Mid-Century Modern Home Tour in the Twin Cities

Seven mid-century modern homes in the Twin Cities will be open for public view on Saturday. The self-guided tour will be followed by a reception, sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of Docomomo.

These homes are actually significant buildings by respected architects. They range from a Frank Lloyd Wright home with Wright-designed furnishings to a California modern house with courtyards. Other highlights of the tour include a Close-designed home bin University Grove, homes designed by University of Minnesota architects James Stageberg and Carl Graffunder, and Birdwing, a Hopkins home designed by Wright's son, Lloyd Wright. The tour ends with a reception at Sankaku, a house in rural Burnsville.

All the houses on the tour are private homes, said Karen Rue, board member for the Minnesota chapter of Docomomo, the nonprofit that is hosting the tour. "We're opening them up so people can really appreciate the preservation that's gone on inside."

Preserving modernist architecture is what Docomomo stands for - literally, the name is a condensation of the group's mission: "documentation and conservation of architecture from the modern movement." The international organization has been around since the late '80s, but the Minnesota chapter was first recognized in 2010. This is its first public tour of residences.

"People [are] interested," said Elizabeth Gales, board president. But with so many other eras to focus on, modernism wasn't a high priority. "That's one of the reasons to have a separate group. We've already lost a lot of interesting modern buildings."

So far, the group has focused on building a registry of modernist properties in the state and raising awareness. "We've not stood in front of any bulldozers yet," Gales said.

The tour takes place Saturday, October 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $30 ($20 for members), $15 for students, payable at the homes on the day of the tour. Homes are located throughout Twin Cities metro area. For locations and tour times, visit www.docomomo-us-mn.org.