Chistorra

Has that been considered, X? I'd certainly be interested to know more.

I wonder where they got the figure that "99 percent of those who look at the building find it extremely unattractive". Was that a Pew Research Center poll, or did they get a show of hands at Slyman's?

Here's the message I sent to the Planning group and, previously, to the commissioners themselves. "Esteemed Planning Committee Member, "I am grateful for the continued dedication and commitment that the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners shows for the urban fabric of Cleveland. I know, as I'm sure you realize, that any movement the County makes can affect great change. I was (and continue to be) enthusiastic that the County chose the corner of East 9th and Euclid for their new offices given the positive impact it will have on the neighborhood and the now-empty storefronts. "Despite my appreciation for this move, I truly feel that the demolition of the Breuer Tower will be a major loss for Cleveland that won't be fully felt for years to come. While I have heard that it would cost more to demolish and rebuild the Breuer Tower, my principle concern is about the building itself, the hole in the skyline that would be created, and the abandonment of an architecturally significant structure because of current tastes and trends. "When I was growing up in Shaker Heights I resented the brutalist style of the Breuer Tower as well as other austere structures of the era that are currently slated to be torn down. At the time, I vastly preferred the newer, more classically inspired buildings that were going up. Now, while I greatly admire new trends in architecture, my opinion has changed. I find the Breuer Tower both subtle and elegant, and it is increasingly significant as modernism is making an strong comeback in every field of design. I feel it is a unique trophy from an important era in architecture in a district of period skyscrapers. "However, this style of architecture is in a twilight phase between stodgy and classic, as all styles invariably find themselves at one point. It is for this reason that I hope that you will reconsider the demolition of the Breuer Tower. I have no doubt that the current needs of the County can be met through updating the interiors or through building new on the Euclid Avenue land that was also acquired in the purchase. But I am even more certain that tearing down Marcel Breuer's only tower is a mistake that will come back to haunt Cleveland in the very near future. "Thank you for your consideration." I also submitted Jones's letter as well as my own plea for help on the Society for Architectural Historians' listserv and to the University of Cincinnati's architecture department. both groups were "shocked", and are currently passing it around to build support.

FYI - "The Sound of Ideas" is going to discuss the Ameritrust Tower with Steve Litt as one of the guests on Tuesday, 4/3/07. "The Sound of Ideas" is from 9am to 10am on WCPN, 90.3 FM. Hope everyone can listen in.

"The Talk" of today's New York Times Style Magazine has the following definition for the style that define's the architecture of the Ameritrust Tower: "brutalism / (broot l ism) / n. / a muscular style of socially conscious architecture practiced between the 1950s and the 1970s by the likes of Le Corbusier and Paulo Mendes da Rocha. Brutalism took its name from béton brut, the French phrase for “raw concrete,” its signature material, but ultimately became a term of derision. After 30-some years, however, it suddenly looks sexy again." While looking sexy is evidently not what the county commissioners are after, one would hope they might appreciate the fact that the form is just now coming back into style. Do you think they'll get the memo too late? I particularly like the description, "socially conscious architecture." What could be more appropriate or necessary at this point in American history?

From Litt's PD artical - "Commissioners set to demolish downtown tower" on MArch 29th, 2007: "Because the Breuer tower is so close to other buildings, the county won't be able to implode it, so it will have to come down floor by floor at a cost of $8 million to $10 million - maybe more. The county won't know until bids are in."

I, for one, am disappointed in the two-to-one vote in favor of razing the Breuer Tower, although this certainly wasn't unexpected. However, I am surprised that there isn't a more unified international outcry on this matter. It seems as if the modernist aesthetic is found in every field of design and more than ever in architecture. One would think there would be a greater effort to protect its origins. Where is DOCOMOMO now? Marcel needs you.