Event Calendar
IL Chapter - Schweikher House Tour and Lecture
Date(s): April 18, 2015
Time: 11:30 AM CST - 2:00 PM CST
Location:
Schweikher House
645 S Meacham Road
Schaumburg, IL 60193
Join us on April 18th for a tour of the famous Schweikher House!
The only building on the National Register of Historic Places in Schaumburg, the Schweikher House was built in 1937 by Paul Schweiker, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright.
This 3500 square foot mid-century Modern home is a Prairie-style masterpiece on 7.5 beautiful acres, but is rarely open for tours.
Lecture:
Strikingly Modern unquestionably defines Chicago's great residential architecture of the 1930's-1960s. Susan will talk about the development of the Modern house in Chicago, illustrated by the work of its stellar Modernist architects--explaining why our City's residential architecture of this period is "strikingly Modern."
Arguably every important Mid Century architect in Chicago reverberated off of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe, and they talk pointedly about how and why. Wright and Mies were the "elephants in the room."--their ideas and work accepted or rejected but never ignored.
At the turn of the Century, Wright established the Prairie School, which embraced geometry and transformed traditional architecture. In the 1930s and 1940s, Wright's Usonian houses of wood and glass expanded on his earlier creativity. In 1937, Mies settled in Chicago and, drawing on his experience in Germany, created a pared down architecture of steel and glass. What evolved subsequently was an interesting synthesis that, very likely, could have taken place only in Chicago.
Susan will portray Chicago’s place in Modern residential architecture, discussing other influences (Japanese, Scandinavian, etc.) In addition to talking about Mies' Farnsworth House, Wright's Usonian houses and Keck's solar houses, she will illustrate her talk with homes by Paul Schweikher, Edward Dart, Bertrand Goldberg, Edward Humrich, Harry Weese, Jim Speyer, David Haid and Larry Perkins. The Paul Schweikher Home and Studio, the Wilmette house Harry Weese designed for his sister Sue and Jim Speyer's house for Ben Rose and the adjacent auto museum by David Haid-- as well as Susan's own Late Prairie house by Larry Perkins--will be featured.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the influence of Mies and Frank Lloyd Wright on subsequent practitioners of Modern residential architecture, those who designed many of the best houses in the Chicago area: Harry Weese, Edward Dart, James Speyer, Bertrand Goldberg, Edward Humrich, Bruce Graham, David Haid, etc.
2. Learn about the challenges of preserving a Modernist icon owned by the Village of Schaumburg--the Paul Schweikher Home and Studio--and converting it into a house museum.
3. Learn about using a tax incentive, the "Property Tax Assessment Freeze" for the rehabilitation of a Modernist house by Edward Dart, a house that was threatened with demolition and subsequently was preserved and won a Driehaus Award for its restoration.
4. Learn about how landmark designation--both local listing and listing on the National Register--can be a tool for the preservation of a Modernist house by Harry Weese.
11:15 AM: Arrival
11:30 - 12:30: Lecture: Strikingly Modern by Susan Benjamin, Benjamin Historic Certifications, LLC
12:30 - 1:00: Lunch
1:00 - 2:00 PM: Tour of Home
Earn 2.0 LU both ALA and AIA approved.
The cost is $50 for Members, $60 for Non-members and $10 for Students.
You may select from these gourmet lunches:
Portobella Focaccia Sandwich
Grilled Chicken, Arugula & Red Pepper Sandwich
Zesty Roast Beef Sandwich
All lunches include Kettle Chips, Marinated Vegetable Salad, and Brownie. Water and Soft Drinks are included.
About our Presenter:
Susan Benjamin is an architectural historian with 35-plus years of experience in the world of historic preservation. Her firm, Benjamin Historic Certifications writes National Register nominations, historic resource reports and helps clients who rehab income producing buildings receive historic tax credits and those who rehab their homes receive a 12 year freeze on their property tax assessment. Three of her tax projects: The Power House for the Chicago & North Western Railway, the Hairpin Lofts and the Louis Ancel House in Glencoe, have won Driehaus Awards.
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