Sunday, April 20, 2008

Bye-Bye 2505

Before....
After....
At 8am sharp on a Sunday, specifically on the same day that the Dallas News featured the preservation of MCM architecture in Dallas (see prior post), the Harwood Smith-designed office building at 2505 Turtle Creek Blvd. was razed by the developers. The full story is on Unfair Park. Apparently the permit for demolition was issued in the first week of April -- the day after the CPC denied the rezoning application, citing, among its reasons, the Smith connection. Sneaky way to start of a luxury hotel project, isn't it. Progress it is! So much for preservation, I guess.

MCM Preservation


Dallas's finest daily paper features the increased attention being paid to preserving mid-century modern homes in the area. The focus on architecture of this era has become more important as tear-downs of noted properties like the Horace Meyer-designed Morris Zale home (1949) have become more prevalent. Recently Preservation Dallas led efforts to add MCM office building to the National Register of Historic Places, and has listed other buildings as "endangered".

Full article here.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Sweet Modern Clock



Young German designer Daniel Jarr's alarm clock takes design to a sleek new level. This prototype is designed to set the alarm by pressing down on the right hand side of the clock (the main body of the clock pivots slightly on its base). Pressing down on the left side of the clock tips the clock in order to get a 10 minute snooze. Pressing down on the analogue clock’s frame illuminates the clock's dial in low light situations.