Idea House I at Walker Art Center: Short Form
Idea House I. Photo Courtesy Forgotten Minnesota
Name of Building/Site:
Idea House I
Style:
Modernist, mid-century modern
Primary Classification:
Museum / Exhibition
Secondary Classification:
Residential
Building/Site Address:
725 Vineland Place
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Location Additional:
Currently location of Walker sculpture garden expansion
Summary:
Idea House I opened in 1941 on grounds of the newly established Walker Art Center. Designed by local architects Malcolm and Miriam Lein, the Idea House was the first museum display house in the US. The Idea Houses promoted design as a product, incorporating a variety of design ideas to inspire visitors. Idea House I was designed with modern style, finishes, and technology, with an emphasis on flexibility.
Commission Date:
1941
Completion Date:
1941
Current Condition:
Demolished 1961
Architectural and Other Designer(s):
Malcolm Lein and Miriam Lein
Others Associated with Building/Site:
Hilde Reiss, Curator of Design; David Defenbacher, director of Walker Art Center 1939-1951
Photo Courtesy Forgotten Minnesota
Photo Courtesy Forgotten Minnesota
Photo Courtesy Forgotten Minnesota
DOCUMENTATION:
“Idea House” (advertisement) in Minneapolis Tribune and Star Journal, 1 June 1941.
“‘Idea House’ Built by Art Museum Serves as Guide to Future Home Owners.” The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 1941.
Adams, Cedric. “In This Corner.” Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, 21 September 1947, p. 6.
El-Hai, Jack. Lost Minnesota : Stories of Vanished Places. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000.
Hatler, Carrie. “Walker Art Center’s Idea House.” Forgotten Minnesota. 11 March 2011. https://forgottenminnesota.com/blog/2011/03/walker-art-centers-idea-house
Premack, Frank. “Curtain Falls on Idea House to Make Way for Theater.” Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, 19 November 1961, p. 3.
Walker Art Center, and Andrew Blauvelt. Ideas for Modern Living : The Idea House Project / Everyday Art Gallery. Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 2000.
Winton, Alexandra Griffith. “‘A Man’s House is his Art’: The Walker Art Center’s ‘Idea House’ project and the Marketing of Domestic Design 1941-1947.” Journal of Design History, vol. 17, No. 4 (2004), p. 377-396. http://www.jstor.com/stable/3527001
Wright, Bruce N. “Visions of a New World? The Walker Art Center Idea House II.” Hennepin History, vol. 52, No. 3 (Summer 1993), p. 16-38. https://digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/p17208coll13/id/4230
Recorder Name: Mary Begley
Recorder Date: September, 2020
Recorder Affiliation: Docomomo US/MN
“Idea House” (advertisement) in Minneapolis Tribune and Star Journal, 1 June 1941.
“‘Idea House’ Built by Art Museum Serves as Guide to Future Home Owners.” The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 1941.
Adams, Cedric. “In This Corner.” Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, 21 September 1947, p. 6.
El-Hai, Jack. Lost Minnesota : Stories of Vanished Places. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000.
Hatler, Carrie. “Walker Art Center’s Idea House.” Forgotten Minnesota. 11 March 2011. https://forgottenminnesota.com/blog/2011/03/walker-art-centers-idea-house
Premack, Frank. “Curtain Falls on Idea House to Make Way for Theater.” Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, 19 November 1961, p. 3.
Walker Art Center, and Andrew Blauvelt. Ideas for Modern Living : The Idea House Project / Everyday Art Gallery. Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 2000.
Winton, Alexandra Griffith. “‘A Man’s House is his Art’: The Walker Art Center’s ‘Idea House’ project and the Marketing of Domestic Design 1941-1947.” Journal of Design History, vol. 17, No. 4 (2004), p. 377-396. http://www.jstor.com/stable/3527001
Wright, Bruce N. “Visions of a New World? The Walker Art Center Idea House II.” Hennepin History, vol. 52, No. 3 (Summer 1993), p. 16-38. https://digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/p17208coll13/id/4230
Recorder Name: Mary Begley
Recorder Date: September, 2020
Recorder Affiliation: Docomomo US/MN
