Saving the Breuer building

Recently I embarked on what many consider to be a long and arduous journey, called graduate school. My first course, Urban Planning Seminar, was taught by Sally Levine, a local architect. During one brisk Saturday afternoon our class headed out on a walking tour of downtown Cleveland at which time each student discussed a different structure or area of the district. When the time came to discuss the building located at the southeast corner of East Ninth Street connected to the gorgeous Cleveland Trust rotunda, many smiles turned to frowns. The structure's appearance is not loved by all, however it is architecturally significant to be sure.



The structure was designed by Marcel Breuer who was born in Hungary in 1902. He is considered one of the masters of Modernism, and he displayed interest in modular construction and simple forms. Breuer designed the 1971 expansion of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Brock Weir of the Cleveland Trust Bank was a trustee of the art museum, and he recruited Breuer to design what at that time was called The Cleveland Trust Tower. The following photo provided by clevelandskyscrapers.com illustrates how it was originally designed to have twin towers flanking the bank's 1908 rotunda.



Although my instructor defended the importance of the Ameritrust Tower during our class walking tour that day, she did not elaborate on her involvement with it. It was until a few weeks later on facebook that I stumbled across her name as someone who was being hailed a "savior" of the Breuer building. I had to learn more about the preservation efforts, as so few are successful here in Greater Cleveland.

Sally was kind enough to grant me an interview laying out the history behind Marcel Breuer's only constructed skyscraper.


Marcel was known for using an architectural style called “Brutalism.” Can you expand on that concept, and would you consider the Ameritrust tower to be of this style of architecture?

The short answer to the second half of your question is “yes, the Ameritrust Tower is an example of Brutalism.” Expanding on the concept will take a bit longer.

The term “brutalism” comes from the French phrase “béton brut” which translates into English as “raw concrete.” Many 20th century Modernists worked with concrete – both as a structural material and as a façade facing. Concrete’s inherent plasticity made it a favorite material for architects who were interested in the sculptural aspects of buildings. Brutalist buildings are characterized by their monochromatic palette; their materials are unadorned - the beauty comes from the natural expression of the concrete, the stone, the glass and the steel. The Ameritrust Tower shares these traits. Its façade creates a pattern that serves as a backdrop for the Cleveland Trust Rotunda building, a neo-classical work by architect George Post. The pre-cast concrete window surrounds create the modulated pattern and are dimensioned to provide shade from the sun during the hot summer months and to allow sunlight to enter during the winter.


Did you see the tower being built and if so, what did you think about it as it was going up? If not, what was your impression of the building when you saw it for the first time?

The first time I saw the building I was definitely intrigued by the structure and its form. I was - and continue to be - a Breuer fan.

The building has been vacant since 1992, when did preservation efforts begin and why?

The efforts to save the building began when Cuyahoga County announced its plans to raze the tower and build a new county administration building on the site. The project would have saved the rotunda building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Steven Litt wrote extensively on this issue, and at first, he was the lone public voice in favor of saving the building. Also – at just 39 years old, it hasn’t reached the magic 50 years required before it can be considered for landmark status.

What types of efforts took place to save the building, and how were you involved? What other groups were involved and what was the final outcome?

A friend and colleague, architect David Ellison organized a demonstration to save the building. I went downtown to be supportive, and we marched, chanted and held up signs for about 2 hours at the end of a workday. The goal was to bring some attention to the issue. A few passers by asked questions, and some drivers looked on inquisitively, but we were a small group and only had a marginal impact. David and I had put together an exhibit for the first Ingenuity Festival, and I said in passing that it was a shame that the new festival was only 2-plus months away, because we could have organized a competition to solicit ideas about saving the structure. Then, of course, we were stuck with this concept – so we mobilized quickly, sent out calls for participation and invited jurors to review the work. We called the exhibit “What Would you do to the Breuer Tower?”

I’ve read that there was a large amount of asbestos to be removed from the building. What were the implications there as far as the effect that would have on the building’s demise?

It’s true, there is a great deal of asbestos in the building. The issue must be addressed whether it remains standing or is torn down, so the cost is a wash. If the building is reused, the asbestos can be encapsulated.

Why is it so important to save this structure when so many people believe it to be an eyesore?

There are several reasons to save the structure:
• Styles come and go – and it’s too early to make any decisive evaluations at this time. People in the Renaissance hated Gothic architecture. Today, we are grateful to have examples of both.
• Cleveland does not have many buildings by world-class architects, and having 2 Breuer buildings, the tower and the addition to the art museum, makes the city an important destination for Breuer scholars, architects and other interested parties.
• Breuer was an important mid-century modern architect, and this tower is the only one of the high-rise office buildings he designed that was built. His portfolio includes a wide range of building types: homes, museums (the Whitney Museum, NYC), government buildings (HUD Headquarters, Washington DC), university buildings (U of Massachusetts Campus Center, Amherst, Massachusetts), religious structures (St. Francis de Sales Church, Muskegon, Michigan). Additionally, he designed some very significant pieces of furniture, in particular the Cesca and Wassily chairs. He was the first to bend tubular steel for his furniture – and he got the idea from seeing the handlebars on his son’s bicycle.
• This tower, like many throughout the nation, has embedded energy – i.e.: the “bricks and mortar” used to build the structure are already in place, and the energy used to create the materials has already been expended. From a sustainability standpoint, there’s no question but to reuse an existing building, even when the new building is being touted as “green.” There’s no way that a new building can have less of an impact on the environment that an existing on. Also, even if it costs the same to renovate an existing building as it does to raze and build a new one, it is always better for the local economy to renovate. The monies used in renovation largely go toward labor, which stays in the immediate area. In a new building, much of the expense goes for the materials and those suppliers are often not in the local area.

What do you think the future holds for this structure, and if anything, what would you like to see the building be used for?

I thought the idea of a hotel, with the rotunda as the lobby and the tower for the rooms, was a great idea. I hope that the building is saved – although not “preserved.” I believe it can be adapted to a new and useful purpose – and I would be thrilled to be part of the process. We may need to wait until the economy recovers before we see how the saga unfolds.


The county currently owns the site, and is trying to sell it for what they paid along with improvements costs. According to this article in the Plain Dealer, they likely will not receive the current asking price.

I certainly agree that the building should be saved. It's not the prettiest, but the "Brutalism" style is quite appropriate for Cleveland. Clevelanders are tough and resilient, and so is this structure. Before long, we will all evolve into something spectacular.

Picturesque South Brooklyn Village

Recently, I came across a wonderful little book, published in 1903 by the South Brooklyn Improvement Association, promoting real estate in the the village. Picturesque South Brooklyn Village has numerous high quality illustrations, so I scanned the vast majority of them, knowing that they'd be useful at some future date. The only ones that I've omitted are small, nondescript landscapes and portraits.

At first, my intent was to drive around and photograph all the extant structures illustrated in the book. A lack of available time has made this impossible. Through the use of this map, I've been able to identify the current names of the streets. For the structures that are still standing, I've used the Cleveland GIS to identify the addresses.



The biggest surprise has been how many of the buildings pictured in 1903 are no longer standing. More than 75% of the strutcures appear to have been demolished. Many were residences on Pearl Road and Broadview Road, which were demolished to make way for commercial structures. Many of the commercial structures appear to have been removed to make way for new buildings as well. The Italianate style residence of John L. Johnson, on Pearl, was one.



This Second Empire style residence of Charles Gates, also on Pearl, is another example.



The Howard C. Gates residence, at 4248 West 35th Street, may be more well known than some of the other houses, due to its location next to the Jeremiah Gates residence, thought to be the oldest house in the city of Cleveland.



This house, the residence of Dr. H.H. Webster, is another one of my favorites. It, too, alas, has been lost. Note the presence of a windmill in the back yard, presumably to pump water.



The William C. Buchwald residence, at 4112 Bucyrus Avenue, is one of my favorites of the lot that is still standing.



Some of the houses, like the Charles A. Dainz residence, at 3816 Bucyrus Avenue, have been so extensively remodeled that they are hard to identify. Perhaps these photos will be useful for future inhabitants looking to return the buildings to their original glory.

I've identified these photos to the best of my ability. Take a look at the set. Check out the book from your local Cleveland Public Library branch. If you know of one that I've missed, I'd love to hear about it. I'd also love to see current photos of any of the buildings, if you have them.

Cleveland Area Landmarks: A proposal

It's been suggested that we need to identify the historic properties of greatest interest to us, so that we're not always scrambling around trying to save this or that building at the last minute. I agree. There are already various registries for such properties, among others the National Register of Historic Places and Cleveland Landmarks. Other cities, towns, and villages in the area also have landmark lists.

The problem with these is that they require the consent of the owner for inclusion. If an individual wants to demolish a structure, it's not in their best financial interest to allow it to become a landmark. Further, there's the (often incorrect) perception that landmark status will make it more difficult for them to sell or alter the property.

We need a landmark registry based purely on the historic merits of the structure. These structures will be called Cleveland Area Landmarks. We'll publish a list of them here. Inclusion in the list will let people know ahead of time that we, as a community, care about these buildings, and that we're willing to fight to preserve them as part of our history.

I'd suggest starting with those properties already included in local city landmark registries. To that I'd add those included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record. In addition, we should strongly consider sites that were nominated to the NRHP or as city landmarks, but for which the owner did not consent.

It would be worth considering quite carefully the buildings listed in the major books on the built history of our region, including Eric Johannesen's Cleveland Architecture 1876-1976 and Mary-Peale Schofield's Landmark Architecture of Cleveland.

Then, we should see what has been omitted. We should look at this county on a street by street basis and see what buildings and neighborhoods define us. The NRHP criteria seem a reasonable standard to follow.

I'll begin by compiling a list of all the properties in the aforementioned registries.

The next step will be for you to help identify buildings for inclusion. I'll create a basic standard for the nominations, which will include at least one photograph and a justification for the nomination. On a regular basis, these nominations will be posted here, and you, the readers, will vote as to whether they meet the criteria for Cleveland Area Landmarks. By voting for a property, we will indicate our commitment to its preservation.

We'll keep our eyes on the Cleveland Area Landmarks in our respective neighborhoods, so that we, as a group, can take action when they are threatened. This registry is the first step toward real progress in preserving the history of the greater Cleveland area.

Public Square in 1839, in color!

One of my big complaints about books and other publications dealing with history is that there's too much gray text and what few illustrations there are, are in black and white. Vibrant imagery helps draw the reader into the narrative. Imagine my surprise when I came across this painting of Public Square, in downtown Cleveland, in 1839, at the Western Reserve Historical Society.

I don't recall, in print, any color images of Cleveland from the 19th century. I was stunned when I found this 1873 print of Public Square. We need color images to better illustrate the historical narrative. While cost may have been an issue in print, it isn't on the web.

I've seen this image reproduced in black and white before. I don't believe it's ever been reproduced in color. [Ed note (July 13, 2010): The painting was reproduced in color in Transformations in Cleveland Art, 1796-1946.] Further, next to it was another oil painting of Public Square, from the 1850s. Alas, my photograph of it did not turn out well enough to share.

The scene, of the northwest corner of Public Square, was painted by Joseph Parker in 1839. It features the Cleveland Grays. It is more notable, however, for the depiction of the area.

The church in the center is the First Presbyterian Church. The Old Stone Church would be built later on the site by the same congregation.

This painting provides an excellent illustration of what the center of Cleveland looked like 170 years ago. It shares much with the New England culture that created it.

The Garfield Monument

The Garfield Monument, in Lake View Cemetery is an imposing structure. A national competition was held to choose the best design. The winner was architect George Keller, of Hartford, Connecticut.



When you enter the monument, one set of stairs goes down, to the crypt, where James and Lucretia Garfield are buried.



On the main floor stands an imposing marble statue of James A. Garfield. Exhibits detail his life.



If you look up, the view is stunning. The bright-colored mosaics seem to glow in the light. From here, a set of stems lead upward. Being able to get closer to these works of art is as good an incentive as one might find.



At the top of the steps one receives this reward: a great view of the city.

---

The monument also includes murals depticing the life of James A. Garfield and a gift shop. This architectural monument is a true Cleveland treasure.

While the the cemetery, you might also consider visiting Wade Chapel. The entire interior was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, from the fixtures to the mosaic murals to the stained glass. Both are free and open daily.