Elizabeth Close
Elizabeth Close | |
|---|---|
MIT | |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Winston Close |
| Children | Three children |
| Parent(s) | Gustav Scheu and Helene Scheu née Riesz |
| Awards | Minnesota Gold Medal (AIA), 2002 |
| Practice | Close and Scheu Architects, Close Associates |
| Buildings | Ferguson Hall at University of Minnesota |
Elizabeth "Lisl" Close, (
Early life
Born in 1912 in Vienna, Austria, to
Career and marriage
While she was studying in Boston, Close met her future husband, Winston Close, who was also a graduate student. It was not easy for women to enter the architecture profession at the time; after being rejected by two firms, she accepted an appointment by the third and started work in Philadelphia, working under architect Oscar Stonorov.[1] In 1936, she joined the firm in Minneapolis where Winston was employed, Magney and Tusler. They established their own firm, Close and Scheu Architects, in 1938, building flat-roofed, streamlined homes.[2][3]
Winston and Elizabeth Close married in 1938, at which time her professional status was so unusual that the local paper ran an article titled "Architect Weds Architect."[2] Elizabeth kept her maiden name until she became pregnant in 1940, when convention required her to adopt her husband's name.[2] Elizabeth ran the family firm while her husband was away during World War II and from 1950 to 1971 when he was head architect to the University of Minnesota.[1] Architectural historian Jane King Hession says of Close: "By her example she inspired many women in architecture, myself included, but she didn't want to be known as a woman architect -- just as an architect who happened to be a woman."[2] Close was known for designing buildings that have flat roofs, unpainted redwood or cedar siding, and large windows.[4]
In 2002, Close was awarded the Minnesota Gold Medal, a lifetime achievement award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA); this is the highest honor given to an individual by the local branch.[5]
Death and legacy
Elizabeth Close died on 29 November 2011 at Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was a role model for a generation of women wishing to practice architecture in a male-dominated profession.[2]
In 2020, the University of Minnesota Press published the biography Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture.[6] An accompanying exhibit was on display at the University of Minnesota until the campus was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Selected works
- 1953 Close family home in the University Grove neighborhood (1588 Fulham Street) near the University of Minnesota[7]
- Ferguson Hall, the music building on the University of Minnesota's West Bank campus[4]
- Gray Freshwater Biological Institute, on Lake Minnetonka[4]
- 1948 Rood House, designed for sculptor John Rood in Minneapolis' Kenwood neighborhood[4]
- Duff house in Wayzata, Minnesota[4]
- Fourteen houses in the University Grove neighborhood near University of Minnesota[5]
- Whiting House, 1950, Owatonna, MN (622 E School St)
- Stokes House addition, 1976, Minneapolis, MN[8]
- Thunderhead house, 1957, Cook, MN[9]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8166-4463-6.
- ^ a b c d e Mary Abbe, "A modern woman who made modern buildings", StarTribune, December 2, 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2012. (subscription required)
- ^ "Then and Now: 'Old Gray Heads,' part two -- Elizabeth Close" Archived July 30, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Mack, Linda (November 10, 2002). "This Modernist's Life". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ a b "Elizabeth Close, FAIA, Gold Medal Winner" (PDF). Sparks. 15 (8). September 2002. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ Jane King Hession. "Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture". University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ "The Residential Architecture of Winston and Elizabeth Close". www.closehomes.org. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ Conversation with Cynthia Stokes on May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Wanna Buy a Mid-Century Modern Cabin Designed by a Pioneering Architect? - Racket". racketmn.com. August 14, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
