TAA project: Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, CO

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:57 pm

In surfing around the net, I ran into this: The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Anyone familiar with this commission and/or have visited there?

David

Laurie Virr · Post by **Laurie Virr** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:59 pm

Designed by Tom Casey I believe.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:07 pm

http://www.google.com/images?client=saf ... 43&bih=790

I can only conclude that there was some sort of ban on images of this building. . .!

SDR

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:14 pm

This link has some images, but my guess is that it's not an easy one to get good photos of.

This PDF file (somewhat large, too) has some nice drawings on the bottom pages.

And this PDF file has some photos.

David

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:15 pm

A neighbor of mine went there last year. I don't know if they got any photos.

outside in · Post by **outside in** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:27 pm

Tom Casey was a truly gifted, wonderful person who served roles as both structural engineer and architect. The Park Service was extremely happy to retain him years after the completion of the project to rehab the building to accommodate the ADA and other updates. Tom was a gentle, kind person and had the capability of creating consensus where chaos was the rule.

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:40 pm

Laurie Virr mentioned "Ed Casey" and outside in mentioned "Tom Casey".

Are these the same "Caseys"? Or are there two distinct individuals here?

I just answered my own question. "E Thomas Casey" shows up on John Geiger's apprentice list as having joined on 06/01/1950.

David

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 5:09 pm

The PDF's are a bit To large TNguy.
Wasn't there a TAA Building at Yellowstone or another National Park?
The design of the deck Fascia inside reminds me of the interior column fascia design in Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale,AZ.

m.perrino · Post by **m.perrino** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:47 pm

Tom Casey; a kind, intelligent, good natured and good humored member of the "fellowship", it was an honor to know him....

jim · Post by **jim** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:04 am

I visited there and photographed the building in the early or mid 1970s before the vegetation grew up around it - very handsome building, very well executed. Unfortunately I do not have a slide scanner or I would post the images.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:47 pm

Send them to me if you like. . .

S

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:30 pm

Edmond Thomas 'Tom' Casey was one of the finest architects at Taliesin who stayed after FLW died (along with Johnny Hill and, for a while, Jack Howe). He was also a complete gentleman and very smart. There is a perspective in "The Prairie School Tradition" (pg 256) by Robert Spencer. When the building was new in 1966, there were many photos of it in such periodicals as Arch Rec and Arch Forum, in part because it was used by US Steel to advertise Cor-Ten. It's very photogenic. A fine building.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:51 pm

Thanks for the tip, Mr Grant. Here is the image and its caption. I am a bit surprised by the Cor-Ten connection, as I thought I was looking at painted wood on the building -- and thinking that the forms would make great working trusses. . .

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:55 pm

When I am at work tomorrow I should go check the books out that you mentioned Roderick.
I think I did see this in the 1966 Arch. Record.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:08 pm

You know how I love those early photos. . .! Is there a scanner at work ?

S