#Walter Netsch

[brutalistinteriors]

University Library, Northwestern University. Evanston, Illinois, US. Walter Netsch.

[germanpostwarmodern]

House (1974) built for himself in Chicago, IL, USA, by Walter Netsch

[tculvahouse]

Easter Egg Window

Twenty or twenty-five years ago—it’s hard to imagine how the time has flown—I had the opportunity to hide a sort of Easter egg in the main building of California College of the Arts in San Francisco. It’s not a masterwork of architecture, but it does show how one architect thought about a particular problem, so it may be illuminating. (For the non-architect, the most illuminating thing may be how much thinking can go into a very small decision.)

The building was originally built as Greyhound bus lines’ northern California repair shop. There was a great big enclosed space, the size of a football field, in which they fixed the buses, and along the long side of it were two stories of machine shops. As Lorne Buchman, president of CCA when the building was purchased, liked to say, it was the perfect building for a college of art and design. The big, open volume got subdivided into studio spaces, as did the upper, sky-lit floor of the two-story part, and the lower floor of that part became offices and classrooms.

It is a handsome building, thought to be Skidmore Owings & Merrill’s first in San Francisco. The drawings were signed by SOM partner Walter Netsch. The two-story part has continuous bands of steel-framed windows, which extend out from the wall a few inches, adding a layer to it. They look like this:

You’ll notice in the center of this image two window panels with thicker frames. These are the operable panels. They are what are known as “hoppers”: they’re hinged at the bottom and tilt inward to open. The architectural drawing convention for this kind of window looks like this; the point of the “V” is the hinge side:

In a renovation of one of the offices on this floor, a larger room was divided into two smaller ones, one of which—the one next to the entrance—ended up without an operable window:

David Meckel, who at that time was officially Dean of Architectural Studies and effectively Campus Architect, asked me to figure out how to modify that window so that it could open.

The most obvious solution would be to make one of the two lower panels operable, for example like this:

That, however, seemed a little boring, and it would have been the only instance where the operable window wasn’t part of a pair. Here’s what I ended up suggesting, instead:

How did I think about it?

First, I thought it should operate the way the other windows do, so it, too, is a hopper:

At the same time, I had observed that the operable panels of the original windows, taken together, are the same proportion as the pair of larger frames in which they sit, just shrunk:

. . . so I thought that could be echoed in the new window, as well:

That was the logical part.

In the process, though, a couple of amusing things occurred to me. The first is that another way to think about the operable frame in the new window is as if one of the existing frames had been slid over by half:

And, what’s really fun, when you open the window, you discover that the center vertical bar in the operable part (in the trade it’s called a muntin) is independent of the bar above. You don’t expect the two to break apart, but of course they do:

Significant? Not especially, but I like to think it’s an appropriate transformation for this building, because it heightens, just a little bit, the sense of layering that characterizes the original. That’s because, whenever you can think about a pattern in more than one way at a time, or can imagine a part of a pattern shifting or changing size, or when something that you think is part of one thing is actually (or also) part of another, each of those possibilities suggests a new layer.

And, whether or not anyone has noticed it in all these years, it remains available as a tiny lesson-prompt for the architecture students who walk by it every day.

[kaijutegu]

Kaiju at work, featuring the Cinderblock Fortress of Knowledge in the background.

[mistons]

US Air Force Academy Chapel (1962), Colorado Springs. Designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. (Photo: Balthazar Korab / 1962)

[bitchwhoyoukiddin]

FUCK WALTER NETSCH

I hope wherever his energy ended up, it's having a bad time.

[worldsandemanations]

At the University of Chicago, the 1968 Regenstein Library. Architect Walter Netsch designed the project in the brutalist style

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

This week, on a suggestion, we’re dropping by the offices of Wikipedia and hitting the “Random” button to see what comes up. So if you have any complaints, file them under “W” for “Who Cares?”

Aries 

Starting us off strong, here, Aries. “Terror attacks in Istanbul”. Your first listing is about the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Occupation of the Ottoman Bank on 26 August 1896. What’s it all about? Don’t know. The only thing we remember about Istanbul is the cover of “Istanbul Not Constantinople” by They Might Be Giants. If it wasn’t for Tiny Toon Adventures we might have never heard that song.

Taurus 

Your article is about Hungarian Olympic swimmer Éva Pajor. She competed in the women's 100 metre backstroke at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia… and gained asylum right after competing. Before her death in 2014 she taught swimming in Sydney, opened 2 swimming centers in the country, and had another named in her honour. This week… brush up on your swimming; summer is fast approaching.

Gemini  

Well, shoot. The article that popped up for you is about a lawyer in Louisiana. We could have just kept on clicking and found the next article that wasn’t half-way political, but no! We had to be honest and let you know that RNGesus rolled poorly for you. So this week you can go read up on Louisiana - then find a local Cajun restaurant to eat crawfish at. 

Cancer Moon-Child 

You get a European location! Driebes (“DREE-ehbs”). It’s a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain with a population of 361 inhabitants - so about 9 people per square kilometer. Some of us went to high schools with more people than that in their graduating classes. This week get back to practicing your Spanish… CASTILIAN Spanish! 

Leo 

You get Canadian singer-songwriter known as “Ruth B.” from Edmonton, Alberta. She speaks her parents' native language Amharic fluently, started singing on Vine in 2013, and created a sleeper hit song, "Dandelions" from Safe Haven, which grew in popularity due to TikTok. It has accumulated over 1 billion streams globally as of April 2023. This week, since you’re already older than her, she’s 27 now, just give up on your dreams… and find NEW ones to follow!

Virgo 

You get to learn about the 1961 Star World Championship. We hear you: “What’s the Star World Championship?” Excellent question! It’s the international sailing regattas in the Star class organized by the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association as sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation. What’s that all mean? It’s a bunch of people who think that going out on the ocean in a speed boat without engines, with the very real possibility of drowning, is fun. OH! And the winning boats that year were Frolic, Tranquil, and North Star IV. This week, learn the difference between Port and Starboard.

Libra 

Oh, you’re gunna love this one, Libra. Your term is “Angel Dusting”. It’s a marketing ploy to add some special ingredient to a product in hardly detectable measure, just so that it can be said to be in the product in order to hype the promotion of the main product. So you could SAY that some product with health benefits is included in the product, but not say that there’s not enough to actually cause the health benefit. This week… someone is going to offer you a job in advertising. Don’t Sell Your Soul! 

Scorpio 

For you, time to learn a little about Walter Netsch. He was an architect closely associated with the “brutalist” style of architecture, working with the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. And that’s where we’re going to jump tracks and ask, “Who is this ‘Skidmore’ fellow?” Louis Skidmore, of the Indianna ‘Skidmores’, was a WWI Army Sergeant, married Eloise Owings… because of COURSE her name was “Eloise”... who was the sister of Nathaniel A. Owings, who would be two of the three that started the firm. This week don’t be afraid to look into weird nepotism connections and old names.

Sagittarius 

You’re getting “Metsepole” (“MEHT-seh-poal”); an ancient Livonian county inhabited by the Finnic Livonians, on the east coast of the Gulf of Riga, at the northwest of what is now the Vidzeme region of Latvia. Metsepole was bordered by the ancient Estonian Sakala County to the north, Latgalian Tālava to the east and Livonian county of Turaida to the south. Now, Sagittarius? Did we just make up all that from some obscure 1980 Sci-Fi failed TV Pilot or is that real? There’s only one way to know…. Go read!

Capricorn 

You get “Bruce Wayne”... who is totally NOT Batman. We know that because one time Batman and Bruce Wayne appeared near the same place at the same time, as observed by Commissioner Gorden. Batman stayed on the other side of the street because he had a cold and didn’t want to spread it. Isn’t that Alfred such a– I MEAN BATMAN! He’s a great guy! This week buy some Fisherman’s Friend!

Aquarius 

For you we have the film “The Search for Animal Chin” - a 1987 skateboarding film featuring the Bones Brigade. It’s one of the first skateboarding films to have a plot, rather than simply a collection of skateboarding stunts and music videos. The Bones Brigade embark on a quest to find the first skateboarder, the mythological Won Ton "Animal" Chin who had gone missing. Their journey takes them to different locations including Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Mexico where they meet friends and skate different spots along the way. They never find the actual Animal Chin, but come to realize that in their search they discover the true meaning of their journey, the pure fun of skateboarding. This week… Just watch “Kung-Fu Panda” again.  

Pisces  

In typical fashion, you get some Geek Science stuff - the Progress M1-5, a spacecraft which was launched by Russia in 2001 to deorbit the fifteen-year-old Mir space station in a controlled fashion, far away from shipping lanes. Were it not for this module, Mir's orbit would have decayed uncontrolled over time (like Skylab), with debris potentially landing in a populated area. So this was a sacrificial spacecraft whose only job was to commit suicide and bring Mir down with itself. This week… get up super early and take a hot air balloon ride. It’s really pretty!

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[normally0]

### "Echoes of Influence: My Journey with Stanley Tigerman"

Stanley Tigerman’s early career experience working on the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel under Walter Netsch at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) significantly influenced his architectural approach and artistic expressions. This involvement laid a foundational understanding of bold, modernist architecture, which Tigerman later reflected in his provocative and often satirical works.

One of Tigerman's most famous pieces, the collage of Crown Hall sinking, demonstrates his critical yet humorous perspective on the architectural establishment. Crown Hall, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is a paragon of modernist architecture. Tigerman’s collage metaphorically critiques the dominance and perceived rigidity of Mies's influence on architecture.

Later, Tigerman created the "Bombs Away" collage, where he depicted Frank Gehry’s architectural forms being bombed. This piece continues Tigerman's trend of using visual art to comment on and challenge the architectural status quo and its leading figures.

In a personal homage, I have updated this collage to include the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, reflecting my respect for Tigerman and my own experiences at SOM. This addition underscores the personal and professional connections formed with Tigerman, including meeting him in Chicago and engaging in informal activities like playing softball with his office team. This gesture not only honors Tigerman’s legacy but also integrates our shared history within the broader narrative of architectural discourse and critique.

By blending these elements, this updated collage becomes a multi-layered piece that connects Tigerman’s influence to my professional journey, and the iconic structures that have shaped both our perspectives. This confluence of experiences highlights the enduring impact of mentorship and the continual dialogue between past and present.

#StanleyTigerman #ArchitecturalLegacy #SkidmoreOwingsMerrill #ChicagoArchitecture #ModernistCritique #ArchitecturalCollage #AirForceAcademyChapel #ArchitecturalAssociation #ACMEShoreditch #ArchitectureJourney #ArtAndArchitecture #ArchitecturalMentorship #DesignCritique #InfluentialArchitects

[yessmares]

Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, USA.

El boceto que te muestro hoy, es La capilla de Cadetes que se encuentra en el centro de entrenamiento para oficiales de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos. Está ubicada en el Condado de El Paso en Colorado y fue diseñada por la firma de arquitectura Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

La capilla cuenta con 17 filas de pináculos que se elevan 150 pies de altura (45.72m). Estos pináculos se utilizan con un marco de acero tubular compuesto por 100 tetraedros idénticos que conforman la estructura.

Algo muy intresante de esta capilla es que en su interior, alberga tres áreas principales de culto distintas: En el nivel superior se encuentra la Capilla Protestante, en el nivel inferior se encuentran las capillas Judía, la Católica y una sala para todas las religiones.

¿Quién dijo que no se puede construir un templo donde todas las religiones sean bienvenidas?

🤔

📷 archdaily ✍🏼 yessmares

[germanpostwarmodern]

Paul V. Galvin Library (1962) of Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL, USA, by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

[archiveofaffinities]

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Walter Netsch, Illinois State Bar Association Headquarters, Atrium, Springfield, Illinois, 1968

[architectureofdoom]

Behavioral Sciences Building at UIC by Walter Netsch of SOM, completed in 1969. View this on the map

[elarafritzenwalden]

Fine Arts Building and Roberts Theatre at the BCA (Bucksbaum Center for the Arts) Grinnell - Poweshiek County, Iowa, USA; 1961

Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) (photographs by Baltazar Korab)

see map | more information

via “Informes de la Construcción: Volume 19, 182" (1966)

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY GOES TO THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY: PART 1

S2;E1 ~ September 22, 1969

Directed by George Marshall ~ Written by Gene Thompson

Synopsis

Delivering a camper from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Lucy decides to take a detour to Colorado to show Craig the Air Force Academy.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter)

Guest Cast

Roy Roberts (Superintendent) was born Roy Barnes Jones in Tampa, Florida in 1906. His early career was on the Broadway stage, gracing such plays as Old Man Murphy (1931), Twentieth Century (1932), The Body Beautiful (1935) and My Sister Eileen (1942). In Hollywood, the veteran character actor clocked over 900 screen performances in his 40 year career, most of which were authority figures. He and Lucille Ball appeared together in Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949). On “The Lucy Show” he first appeared as a Navy Admiral in “Lucy and the Submarine” (S5;E2) before creating the role of Mr. Cheever, a recurring character he played through the end of the series. This is the first of his 5 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Roberts died in 1975 at age 69.

Roy Roberts will play the same character in “Lucy Goes to the Air Force Academy: Part 2” (S2;E2).  

Frank Marth (Registrar) was a regular on “The Honeymooners” (1955) playing police officers, photographers, newsmen, and various neighbors and passersby. This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

John Erwin (Narrator, uncredited) was a voice-over artist primarily known for voicing Reggie on the “Archie” cartoons. Erwin's voice over comes at the end of the episode to tell the audience to tune in next week for part two.  

Actual Air Force Academy students and staff play themselves.

This is the first episode to be directed by George Marshall, who directed Lucille Ball in the films Valley of the Sun (1942) and Fancy Pants (1950).  He will direct the first eleven episodes of season two of the “Here's Lucy.”  According to DVD extras, Marshall was quite a drinker. This is the first of four episodes to be written by Gene Thompson.  

A few weeks before this episode aired, CBS staged a press event at the Air Force Academy which Lucy attended. It resulted in publicity (like the above article) for the new season. 

Oops! Interestingly, the Chicago area CBS affiliate took out ad space adjacent to their feature article on the event. Unfortunately, they mis-identified Craig as Ricky, continuing the confusion that Desi Arnaz Jr. and Little Ricky Ricardo were one and the same person. This confusion was further compounded by the fact that Lucy Ricardo gave birth on TV on the very same day (January 19, 1953) that Lucille Ball gave birth to Desi Jr.  

This episode is the first of a four-part on-location story arc that came about due to the success of location filming at LAX during the first season. Created with the cooperation of the Air Force and the states of Colorado and Arizona, practically the entire Air Force Academy appears as extras. Filming was done right in the dormitories and administrative buildings. The Air Force viewed this as a sort of TV commercial at a time when the public was very down on the military due to its involvement in the Vietnam War.  

The episode uses a Travco motor home. The company's RV's were originally built on a Dodge chassis. Travco was in business from 1964 until the late 1980s.  

The US Air Force Academy was founded in 1954. The most controversial aspect of the  Academy was its chapel, designed by architect Walter Netsch, who at one point was prepared to abandon the design; but the accordion-like structure is now acknowledged as an iconic symbol of the Academy campus.

Like previous location shoots, the episode was supplemented with studio shots using rear projection for driving scenes. Unlike studio filming, only one camera was used on location, although Lucille Ball was insistent on her studio lighting instruments, despite their weight and bulk.  

Seeing Lucy in an RV (camper) recalls the 1953 film she made with Desi Arnaz Sr. The Long, Long Trailer. The episode even opens with the same theme music, “Breezin' Along With the Breeze” written by Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons, and Richard A. Whiting.  At one point, due to the sudden movement of the vehicle, Craig gets covered in food, just the way Lucy was in the film.

This is not the first time a Lucy character enrolled her son in a military academy. On “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael shipped her son Jerry (Jimmy Garrett) off to military school not once, but twice! 

As noted on the DVD, continuity was affected by the weather. An early snow covered the ground overnight and it became impossible to match exterior shots of the Academy campus.  

Lucy Goes to the Air Force Academy: Part 1 rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5

More location shooting shows that Lucy is feeling the show’s keen identity crisis and trying to keep things fresh and interesting for herself and viewers. Who is running the Unique Employment Agency while they are all out on their adventure?  This two-parter might have worked better as an hour-long special. The negotiation scene with the Registrar feels a bit static and too long. Although Lucy in a shortie nightgown running through the Air Force Academy is a treat!