(866) 315-7678
315 Post St., Midland, MI 48640
www.abdow.org
If you’re a fan of modern American architecture, the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio is a must, must see. It’s twenty thousand square feet of fascinating form and function. Alden B. Dow was one of the most renowned and influential architects of the twentieth century, and this incredible structure was both his architectural firm and his family’s home.
Talk about a live-work space: in the front of the building are the design studios where he and his staff would work. Then after a day at the office (so to speak), Dow would take a few short steps from his studio to a home the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Around every corner you’ll find something that’ll make you laugh, learn and love this place.
I like to describe Dow’s work as Frank Lloyd Wright meets Walt Disney. His designs and spaces are colorful, playful and have a sense of whimsical humor that makes you smile at every turn. Dow actually studied with Wright, and they shared a great number of design philosophies. Both men believed that the places where we live and work should be extensions and expressions of the natural surroundings. Dow believed that true inspiration came from spaces that were fun to be in, and touring his home was just that: fun.
The Alden B. Dow Home & Studio has been preserved in order to share this great man’s legacy with the world. I think the last time I said “wow” this many times in one day, I was at the Grand Canyon. And like the Grand Canyon, cameras really don’t do this place justice. If you want to see what I mean, come tour the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio. Oh, and bring your wow counter… you’ll need it!