Mark Mills Papers

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:23 pm

Stumbled upon this today.
Some good drawings in this archive.
Seems also he designed a chapel for the moon.

https://digital.lib.calpoly.edu/rekl-mills-ms175

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:40 pm

Mmm. And a submarine named Bea ...

and more images of (subterranean ?) moon chapel, and submarine, on page 2.

Also several Mills residence designs, for Carmel ...

S

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 7:23 pm

The submarine and the Moonchapel were for some organization called:
"The Liturgical Arts"
Have no idea what the submarine was for -
but the Moonchapel was connected to a village that Isaac Asimov
had something to do with.
I dont really understand the Moonchapel.
Seems like the zero gravity atmosphere was not factored in -
also the top of the "teepee" looks like it might be at grade
but the rest of the building does not really look like it's underground.
This was 1967

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:26 am

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:00 am

I saw that.
Wonder how the project finally got over to Wright?

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:42 am

I don't know what the connection to Walker is, but the house was built in the city of Carmel, shown in the background on No. 1, photo 6, of Mark in the living room. The modest-sized house was expanded considerably, not to its credit. Some years ago, it appeared on this site when it went up for sale.

The Copper Spine House is an absolute gem, on a par with the Owings House. In it, Mills shows that he learned a lot from FLW without having to ape the Master's style.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:11 pm

The house attributed to Mark Mills here in Black Mountain is this same A-Frame and plan.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:37 pm

Among the small host of practicing Wrightians, Mills seems alone in his interest in the A-frame ?

S

Matt2 · Post by **Matt2** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:43 pm

It appears in the drawing above that a skylight ran the length of the peak of the A-frame roof. Interesting.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:03 pm

And that is another of his tropes; a ridge skylight is found in the Wild Bird house. Others ?

S

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 4:46 pm

Several designs of houses in Carmel for Mark and his wife Barbara.
The Lot 6 house has a plan drawing and a separate section drawing.
It's a hexagonal plan with large section 6x20 columns at each vertice ...vertex?
Apex of roof is a steel "ring" framing hexagonal skylight.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 5:02 pm

It might be interesting to know where those lots were/are. A map of the entire area, with a dot for each of his built and unbuilt designs, would be good to have.

I'm assuming that the Walker design I posted was not intended for the site where the present house is located. Is that right ?

S

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:40 pm

I have no idea but I think you must be right.
At first, before I paid attention to the "lot" thing, I thought it was for the present Walker House site.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:52 pm

Well, I got that impression, but I could be wrong.

Have you been through all the images yet ? I'm about to pick up in the middle of page 3.

S

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:19 pm

Yeah, but not carefully and closely.
I've looked closely at a few detail sheets and the plan and section of Lot 6 Mills House.
-that's it.
They've got a lot more in the archives.
I hope they continue to digitize them and make them public.

... the working drawings by Mills are impeccably drawn.