Milwaukee architecture: A new wonder of the world?
A city long-plauged by a sorry skyline is setting trends for years to come

by Michelle Foerster

Time Magazine named it “the best design of 2001.”  Conde Nast Traveler called it one of the “new wonders of the world.” To People magazine, it’s a “New American Beauty.” The Milwaukee Art Museum’s architecturally innovative addition holds a place on the shore of Lake Michigan. Since spring 2001, it has become an integral part of the Lakefront view, sparking interest around the country. The defining feature of the gleaming white structure is a sunscreen known as the Burke Brise Soleil, with appendages that expand and lower like wings over a spacious glass-enclosed reception room. It controls light and heat in the building with a striking display of artistic design and remarkable engineering.

The Milwaukee Art Museum will soon have a new neighbor on the lakefront to draw architectural and tourism interest. The Pier Wisconsin Center is under construction just down the road and when finished, it will house the Great Lakes Aquatarium and Discovery World, an interactive education center. Pier Wisconsin is a non-profit organization committed to environmental education, showcasing the fresh water of Lake Michigan.

According to Pier Wisconsin Marine Operations Manager, Jeff Phillips, the new complex “has modern components that will set a trend for future buildings.” Some of the innovative features of the new building include a large indoor aquarium and a suspended replica of a schooner that visitors can walk under and explore inside. In addition, a small portion of the structure will be built directly over Lake Michigan itself, adding to the engineering challenge of the design.

The Pier Wisconsin building exemplifies the recent and ongoing architectural improvements to Milwaukee’s downtown and lakefront regions. Milwaukee first drew widespread architectural attention when the Milwaukee Art Museum hired Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava to design an addition for the existing structure. Since its introduction, Calatrava’s creation, Quadracci Pavilion, has graced the front pages of the Wall Street Journal, USAToday and Time Magazine. In addition, USA Weekend named the building one of the five most important buildings of the 21st century.

Doug Nielson, president of the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Tourism Bureau, gives the Milwaukee Art Museum credit for boosting Milwaukee’s image. Nielson likes the Quadracci Pavilion and the Sydney Opera House because of its role as the city’s defining characteristic. “It’s the icon the city has needed,” Nielson says.

Chad Griswold, an architect at Vetter Denk Architecture in Downtown Milwaukee, also commends the building for improving the city’s image. “[The Milwaukee Art Museum] has become a destination building, drawing both national and international attention,” Griswold says.

With worldwide attention, Milwaukee is grooming itself to shine in the spotlight. The city has already invested $2.5 billion in tourism development with new projects underway. According to Beth Nichols, head of the Milwaukee downtown business improvement district, these projects will continue a trend that redefines Milwaukee as a cutting-edge city worthy of interest from people who are looking for a trendy and sophisticated place to live, work and visit.

The RiverWalk district is a prime example of a downtown area that has seen a boom in popularity after a revitalization and makeover of the buildings and streets in the past decade. The project has been so successful that efforts have expanded to renovating the nearby Historic Third Ward.

Dick Wright, the RiverWalk project coordinator who is now working on the Historic Third Ward, describes the old warehouse district as a run-down area with “buildings virtually falling into the river.” It’s a twenty-year project, he says, and it’s only partly finished. Already the district has seen the development of new housing, retail and restaurant venues that draw people of all ages, as well as the improvement of the streetscape and pedestrian areas. “It’s evolutionary—one thing begets another,” Wright says.

Griswold praises the recent architectural initiatives downtown from making historical replicas of buildings in the 1980s and 1990s to opting for original designs that complement existing structures rather than attempting to recreate them.

Now, he says, designs are raising the bar by becoming more avant-garde. “On-the-edge and modern architecture portrays a new image of Milwaukee, as a city where technology and jobs and modern design are happening,” Griswold says. The old “beer and brats” stereotype is now being placed alongside a more sophisticated culture.

New residents are being drawn to Milwaukee thanks to this sophisticated and modern appeal. According to MilwaukeeDowntown.com, nearly 2,500 new apartments, condos, town homes and lofts have been constructed in the downtown area within the last three years.

David Fantle of the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Tourism Bureau says new housing in the RiverWalk district is helping to provide an incentive for young professionals to live and work in Milwaukee. “Urban living is becoming ‘in’ again,” Fantle says. “You have to have viable amenities to attract and keep young talent in Milwaukee.” These amenities include good jobs, as well as culture, arts and nightlife, all of which Milwaukee is working to develop with architectural and development projects like the RiverWalk, Historic Third Ward and Milwaukee Art Museum.

These development projects have not been undertaken without a rather large price tag. The addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum cost more than $100 million to build and estimates the Pier Wisconsin Center estimates at $46 million. While this money could be just as easily spent for projects and programs to improve other aspects of downtown Milwaukee, those involved in the decision-making processes for the projects say that while the cost is high, the city will benefit in the long run. As long as the projects make people want to live, visit and work in Milwaukee, the money spent on design and architecture is worth it. Nichols says these buildings are expected to withstand the test of time and make tenants proud to promote the civic community, “Why wouldn’t you want it to be the most beautiful design you could afford,” says Nichols? It’s an investment in the community.”

Phillips agrees that monetary investment is an important factor in the building’s ultimate function. Pier Wisconsin invested a lot of money in the design of the Pier Wisconsin Center, says Phillips “it’s a premier spot in the city of Milwaukee.” The value of the real estate deserves the value of a building.”

Phillips says the new Pier Wisconsin Center is scheduled to open its main section in fall 2005 and will finish the round portion of the building that houses the aquarium and hanging schooner in spring 2006.

close this window to return to CURB