Editor's note: Follow the progress as the Hammonds settle into their new house by going to www.startribune.com/newhouse to visit their blog, and watch Homes for periodic updates.
Many Twin Cities cultural centers offer incredible architecture -- the Frank Gehry-designed Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota, the newly constructed Guthrie Theater and my personal favorite, Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
The Walker's recent renovation incorporates shiny metal exterior panels that look almost like crumpled paper. This unique application has caught the eye of architects worldwide and has inspired design teams working on museums in New York, Tampa and elsewhere.
On a Walker tour last summer, I asked our guide about the exterior panels and learned that their maker, M.G. McGrath, is based only 3 miles from our new house. With projects such as the Walker, the Denver Museum of Art and many more, McGrath is a pioneer in architectural sheet metal, but still is relatively unknown.
I contacted McGrath and found out that they had a few leftover pieces from the Walker project that I could buy to use on the fireplace wall.
McGrath fabricated the pieces to fit the wall; installers assembled the panels and attached them to the fireplace surround. The aluminum's crumple pattern catches the light and accents every curve, corner and angle, leaving me a bit breathless.
The surround is now our house's most striking feature. It will be a conversation piece for years and a little piece of modern art/architectural history in our own living room.
Jason Hammond is at hammond@mojosolo.com
