J.W. Knapp Company Building
Encyclopedia
The J.W. Knapp Company Building is a historic five-story, 190000 square feet (17,651.6 m²) Streamline Moderne
building in Lansing
, Michigan
, United States
. Designed by Orlie Munson of the Bowd–Munson Company, which also designed several other Art Deco landmarks in Lansing, including the Ottawa Street Power Station
, it was constructed by the Christman Company in 1937 through 1938. The curvilinear look of the streamlined structure comes from huge plates of concrete
faced with enamel
, called "Maul Macotta", a copyrighted product of the Maul Macotta Company and prismatic glass brick windows. Alternating horizontal bands of yellow macotta and glass block are interrupted by vertical blue macotta pylons, rising from the building's four principal entrances. The pylons are pierced by windows. The entrance portals, display window aprons, and decorative banding are dark blue macotta. Red, yellow and blue spandrels, incorporating the letter "K" as a design element, decorate the entrance portals.
The building housed the main department store
of the Lansing-based J.W. Knapp Company. When completed in 1939, it was hailed in the contemporary press as "the most modern building in the Midwest". Today, it is considered to be one of the finest intact examples of Streamline Art Moderne commercial buildings in the Midwest, notable for its size, clarity of design and brilliant colors. The western end of the building was enlarged in 1949.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on May 21, 1983.
The Eyde Company, a local developer, purchased the building in 1983, and converted most of its selling floors to state government offices, renaming it the "Knapp's Center". The state offices moved out in 2003. The building is currently vacant. During the holiday season, the storefront windows are used by the MSU Museum to display historic Santa Claus
advertising cutouts in connection with the city's Silver Bells Parade.
Various proposals for redevelopment of the building have been under consideration for since 2003, including a failed bid in 2004 to house the Michigan Department of Community Health
, and a 2008 proposal to convert the building to a performing arts center. During the 2008–2009 academic year, the Michigan State University
interior design program used the redevelopment of the building as the basis for its senior thesis. Resulting proposals included a variety of commercial and residential uses.
In 2010, plans were announced to redevelop the building for mixed residential, office and commercial use, subject to obtaining necessary governmental permits and obtaining tax credits, loans and grants, with construction to commence in 2011 and to be completed in 2013. The bands of glass block which give the building an external appearance of lightness, present a barrier to redevelopment due to the lack of outside views for prospective tenants. The redevelopment proposals include cutting a four-story glass atrium covered with a skylight from the second through fifth floors to give the interior more light, as well as replacement of the Maul Macotta panels, which have suffered water damage due to a design flaw in the metal banding not apparent in 1937 when they were installed, with modern metal or concrete counterparts.
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
building in Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Designed by Orlie Munson of the Bowd–Munson Company, which also designed several other Art Deco landmarks in Lansing, including the Ottawa Street Power Station
Ottawa Street Power Station
Ottawa Street Power Station is a former municipal electric and steam utility generating station for the Lansing Board of Water and Light in Lansing, Michigan, located on the Grand River in the city's central business district currently being redeveloped as corporate headquarters for the Accident...
, it was constructed by the Christman Company in 1937 through 1938. The curvilinear look of the streamlined structure comes from huge plates of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
faced with enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
, called "Maul Macotta", a copyrighted product of the Maul Macotta Company and prismatic glass brick windows. Alternating horizontal bands of yellow macotta and glass block are interrupted by vertical blue macotta pylons, rising from the building's four principal entrances. The pylons are pierced by windows. The entrance portals, display window aprons, and decorative banding are dark blue macotta. Red, yellow and blue spandrels, incorporating the letter "K" as a design element, decorate the entrance portals.
The building housed the main department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
of the Lansing-based J.W. Knapp Company. When completed in 1939, it was hailed in the contemporary press as "the most modern building in the Midwest". Today, it is considered to be one of the finest intact examples of Streamline Art Moderne commercial buildings in the Midwest, notable for its size, clarity of design and brilliant colors. The western end of the building was enlarged in 1949.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 21, 1983.
The Eyde Company, a local developer, purchased the building in 1983, and converted most of its selling floors to state government offices, renaming it the "Knapp's Center". The state offices moved out in 2003. The building is currently vacant. During the holiday season, the storefront windows are used by the MSU Museum to display historic Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
advertising cutouts in connection with the city's Silver Bells Parade.
Various proposals for redevelopment of the building have been under consideration for since 2003, including a failed bid in 2004 to house the Michigan Department of Community Health
Michigan Department of Community Health
-External links:*...
, and a 2008 proposal to convert the building to a performing arts center. During the 2008–2009 academic year, the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
interior design program used the redevelopment of the building as the basis for its senior thesis. Resulting proposals included a variety of commercial and residential uses.
In 2010, plans were announced to redevelop the building for mixed residential, office and commercial use, subject to obtaining necessary governmental permits and obtaining tax credits, loans and grants, with construction to commence in 2011 and to be completed in 2013. The bands of glass block which give the building an external appearance of lightness, present a barrier to redevelopment due to the lack of outside views for prospective tenants. The redevelopment proposals include cutting a four-story glass atrium covered with a skylight from the second through fifth floors to give the interior more light, as well as replacement of the Maul Macotta panels, which have suffered water damage due to a design flaw in the metal banding not apparent in 1937 when they were installed, with modern metal or concrete counterparts.