Local leaders are not consiously demolishing a landmark, like the Cleveland Trust Building; rather, the City of Cleveland is simply ignoring the old Coast Guard Station at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and allowing the stunning structure to deteriorate.
See a recent Plain Dealer article here.
See past BOTC post + links here.
The building, desinged in a similar, yet toned-down, expressionist manner to Erich Mendelsohn's Einstein Tower, should be saved for many reasons:
1. The Coast Guard Station is one of the few, if only, expressionist buildngs in the region. The melding of European styling with American pragmatism is very unique to this usually architecturally conservative part of the country. Mendelsohn's Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights also shares a similar formalism.
2. The building was designed by one J. Milton Dyer, a true tragic character in Cleveland architectural history. Dyer was known to intensely design splendid buldings, such as the Coast Guard Station and Cleveland City Hall, and then proceed to go on weeks-long benders in Cleveland's seedier haunts. Out of his office came the greatest Cleveland architectural parntership, Walker + Weeks.
3. The building and site can serve as an anchor in the city's lakefront planning. Although a lakefront plan was proposed (and trashed thoroughly by local and international designers alike), other plans are percolating that should utilize this amazing structure. If Cleveland wants to emerge as a "Design City," a crucial first step must involve the rescuing of this building.
4 comments:
Today I heard that the fellas at Great Lakes Brewing Co. have taken an intense interest in the Coast Guard Station.
Don't know any sort of details, unfortunately...
This is an amazingly beautiful structure that cannot be left to wither away in decay!
The City of Cleeveland obviously has no interest in it...let some private parties do what needs to be done to save this magnificent piece of architecture!!!
PLEASE!!!!
I AGREE
THIS IS FAR TO BEAUTIFUL A BUILDING TO LET IT ROT AWAY.
IT'S HISTORY.
IT MUST BE SAVED.
I thnk the City of Cleveland should be ashamed of itself.
Aren't they in violation of some Landmarks/Preservation Laws?
If they had no intention of preserving this fine, beautiful building, why on Earth did they purchae it?
I hope those individuals that expressed interest in buying, saving and restoring it do something quickly!!!!
Thankyou.
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