How Mid-Century Commercial Architecture Helped Transform Golden Valley. Thursday, April 9, 2026; 7pm at the Golden Valley Historical Society.

General Mills Headquarters, Golden Valley, MN; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (1958).
​Image courtesy of the General Mills archives.
Bobak Ha’Eri 

​Bobak Ha’Eri is a Docomomo US/MN board member and Adjunct Professor for the University of Minnesota Honors Program and Instructor of Legal Practice at the Law School. He is also the principle creator of the award-winning Minnesota Modern Registry, a project that has meticulously catalogued over 11,000 Minnesota properties. He says his interest in architecture blossomed when “it was far too late to change majors in college.” Passionate about all things Modernism, he enjoys “diving into the history of buildings and place and sharing the stories of the modern movement.”

Docomomo US/MN is collaborating with the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) on Thursday, April 9 for a presentation about the development of midcentury commercial architecture in Golden Valley and how the arrival of commerce and industry helped transform Golden Valley from village to city to a formidable first-ring suburb of the Twin Cities.

​Along with photos and well-researched anecdotes, guest speaker Bobak Ha'Eri, creator of the award-winning Minnesota Modern Registry, will introduce you to the companies, issues, and unique perspectives that drove post-war commercial development of this city.

The presentation will highlight the General Mills Headquarters Campus (1956-58); G.H. Tennant Co. (1956-57); Honeywell / Resideo (1956/1982) Midwest Federal Savings and Loan (1964); Heilicher Bros., Inc. building (1964-65); Minneapolis Clinic of Psychiatry and Neurology (1967-68); Valley Square Professional Building (1973); and many others.

The “How Mid-Century Commercial Architecture Helped Transform Golden Valley” illustrated talk,  followed by a question-and-answer session, begins at 7 pm at the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS), 
6731 Golden Valley Road,
Golden Valley, MN 55427

The event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required.
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The Golden Valley History Museum (same address) will be open from 6:00 – 7:00 pm, prior to the program.
 
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About The Golden Valley Historical Society –
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​The Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) was organized in 1974. Its mission is to find, preserve, and disseminate the historical knowledge about the Village / City of Golden Valley, Minnesota. In pursuit of this mission, GVHS collects oral histories, photographs, video histories, and three-dimensional objects. In 1997, GVHS acquired the City's oldest church as a permanent home and maintains a repository of its collections there. The historic church is often used as a wedding venue and hosts a variety of speakers and presentations.
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