Join Docomomo US/Minnesota in Downtown Saint Paul for a guided walking tour, as we explore modernist buildings that were developed as part of urban renewal efforts in the capital city.
Like many downtown cores in the 1960s, Saint Paul was yearning to counteract the flight of businesses leaving for the surrounding suburbs. Yet private investment was lackluster until the Metropolitan Improvement Committee commissioned the Capitol Centre plan, in which the city would purchase twelve blocks of blighted buildings and then resell them to private developers.
Supported by a $19 million federal grant, the fabric of downtown Saint Paul was remade between 1965 and 1974 with modernist office towers and plazas.
This walking tour will explore these and other highlights of modernism, including the 1966 gleaming aluminum and glass Ecolab building by Bergstedt, Wahlberg and Wold (1968), the Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Building by Ellerbe Associates (1955), and the Northwestern National Bank Building by Grover Diamond Associates (1971).
This tour is presented by Todd Grover FAIA. A longtime Saint Paul resident and Docomomo US/MN board member, Todd is a partner at MacDonald & Mack Architects in Minneapolis. He also serves as the national VP of Advocacy for Docomomo US.
Advance registration required
Free for Docomomo US members and students/$25 all others
This event is part of Docomomo US Tour Day 2023.
Modernism and Saint Paul's Urban Renewal
Downtown St. Paul - location provided upon registration
St. Paul, MN
Ecolab Osborn building by Bergstedt, Wahlberg and Wold (1968).