I was in the Crossroads area of Kansas City, MO the other day when I saw the Kivett and Myers and McCallum designed commercial building in the Mies Van Der Rohe manner, with clean lines and walls of glass. . .I stopped, got out of the car and took theses snapshots of the building. Click on images to enlarge.
Upon closer inspection, I could see deteriorating elements such as cracked and missing blocks on the "light and shadow" lower facade. . .
Many metal frames are rusted and up close you can see the differed maintenance. This is a great looking little building done in 1961. Sorry for this last shot, the sun wasn't cooperating. I wanted to show the juncture of the tiles and the way the tile wall kind of makes your eyes vibrate. Note the door with cool handles.
It looks as if it feels taken for granted, so many cars pass by daily. We can ill afford to lose another K & M designed building. We should be celebrating K & M buildings, but unfortunately we've watched some of them deteriorate and/or get torn down.
4 comments:
Scott:
Thanks for posting this. As I have said before I love a good Kivett and Myers building and this one needs some TLC. I have stopped to look this one over a little closer too. When you look inside it appears half occupied.
You know you're right...the printing company has been there for years, but it does appear to be "half full", I didn't get the back where the parking and some entrances are. I was busy trying to get run over...the traffic there from a photographers viewpoint is deadly.
It is confirmed to be Ted Seligson's work for KandM.....
This summer, when working for the Landmarks Commission at the city, I wrote a survey for the area between broadway and I-35. I specifically highlighted this building as in danger, and recommended quick listing to protect it, but I haven't kept up with what ever happened with it.
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