black mountain madness

This is probably one of the greatest

Modernist buildings you 

have never seen or

heard of.

(Well, for this crowd, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement.)

It's the A. Lawrence Kocher 

Studies Building,

at what was at the time,

Black Mountain College.

There's my Mom, always ready for a little

breaking and entering....

(I wish!)

The building is in

 pretty

good shape 

considering.

The original plans called for a collaboration

between

Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer

to build the structure

 as seen below:

(It would have been one of their first commissions for their newly formed firm.)

But there were money issues, 

and Kocher was pulled in

from

The Architectural Record.

It's totally unrespected

as an important building

though, 

and currently houses 

counselors for the Christian Boys Camp 

that owns it now.

Camp Praise The Lord or something 

like that.

Notice the cross....

Also notice the addition.

Me no like.

Bad head counselor.

Such simple materials.

It was built by Kocher

and the students

during 1940-41,

and like I said before, not in bad shape at all

from my quick

walkabout.

Carved relief by

Jean Charlot

titled

"Inspiration",

apropos, no?

Boiler stack.

So cool.

All it

needs a little pressure washing

and a 

National Historic Landmarking,

that's all...