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MAIN STREET MODERN: GROSSE POINTE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Design Advocacy for Grosse Pointe Public Library

MAIN STREET MODERN: GROSSE POINTE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Grosse Point Farms, Michigan, United States
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BACKGROUND

Grosse Pointe Public Library was built by Bauhaus-trained architect Marcel Breuer in 1953. The library represents Breuer’s mid-career transition from building residential structures to working on larger institutional projects. Breuer designed the library to be a gathering place for the residents in the community. (...)

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HOW WE HELPED

Grosse Pointe Public Library was included on the 2008 World Monuments Watch as part of the “Main Street Modern” listing to encourage alternatives to demolition and build community support for preservation of modern architecture. (...)

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WHY IT MATTERS

Grosse Pointe Library was one of Breuer’s first major public commissions in the United States and the only building designed by Breuer in the Detroit area. It is an important piece of American architectural and social history. The library and other buildings included in “Main Street Modern” represent an integrated approach to design and a departure from traditional forms. (...)

VIDEOS
Modernism at Risk ExhibitionModernism at Risk Exhibition: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks
October, 2009

Modernism at Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks, an exhibition organized by WMF, consists of large-scale photographs by noted photographer Andrew Moore and interpretative panels with five case studies exploring the role designers play in preserving Modern landmarks. In this gallery tour, Henry Ng, WMF Executive Vice President, interviews Professor Marty Hylton of the University of Florida, Gainesville.

PARTNERS
Knoll