streetscapes
Streetscapes is a column devoted to Minnesota architecture. Writers critique, explore and explain the built environment, from brand-new buildings to revered older ones.
The skyscraper that could have redefined downtown St. Paul
When a promising office tower proposal fizzled in 1970, it set off a dispiriting architectural chain reaction.
RBC Gateway in downtown Minneapolis isn't splashy, but it's functional
Review: It's big and it's blue, but it's no threat to the IDS.
Readers help solve Milwaukee Road mystery
Two weeks ago, I asked for help with an answer to this question: When did the top of the Milwaukee Road Depot tower disappear?The…
The mystery of the vanishing top of the Milwaukee Road Depot tower
How long has the cupola been gone? And what happened to it?
Tiny World Theater was one of many stylish movie houses in downtown Minneapolis
Former New Garden Theater isn't much remembered today, but it had an interesting history that reflected the ups and downs of the theater business in 20th-century Minneapolis.
Billboards could bring some much needed life to downtown Mpls. streets
There was a time when billboards were fun, bright, vivacious and artistic.
Beautiful, useless towers adorned Twin Cities mansions in Victorian era
The mania for towers reached its height in the 1880s, when the busy Queen Anne style was in full flower.
8 missed opportunities on the Minneapolis streetscape
There's always room for improvement to make Minneapolis a more livable city.
Is the graffiti on Twin Cities sound barriers and ramps art or visual litter?
The longer it stays, the more graffiti appears.
Why the Dale Street I-94 overpass is a role model for freeway design
The Dale Street I-94 overpass incorporates pedestrians, bikes and saner car traffic patterns. It's also a tiny step in rebuilding the Rondo neighborhood.
Minnesota's five-and-dime stores were the Target of 20th-century Main Street
Dime stores offered everything from socks to hamburgers.
At the University of Minnesota's Pillsbury Hall, everything old is new again
One of the oldest buildings on campus was remade into the home of the university's English department.
A section of St. Paul's stately Summit Avenue was lost to the wrecking ball
The multi-block, mixed-use section of the storied avenue was on the edge of downtown.
These 11 projects by Minnesota architects won awards for excellence in 2021
Annual awards recognize sustainability and human scale as well as function and form.
Lyceum Theater was one of the first large entertainment venues in Minneapolis
After 70 years, the first Minneapolis auditorium gave way to today's Orchestra Hall.
Massive Harmonia Hall in Minneapolis went from a jewel to a rooming house
The downtown hall, which opened in December 1884, exemplified the busy, colorful Victorian Gothic commercial style.
Minneapolis' newest park is like a front porch on the Mississippi River
Design of Water Works Park and Pavilion achieves simplicity without being simplistic.
This long-lost St. Paul mansion had a link to 'Knives Out'
A shovel fortune helped build a mansion that once stood in the shadow of the Minnesota State Capitol.
A 240-foot tower once rose in Minneapolis – advertising Coca-Cola
A 240-foot tower had the prominence that the Grain Belt Beer sign has today.
Why the Twin Cities should save some ugly buildings from the wrecking ball
Beautiful buildings tend to be the ones that are preserved. Here's why we should save some ugly structures.
Why the old-style Lake Harriet Band Shell remains a perennial favorite
Despite its traditional design, the Minneapolis band shell is just a few decades old.
MSP's new ramp and transit hub is an intermodal model
Parking ramp/transit center blends form, function and nature.
Who said Victorians couldn't party? Just look at 1883 bash held in Twin Cities
To celebrate completion of the northern transcontinental railway, the Twin Cities threw a massive daylong bash.
Minneapolis' 701 Building has kept its slightly kooky, 1980s charm
A popped-collar building is tucked in Minneapolis' buttoned-down skyline.
From a southern Twin Cities lake to a street in St. Paul, this builder threw his name around
Engineer and real estate developer left his mark – and his name – across the Twin Cities.
Skyscrapers rule downtowns, but we need smaller buildings, too
Two- and three-story buildings create character and a more human scale.
What office workers can expect when they return to downtown Minneapolis
If you're heading back to your office in downtown Minneapolis, expect more than you hoped, less than you feared
What Minneapolitans in the 1920s thought the Twin Cities would be like in 1980
Folks pictured helipads and the Borough of St. Paul.
The colorful, confusing history of the two 10th Avenue Bridges in Minneapolis
Minneapolis had two 10th Avenue Bridges: One remains standing, the other left behind rare ruins.
Walker Art Center's iconic brick building, now 50 years old, is aging gracefully
The Walker Art Center's minimalist, brick-clad building opened 50 years ago. Here's a look back at its roots.
Vast photo archive of the Twin Cities lets you compare then and now
Walter Norton and Clifford Peel left an extensive collection of commercial photography.
What does it say about Minneapolis that a dollar store is coming soon to Nicollet Mall?
Dollar General says DGX store at 5th and Nicollet is aimed at "metropolitan" customers.
Twin Cities work/live buildings have roots in the streetcar era
The live/work model isn't new. It's as old as the streetcar system in the Twin Cities.
One of the quirkiest buildings in downtown Minneapolis began as a roller rink
Buildings often went through multiple uses in 19th-century Minneapolis. The Crocker-Leland rink was no exception.
Following Minneapolis' lead, wood office buildings are popping up nationwide
Developers are turning to wood for its versatility and sustainability.
Archives of an architecture firm reveal a Minneapolis that was never built
Ed Baker's drawings and models of past projects give us a glimpse of what might have been.
1970s Mpls. activists saved Milwaukee Avenue's modest homes from teardown + Photo Gallery
A grassroots effort fought a plan to raze modest "Joe Sixpack" houses on Milwaukee Avenue that dated to the 1890s.
In 1950s, modernizing Minneapolis saw a major loss of modest buildings
At least 300 small buildings have disappeared from downtown Minneapolis since 1950. Here's just one worth mourning.
While workers were away: Six new buildings on the Minneapolis skyline
The pandemic hasn't stopped construction in downtown Minneapolis, where the skyline continues to change.
Outdoor dining has breathed new life into Minnesota restaurants
Because of safety concerns, ease and aesthetics, outdoor dining has caught on in Minnesota.
Twin Cities auto showrooms once were as beautiful as the cars
Back when cars were things of wonder, the showrooms boasted architectural elegance.
What's the future of Minnesota's small-town downtowns? Hint: It's not Mayberry
Minnesota's small-town downtowns have a future, but it won't look like past.
3 Black architects on how race has shaped our environment in Twin Cities
It's time to take a hard look at who has the power to shape our environment today.
Minnesota's 'front porch,' the State Capitol Mall, is a graveyard of Victorian architecture
Now Minnesota's "front porch," the Capitol Mall was home to mix of Victorian dwellings.
Minnesota's Great River Road is a lesson in history, ecology and design
A drive along the Great River Road follows the Mississippi from the past to the present.
With pandemic and protests, Minneapolis streets transcend transportation
How can we facilitate a wider range of uses for our roads?
Minneapolis' skyways are getting little use now, but they'll eventually be popular again
While they're getting little use now, these essential downtown connectors will eventually come back to life.
Key Twin Cities malls are being transformed into town centers
Well-located and managed by savvy owners, a few powerhouse malls continue to evolve and thrive.
Often overlooked, parking ramps reflect Twin Cities history
Advancements in engineering transformed the technology, scale and design of parking structures.
The 1913 widening of St. Paul's Robert Street gave the city room to grow
More than 30 buildings, many dating to the 1880s or earlier, had to be torn down or have their front lopped off 20 feet.
Where does Minneapolis seem most deserted? The skyways
City sidewalks aren't the real measure of how vacant Minneapolis is right now.
How closing Kmart and finally reopening Nicollet Avenue will change Mpls.
Reviving the once-busy thoroughfare can help create a more vibrant, connected city.
Why do new plans for Upper Harbor Terminal in Mpls. repeat old mistakes?
Analysis: We need new kinds of development that will eliminate disparities, increase affordability, and generate jobs.
With Kowalski's coming to Southdale, the first U.S. mall gets closer to roots
With the addition of a grocery store, Southdale moves one step closer to its original vision as a community hub.
How the Twin Cities could be designed for winter livability
A few humble street corners show us how to create a "patio culture" year-round.