Doors Open Milwaukee

This past weekend was a time to appreciate our built environment. On Saturday morning I lead an architectural tour of buildings on State Street here in Madison.  On Sunday Rick and I checked out some of the buildings that were part of Doors Open Milwaukee. Hats off to Historic Milwaukee, Inc. for this fabulous event that opened doors to 125 buildings in Milwaukee to reveal the city's history, economy, and culture. What a great way to see up close some of the treasures in our midst. 

Rick grew up in Milwaukee and lives only about 30 minutes away now, but he had never been inside City Hall, the most iconic structure in Milwaukee. 

When City Hall was built in 1895, it was the third tallest
building in the United States. This structure was almost
lost in the 1970s. Thanks to preservationists, this
stunning building still stands today.

Beautiful stained glass in the Council
Chambers.

Another splendid stained glass
creation.

The Common Council President presides over meetings
every three weeks from here.

Visitors can watch from this gallery - and appreciate the beauty
of the chamber -  but the seats aren't very comfortable!

Another building we visited was the Milwaukee Fire House Engine #1. The fire fighters gave out hats to the kids who dropped by. We followed our noses to the back of the station where one fire fighter was preparing lunch and dinner. He said the kitchen hasn't changed since the 1950s. 

The Railway Exchange Building, Milwaukee's first skyscraper of 12 stories, was built in 1900. It's still an office building.

Mosaic floor tile on the first floor. Each piece was laid by
hand - no tile grid for the artisans of the past.

Every stairway has these ornate wrought iron banisters.

The last building we saw was City Lights in the Menomonee Valley. Zimmerman Architectural Studios now occupies the 1903 brick building that once housed huge furnaces to superheat coal into gas, fuel for Milwaukee's gas street lights at the turn of the last century.

With the renovation, all of Zimmerman's employees can now be under one roof.

The steel structure is original to the building; the wood was replaced. Insulation
(8-12 inches) between the ceiling and the metal roof keeps the building warm and cool.

Zimmerman employees have a great kitchen on the second floor.

It seems logical that an architectural firm would have 10,000 Legos on its site.
Kids who visited during Doors Open Milwaukee had the chance to
design interesting buildings.

Thanks to more than 400 Historic Milwaukee volunteers who helped over the weekend.

"It's not good because it's old; it's old because it's good!"