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National Treasures
Mitchell Park Domes
A Milwaukee landmark for generations, a unique engineering marvel, and a nationally significant example of Midcentury Modern architecture, the Mitchell Park Domes have been a center of community life and an international tourism destination for more than 50 years.
In 1958, Milwaukee architect Donald L. Grieb won a national design competition for the Domes, which were constructed between 1959 and 1967. His design featured three domes—the Show Dome, the Tropical Dome, and the Desert Dome—which contain a vast array of horticulture that one observer called “a zoo for plants.” Located in Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park, the Domes are one of the most recognizable landmarks in the adjacent Clarke Square neighborhood (one of the city’s most diverse areas) and are visited annually by nearly 250,000 people.
Donate to our campaign to save the Milwaukee Park Domes.
Un punto de referencia para Milwaukee por generaciones, una maravilla de ingeniería única y un importante ejemplo nacional de la arquitectura moderna de mediados de siglo veinte, las Milwaukee Domes (cúpulas o domos) han sido un centro de vida comunitaria y un destino turístico internacional por más de 50 años.
En 1958, el arquitecto Donald L. Grieb de Milwaukee ganó un concurso nacional para diseñar las cúpulas, que fueron construidas entre 1959 y 1967. Su diseño incluía tres domos (Show Dome, Tropical Dome y Desert Dome) que contienen una amplia gama de horticultura que un espectador llamo “un zoológico para plantas.” Ubicados en Mitchell Park de Milwaukee, los Domos son una atracción visitada por casi 250,000 personas anualmente, y uno de los sitios más reconocidos en el barrio vecino de Clarke Square—una de las áreas más diversas de la ciudad.
Los Domos son maravillas de la ingeniería moderna mostrando las primeras cúpulas “conoidales”—en forma de cono—en el mundo.
photo by: Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress
The Domes are visited by over 250,000 people annually.
photo by: Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress
The Domes are stunning examples of midcentury modern architecture that have also been a key part of community life in Milwaukee for more than 50 years.
photo by: Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress
First Lady Lady Bird Johnson officially dedicated the Show Dome at its opening ceremony in 1965.
photo by: Carol Speckmann
The Domes protect a rare plant collection valued at $3.2 million, with the most valuable specimens located in the Desert Dome.
County officials are considering demolition of one or more Domes, along with other options ranging from partial restoration to full reconstruction of the buildings. The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Task Force has been charged by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors with evaluating long-term options for the Domes’ future.
County leaders and the Task Force owe it to the citizens of Milwaukee County to fully consider all possible rehabilitation options for the Domes, rather than take a drastic and irreversible action. A new engineering report highlights a more cost-effective approach for comprehensive restoration of the Domes.
Inspiring, innovative architecture often requires equally creative solutions. The Mitchell Park Domes need a thoughtful, long-term preservation solution that will ensure they remain a beloved Milwaukee icon for generations to come. Working closely with local partners including the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance and Save Our Domes, and with support from The Cultural Landscape Foundation, the National Trust is advocating for a preservation solution where all three Domes are rehabbed and reused, as a community resource, with programming and sustainable financial operations.
Las autoridades del condado están considerando la demolición de una o más cúpulas, junto con otras opciones que van desde la restauración parcial hasta la reconstrucción completa de los edificios. La comisión Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Task Force ha sido asignada por el consejo de supervisores del condado de Milwaukee que evalúe las opciones a largo plazo para el futuro de los Domos.
Los líderes del condado y la comisión le deben a los ciudadanos del condado de Milwaukee considerar todas las posibles opciones de rehabilitación para los domos, en lugar de tomar una acción drástica e irreversible. Un nuevo informe de ingeniería destaca un enfoque más económicamente eficaz para la restauración completa de los Domos.
Una arquitectura inspiradora e innovadora muchas veces requiere soluciones igualmente creativas. Los Domos de Mitchell Park necesitan una solución de preservación atenta y a largo plazo que garantice que sigan siendo un querido símbolo de Milwaukee para generaciones futuras. Trabajando estrechamente con nuestros asociados que incluyen el Milwaukee Preservation Alliance y Save Our Domes, y con el apoyo del Cultural Landscape Foundation, el National Trust está abogondo por una solución de preservación en que los Domos son rehabilitados y reutilizados, como un recurso de la comunidad, con programas y operaciones financieras sostenibles.
The Domes are marvels of modern engineering featuring the world’s first “conoidal”—or cone-shaped—domes.
photo by: Jamie K. Johnson/Flickr
Grieb’s design features three domes (The Show Dome, the Tropical Dome and the Desert Dome) which contain a vast array of horticulture that one observer called “a zoo for plants.”
photo by: Milwaukee DCD
Grieb received a patent for his groundbreaking “Dome Building Construction” method in 1965.
photo by: Carol Speckmann
The Tropical Dome houses over 1,200 species of tropical plants—and some tropical birds.
photo by: Milwaukee DCD
In 2017, the Domes will host 26 special programs and frequent private events like weddings and other private functions.
photo by: Carol Speckmann
The three domes each span 140 feet in diameter and are seven stories tall—high enough to accommodate many trees that would not fit in a normally sized conservatory.
Mitchell Park Domes was also named to the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2016.
Opportunity
The Mitchell Park Domes need a thoughtful preservation solution that will ensure they remain as a beloved Milwaukee icon.
Los Domos de Mitchell Park necesitan una solución de preservación atenta y a largo plazo que garantice que sigan siendo un querido símbolo de Milwaukee para generaciones futuras.
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