Going, Going, Gone! Close Encounters. Saturday May 3, 2025; Noon-2pm
Photos Courtesy Element Commercial Real Estate
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The Close Architects Office is For SaleJoin Docomomo US/MN on Saturday, May 3, 2025 for an opportunity to see a piece of MN MCM history in-person and up-close!
Designed by architects Winston and Elizabeth Close as their purpose-built office in 1952, the building is a perfect Mid-Century Modern statement: functional and efficient, yet warm and welcoming. The South Studio Addition was built in 1972. The office building is on the market for the first time in 2025. Unique features include: • Efficient at grade split entry - utilizing the half in the ground, daylight-lit lower level as work space. • Chassis frame construction of clear, all heart, vertical grain redwood. The 2x4 lagged to 2x8 columns support the roof but also provide the stops for the fixed insulated glass windows. • Concrete plank first floor (8”). Top and bottom holes at either end admit warm or cool treated air into the plank core. They carry the tempered air to the exterior walls, thicken to duct the air up to keep the windows frost free. • Ambient light is by ceiling bulbs behind frames covered with lampshade material, providing a warm, glowing environment. |
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Tour Details:The office will be open for self-guided tours on Saturday, May 3, 2025 – Eventbrite registration is required to attend. To prevent crowding in the small office, guests must choose an entry time upon registration:
12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm Please use street parking (preferably on 31st ave), observing all local regulations. The building parking lot is small and may not be available during the opening hours. Located in the heart of the Seward Neighborhood, the office is easily accessible by foot, bike or Metro Transit. Please carpool if you are registering a small group! Building address is provided in Eventbrite. Stair climbing is required to access the building; please email [email protected] with any accessibility questions. About Close Associates, Architects:Founded in 1938, the Office’s first clients were largely U of M faculty and friends of the Closes. As those folks advanced in their careers, they turned to Win and Lisl Close to help with larger projects - Peavy Technical Center, Metropolitan Medical Center, Gray Freshwater Institute, and the U of M Music School.
Historian Larry Millett credits the Closes as bringing Modernism to Minnesota. Gar Hargens joined the Firm in 1968. He added SouthEast Mpls. neighborhood projects to the Close mix (Tuttle-Marcy School, Seward Co-op(s)), projects for families and children (Ronald McDonald House, St. Paul Childrens, U of M Family Practice Clients), and historic preservation (Dania Hall, Louis and Maude Hill House, Pratt School). Watch the Minnesota Modern Masters short documentary for more information on Elizabeth and Winston Close, Gar Hargens, via MNSAH: https://vimeo.com/445315939 |
Future Users:
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The Close Architects office has an open plan that could accommodate many types of businesses, with conference rooms on both levels for private conversations. Some space is currently taken up with flat files that architects used for drawing storage. With the advent of computers, those have largely gone away and those spaces could become work counters in addition to the original workstations the Closes installed. The five dedicated parking spaces are a great boon in this urban Neighborhood. Lastly, there is space at the alley end of the office where numerous architects have imagined South facing additions.
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About Docomomo US/MN Series of Going, Going, Gone! Tours:
Docomomo US/MN seeks to highlight Mid-Century Modern properties across Minnesota as they become available for sale, or may be threatened by demolition. The Going, Going, Gone! series of tours are pop-up events that attempt to connect sensitive Modernist properties with good stewards for the next generation of preservation and adaptation. If you are the owner of a mid-century home, a real estate agent or neighbor of a notable property – please let us know if there is a site that should be included on a future tour, or added to the MN Modern Registry!
