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Mid Century Modern "Contest" House on Far NW Side
Posted by:
chgojoearchitect
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: November 14, 2014 05:16PM
Does anyone here remember or know of the full story to an ultra modern home that had to have been built in the 1960s on the far Northwest side of Chicago? I remember it as a child and our parents told us it was an all electric built home, with unique "flying buttresses" that came out the front, and was supposed to have been a "contest" awarded home that someone won.
The location is vague in my head, but I remember it being south of Grand, north of North Avenue, and east of Harlem, west of Narragansett. I did a quick Google Map look and couldn't find it, so I'm not sure of the location, or if it's still there.
This was always such a unique home since all the other homes are typical brick bungalow style and would love to hear more to this story!
Joe
The location is vague in my head, but I remember it being south of Grand, north of North Avenue, and east of Harlem, west of Narragansett. I did a quick Google Map look and couldn't find it, so I'm not sure of the location, or if it's still there.
This was always such a unique home since all the other homes are typical brick bungalow style and would love to hear more to this story!
Joe
Re: Mid Century Modern "Contest" House on Far NW Side
Posted by:
Dunning1
(216.81.94.---)
Date: November 14, 2014 05:23PM
There have been previous posts on this house in Forgotton Chicago. It's on the corner of Nordica and Armitage. Evidently the house was part of a contest. If you search, you can find the posts. There was quite a bit of information about it.
Re: Mid Century Modern "Contest" House on Far NW Side
Posted by:
rjmachon
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: November 17, 2014 08:32PM
Here is the link,
http://forgottenchicago.com/forum/2/11051/odd_house_at_2001_n_nordica
The home was built in 1958.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2014 08:39PM by rjmachon.
http://forgottenchicago.com/forum/2/11051/odd_house_at_2001_n_nordica
The home was built in 1958.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2014 08:39PM by rjmachon.
Re: Mid Century Modern "Contest" House on Far NW Side
Posted by:
m.
(---.hsd1.in.comcast.net)
Date: November 18, 2014 01:20AM
That's the "Miracle House" or "House of Tomorrow" designed by Edo J. Belli—the same architect who designed Cuneo Hospital at Montrose & Clarendon, which is currently the subject of a long-term preservation effort meant to find an adaptive reuse (see Friends of Cuneo: http://seeclickfix.com/issues/682239). The house was completed in spring of 1955 and built with donated architectural designs and labor to be raffled off by St. William Parish in Galewood to raise money for its new church. The whole idea of the house was to attract widespread attention by doing a very forward-thinking house, so Belli designed a 5-level house that was suspended from two steel arches rather than placed on a foundation. The interior arrangement of the house was very open and airy, with sliding panels to allow views into other rooms as desired. A later addition included bedrooms to accommodate the growing Marano family that lived in it for many years.
