Property Record
2321-2323 N LAKE DR
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL TOWER AND TODD WEHR DIAGNOSTIC CE |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 41346 |
| Location (Address): | 2321-2323 N LAKE DR |
|---|---|
| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1986 |
| Historic Use: | hospital/medical clinic |
| Architectural Style: | Late-Modern |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Concrete |
| Architect: | BERTRAND GOLDBERG ASSOCIATES |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. St. Mary's Hospital has a six-story tower of wavy walls, which is raised on piers over a two-story rectangular block. The free-form, sculptural character illustrates the fluidity of design that is possible using modern poured concrete construction. The eye-catching tower’s flower petal ground plan, borrowed from Goldberg’s other hospital projects in Chicago and Tacoma, Washington, is one of the better-known modern structures in the city. Concrete, a mixture of cement, sand, stone, and water, makes it economically feasible to build curving structures. Concrete became a popular building material in America after about 1890, primarily for foundations, floors, paving, and industrial applications. After World War II, American architects and engineers capitalized on the limitless and often uncommon design effects that poured concrete makes possible for both structural and finish purposes. The hospital tower's curving walls allow more Lake Michigan views for patient rooms than would be possible with similar size rectangular structures. Goldberg worked with nursing staff to design the size of each floor’s nursing pods, patient-nurse ratios, and to incorporate efficient systems for food and linen delivery, and trash disposal. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | MILWAUKEE HISTORIC BUILDINGS TOUR: NORTH POINT, CITY OF MILWAUKEE DEPARTMENT OF CITY DEVELOPMENT, 1994. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |