdf

C'mon out and see them for yourself!!! The weather is supposed to be nice through Sunday afternoon.

I'm looking forward to seeing some buildings up close and personal that I've only seen driving by. So interesting to see the interiors as well!!

**Kathleen** · October-12-14, 07:44 AM

One more plug for today's tour!!

http://www.hometownlife.com/story/ne...tour/16580433/

**gazhekwe** · October-12-14, 11:14 AM

See you there!

**Kathleen** · October-12-14, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

See you there!

Nice to see you and Jim! It was an interesting and fun tour!! So glad we went!! And we will definitely be taking our own mini-driving tour to revisit some of the sites for more photos.

**gazhekwe** · October-12-14, 09:43 PM

It was great seeing you and the Grillmaster, too. With such a beautiful sunny day, it could not have been more perfect. Did you have a favorite stop? I can't pick just one. The moment she opened the curtains in the main chapel at Shaarey Zedek to show the Torahs, maybe, with that gorgeous wall sculpture of the burning bush above them, and the perpetual light shining red through the base of the bush. Climbing those spooky dark stairs in the Reynolds Aluminum building and coming out into the brilliant light below that amazing clear roof was cool. And I really liked learning more about those International Style houses in my neighborhood. I never knew what to call them before.

I wonder if any other Dyessers were there.

**Kathleen** · October-13-14, 05:58 PM

Although I thought the Shaarey Zedek temple was an amazing piece of architecture, I have to go with the Yamasaki Reynolds Metals building for his innovative design use of aluminum inside and outside!!! It was stunning, and to see it up close from the inside!!!

**archfan** · October-15-14, 12:05 AM

I've seen the Reynolds Metals building [[briefly) from the Lodge and thought 'meh'. But reading this thread inspired me to look up photos on the web. The inside, with the inner courtyard and skylight, looks impressive.

**gazhekwe** · October-15-14, 03:51 PM

The Reynolds Building was designed by Yamasaki and built with beautiful reflecting pools surrounding it. It was so lovely,with the pools reflecting the shiny building and the flowers in summer. Beautiful trees surrounded it. The pools have been filled in. The new owners are planning to restore the building as closely as possible to its original design, sure hope that includes at least the front reflecting pools. We were given a little lesson by the architect on the job, he is quite passionate about the design. Those little round patterns on the outside vary in depth from narrow at the bottom to 18" deep at the top, to act as sun shading. He said the round designs are called Soleils [[Kathleen, correct me if I got it wrong).

**Kathleen** · October-15-14, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

T He said the round designs are called Soleils [[Kathleen, correct me if I got it wrong).

They are called Brise Soleil. And that architectural feature is basically a sunshade. Yamasaki's interpretation appears to be pretty unique!! And beautiful!! I couldn't stop taking photos!!