Walter Netsch Bibliography

Secondary Sources

1950s

1950

Books

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architects, U.S.A. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1950. Bulletin of the Museum of Modern Art 18, no. 1.

Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art from September 26 to November 5, 1950. This was MoMA's first exhibition of work by a contemporary architectural firm. Explains:

When the Museum invited Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill to exhibit its recent buildings, it did so because this firm, composed of a group of single designers working exclusively in the modern idiom, produces imaginative, serviceable and sophisticated architecture deserving of special attention. The single designers who function within this organization have no fear of a loss of individuality. (p. 5)

Includes write-ups, images and plans for several projects Netsch worked on for SOM including Lake Meadows, Chicago (p. 8-9), Del Monte Shopping Center, Del Monte, California (p. 14-15), and Garden Apartments, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (p. 18-19). Sections on Netsch's designs are illustrated by four photos and three plans.

1951

Articles

Sanderson, George A. “America’s No. 1 Defense Community: Oak Ridge, Tennessee.” Progressive Architecture 32 (June 1951): 63-84. 37 il. 16 plans.

Traces the history of Oak Ridge and SOM's involvement from the town's secret beginning in 1942, to its original design for 3,000 families, through the expansion of the project into a city with a population of 40,000 to 50,000, to a permanent city after the end of WWII. SOM's staff of six in 1942 increased to some 450 in 1944. The master plan outlines the town planning changes made, and different neighborhoods, housing and schools are profiled.

"Who's News-Management Personnel Notes." Wall Street Journal (Nov. 26, 1951).

Announces election of "Walter Netsch, San Francisco office" to associate partnership at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

1954

Articles

Gutheim, Frederick. "Washington Perspective." Progressive Architecture 35, no. 9 (September, 1954): 4.

This editorial concerns the new method of selecting architects for federal projects. The appointment of SOM, in association with Welton Becket, Wallace Harrison, and Eero Saarinen, to design the U.S. Air Force Academy, was determined by anonymous architectural selection boards. Gutheim questions whether this process results in the best decision. He opines, "The selection board method, as distinguished from other and more traditional forms of competition, makes it more difficult for the man of talent to break through the perimeter of seniority, arbitrary specialization, and precedent. In the name of administrative convenience and a safe political policy, attention is diverted from elusive and often controversial factors of design, and concentrated upon issues which may be relevant to the execution of design but have little to do with its creation or its recognition."

"Bus Maintenance Center." Progressive Architecture 35, no. 9 (September, 1954): 102-03. 4 il. 1 plan.

Netsch's Greyhound bus maintenance center in San Francisco is profiled in this article. The maintenance depot is recognized as a new building type which came about due to an increase in bus riders. The site occupies an entire city block with a main service area work floor that has no columns to obstruct movement of the buses. After extensive renovations, the building later became part of the California College of the Arts. Netsch is particularly proud of its enormous interior open spans.

1955

Articles

“The Navy’s Graduate Engineering School at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.” Architectural Record 117, no. 4 (April 1955): 159-71. 30 il. 14 plans.

Describes the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School designed by SOM, mainly through pictures and plans. Netsch was Associate Partner in Charge of Design for the project. The article discusses the considerations of space, interdepartmental relationships, budget, and site considerations in programming the project. It also describes and illustrates the campus’s six buildings.

Carr, J. R. "The Air Force Academy: A First Report." Engineering News-Record 154, no. 18 (May 5, 1955): 21-23. 3 il. 1 map.

Details site preparation for the U.S. Air Force Academy. Earthmoving equipment began clearing the site in early June, 1955 for the $125 million project. Gives an overview of the projects, basic facilities, airfield construction, appropriations, land acquisition, contracts and procedures, architects, field office, and history of the project to 1949.

"19 Office Floors Without Columns.” Architectural Forum 102, no. 5 (May 1955): 114-18. 4 il. 6 plans.

Reviews the plans for the Inland Steel Building, the first major building to be constructed in Chicago’s Loop since the Field Building in 1934. Designed by a team of architects, beginning with Walter Netsch and completed by Bruce Graham, the Inland Steel Building constitutes the “longest clear spans of any tall building ever built” by isolating utilities into a windowless annex tower and moving all columns to the exterior of the building. Compares the design to SOM’s Lever Building in New York City and comments briefly on Inland’s unique structural elements.

"Grown Up at Last." ARTnews 54, no. 4 (Summer 1955): 19. 1 il.

The buildings for the U. S. Air Force Academy are hailed as a significant moment in American history, the first important example of architecture of our time erected by the federal government within the United States.

Sanderson, George A. "Air Academy: U.S. Air Force Exhibits Plans at Colorado Springs." Progressive Architecture 36, no. 6 (June 1955): 89-92. 7 il. 1 plan.

The author attended the ceremony and exhibit at which the Air Force Academy models and plans were first displayed. The grandeur of the site clearly impressed the author, who describes in detail its landscape. Discussion of the buildings is minimal.

"The United States Air Force Academy." Architectural Forum 102, no. 6 (June 1955): 100-09. 8 il. 10 plans and maps.

Provides an overview of plans for the United States Air Force Academy, which is described as "the first US national shrine to be designed in the modern style." Architects at SOM, having spent eight months on the project, present no complete design at this point. Nat Owings explains that the designers "were attempting an architecture with a national, not a regional character, the direct simple way of life, as styleless as the most modern guided missile ... timeless." (p. 102). Buildings in the cadet area, the airfield, housing, and the town of Colorado Springs are profiled with plans.

"United States Air Force Academy, El Paso County, Colorado." Architectural Record 117, no. 6 (June 1955): 172 (triple fold sheet). 9 il. 1 plan.

Covers the planning stages of the U.S. Air Force Academy. A special exhibition and tour of the site was arranged by the Air Force for members of Congress, the press, and invited individuals. Air Force Academy drawings and four models of the site, each 10 x 15 feet, provide a sense of the conceptual scheme. The chapel design is "still under study," conceived as a "space frame of thin strips of aluminum filled with narrow slabs of marble, giving the facade something of a mosaic affect...(sic)"

"Air Academy Design Brawl." Architectural Forum 103, no. 2 (August 1955): 9, 13. 4 il.

Charts behind-the-scenes political wranglings regarding design of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Subtitled, "Backstage manipulations, strange alliances put [Frank Lloyd] Wright in camp with modern-design foes, commercial lobbyists; except for Legion, Wright may have been designer." Text quotes principal players and includes excerpts from congressional hearings and debates. Notes, "Rare was the subcommittee witness without some motivation beyond architectural design." (p. 13)

"What Kind of Criticism Has Congress Heeded in the Debate over Air Force Academy Design Concept?" Architectural Record 118, no. 8 (August 1955): 16, 304, 308, 314, 318.

Reprints U.S. Representative John E. Fogarty's remarks to the U.S. House of Representatives on June 20, 1955. Fogarty protests the design of the new Air Force Academy and calls for Congress to halt progress on the present plans. The presentation of plans and models caused "considerable consternation" according to Fogarty. He also notes that "A spontaneous protest by churchmen throughout the Nation caused the Air Force to withdraw almost immediately the design for the Chapel." (p. 16) Frank Lloyd Wright is quoted as saying that if the Air Academy is built as planned it would be known "not as the national shrine it should and must be-but as Talbott's aviary and a factory for birdmen." (p. 16) Fogarty considers the design un-American in conception, unworthy of the tradition of the nation, and a burden to maintain.

"Debate Over Air Force Academy Design Concept?" Architectural Record 118, no. 8 (August 1955): 17-18.

Companion piece to the previous article. Reports that construction funds for the United States Air Force Academy were rescinded by the House of Representatives until the design is more firmly established. States that professional views from the American Institute of Architects, the president of the Producer's Council, an architecture professor, and the director of the Society of Architectural Historians support the project, while architect Frank Lloyd Wright protested against the plans.

1956

Articles

"The U.S. Air Force Academy, El Paso County, Colorado." Architectural Record 119, no. 3 (March 1956): 163-66. 7 il.

Presents the first photographs of the revised design of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Side-by-side comparisons of the original and revised plans show little change in the basic plan, except for a reduction in the use of glass throughout.

"Glass Tower Planned for San Francisco." Progressive Architecture 37, no. 6 (June 1956): 93. 1 il. 1 map.

Brief announcement of the 22-story headquarters of Crown Zellerbach, located on the corner of Market and Bush Streets in San Francisco. Walter Netsch designed the preliminary concept drawings, often called "the West Coast Lever House." The 320,000 square-foot building was completed by Charles Bassett in 1959.

"Final Schematics For Air Force Academy." Architectural Record 120, no. 7 (July 1956): 192-96. 4 il. 5 plans.

Final plans for the academic area of the U.S. Air Force Academy are discussed in this article. The "much-argued" Cadet Chapel is established in size and location only. The academic building and library are also examined.

"Section technique de l'Ecole Navale des U.S.A. à Monterey." L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui 27, no. 67-68 (Octobre 1956): 36-41. 15 il. 16 plans.

Comprehensive, detailed overview of exteriors, interiors, floor plans, and elevations of the main buildings and campus of the U.S. Navy Postgraduate School, with lengthy caption texts. Credits SOM architects W. A. Netsch, W. E. Dunlap, I. Montgomery, and M. Alexander; and SOM engineers I. Thompson, Keller, Gannon, D. Fitzroy, and Ch. M. Lee with the School's design and engineering.

1957

Books

Buildings for Business and Government. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1957. 36 p. il.

This exhibition catalogue presents the plans for the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, while it is still under construction (see p. 12-15). Includes reproductions of four plans. The exhibition was on display from February 25 to April 28, 1957.

Articles

"Inland Steel Builds a New Home." Engineering News-Record 158, no. 2 (January 10, 1957): 43-48. 6 il. 2 diagrams.

Feature on the new Inland Steel Building at 30 West Monroe Street, Chicago. Netsch designed the initial concept and model in 1954, and the project was completed by Bruce Graham. Shows construction details and procedures, as well as innovative features such as "complete air conditioning."

"Air Academy Chapel May Look Like 'Row of Tepees' After All." Colorado Springs Free Press (March 20, 1957): 8.

Short reaction to design plans for the Cadet Chapel on exhibit in Buildings for Business and Government at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (February 25-April 28, 1957).

Brown, Andrew J., and Wayne Teng. "How Foundations for the Air Force Academy Were Designed." Engineering News-Record 158, no. 16 (April 18, 1957): 50-52, 56. 5 il. diagram.

Technical article on engineering and design elements of foundations for the U.S.A.F.A. buildings. Explains various tests and wall reinforcements. Teng was SOM's Assistant Chief Structural Engineer for the project.

Giedion, S. “Das Experiment SOM = L’Experience SOM = The Experiment of SOM” Bauen + Wohnen 11, no. 4 (April 1957): 109-14. 11 il. In German, French, and English.

Introductory article of an issue devoted to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill that features partners and major projects. Describes various design teams, claiming,

Small groups of architects work together so that both individual design and large-scale planning can coincide within one organization. The herbarium of styles is replaced by living people, each with the responsibilities of artistic freedom. ...It is characteristic of current problems that they tend to expand beyond the confines of architecture. Walter Netsch, who is about thirty-five, is currently involved in designing not only the individual academic buildings for the large program for the Air Force Academy, but also the community supported by it, and the entire surrounding terrain. (p. 114)

Photograph of members of the "Air Force Academy Design Group" studying a site model on p. 111. Bauen + Wohnen was published in Munich and Zürich (1946-47) from 1947-1981.

"Verwaltungsgebäude der Inland Steel Company in Chicago." Bauen + Wohnen 11, no. 4 (April 1957): 118. 1 il. 1 plan.

Photograph of the Inland Steel Building under construction, with a floor plan that identifies rooms, elevators, utilities, garages, and other spaces on the ground floor and on a typical layout.

"Projekt einer Siedlung innerhalb der Air Force Academy." Bauen + Wohnen 11, no. 4 (April 1957): 129-30. 3 il. 2 plans.

Publishes and critiques designs for officers' and cadets' housing at the U.S.A.F.A. Illustrations show floor plans and photos of models of neighborhoods, "court houses," and cadet quarters (exterior and interior).

"Auditorium in Monterey, Kalifornien." Bauen + Wohnen 11, no. 4 (April 1957): 134-35. 7 il.

Highlights the auditorium of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Photographs, floor plans, and elevations show the completed complex (exterior and interior), classrooms, ground floor, and an exterior view of the auditorium with the Laboratory Sciences Building in the background.

"United States Air Force Academy." Engineering News Off the Record (May 1957): 1-2, 2 il.

Short feature on the U.S.A.F.A. commission. A sidebar, "Air Force Academy Colorado Springs Luncheon," includes a photo and biography of Walter Netsch. Netsch addressed the Chicago Engineers Club (the publisher of this newsletter) on April 21, 1957.

Guevrekian, Gabriel. “Jeunes architectes aux Etats-Unis.”L'Architecture d’aujourd'hui no. 73 (Septembre 1957): 80-83. 10 il. 4 plans.

This lengthy feature discusses prominent young American architects. The four-page section on Netsch includes illustrations of a model of the Inland Steel Building under construction in Chicago, a model of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and the U.S. Naval Academy in Monterey, California. The profile suggests that Netsch is one of the young American architects who benefits from working under the auspices of a large firm.

"Air Academy Chapel: New Design, Old Controversy." Architectural Record 122, no. 3 (September 1957): 9-12. 7 il. 2 plans.

The new design for the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel is discussed in this article, along with a review of the Congressional debate that preceded the approval of the $3 million in funds for the Chapel. Materials, square footage, and building dimensions are noted and images of the original and redesigned models are compared.

"Chapel of the Air." Architectural Forum 107, no. 3 (September 1957): 136-37. 1 il. 2 plans.

Color preview of the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel, redesigned by Walter Netsch in 1956-57. Includes a full-page color photo of the model, a floor plan, and an elevation.

"Academy Design Director to Talk to Stockholders." Colorado Springs Gazette (September 30, 1957).

Short announcement of Netsch's address to the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce on October 8, 1957.

Favre, George H. "Clergymen Back Air Chapel Design." Christian Science Monitor 49, no. 294 (November 9, 1957): 2.

Records comments by clergy who visited a small exhibition of drawings, designs, plans, and models for Netsch's U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel, on display in the main foyer of MIT's administrative building. Quotes Pietro Belluschi (dean of MIT's School of Architecture), calling it "brilliant solution of a very difficult subject." Clergymen who viewed the designs favorably included a Rabbi Aryeh Lev, the Very Rev. Darby W. Betts, the Very Rev. Joseph Marbach, and the Rev. Edward Fry, among others. Includes a front-page photo of the Chapel's design.

"Perspectives: Air Force Chapel: Professional Opinion." Architectural Record 122, no. 12 (December 1957): 9, 266, 272, 278. 1 il.

This article compiles quotes from notable architects, critics, writers, and architectural historians about the U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel. AFAC consultants Welton Becket and Roy F. Larson support the chapel along with several others. Becket observes," Architecture should harmonize, if possible, with geographic surroundings and the pinnacles symbolize architecturally the sharp mountains which serve as the Academy's backdrop." (p. 9)

"Chapel-Air Force Academy." Engineering Off the Record (December 1957): 1-2. 2 il.

Announces Netsch's address to the Chicago Engineering Club on December 10, 1957. Includes a photo of the Cadet Chapel's model and a short biography of Netsch.

Kaufmann, Edgar, Jr. "The Inland Steel Building and its Art." Art in America 45, no. 4 (Winter 1957-58): 22-27. 6 il. 1 map.

Previews the new Inland Steel Building and its art collection. "American sculptors Richard Lippold and Seymour Lipton were commissioned to do major works for important spaces, and two dozen paintings and smaller sculptural pieces were individually selected and acquired as part of a splendid program for equipping the interiors. (p. 22-23) Photos show works by Lipton, O'Keeffe, Niles Spencer and Fred Farr. Credit for the collection goes to Mr. and Mrs. Leigh B. Block. Leigh Block was a senior vice-president at Inland Steel. The Blocks were ardent collectors who endowed the Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University. On the building, for which Netsch designed the original model, Kaufmann writes: "The Inland Steel Building is a triumph; a number of its features go beyond the best practice of the day." (p. 25)

1958

Articles

Brown, Andrew J., and Wayne Teng. "Jacks on Columns Erect Two-Acre Roof at AF Academy." Engineering News-Record 160, no. 4 (January 23, 1958): 26-28. 5 il. 1 diagram.

Explains equipment and techniques used in raising precast concrete floors by the lift-slab method for the cadet dining hall roof. The entire 308 square-foot, 1,150-ton V roof is supported by only 16 columns. Lifting frames were set under the roof trusses and hydraulic jacks raised the trusses in two stages. The roof framing was assembled and welded at ground level.

"The Architects from 'Skid's Row'." Fortune 57, pt. 1 (January 1958): 137-40, 210, 215. 14 il.

This profile of SOM, and its working methods of group design, focuses on the unique financial aspects of the firm. SOM's four regional offices operate autonomously in their own areas but have the ability to join forces when needed for national or international projects. SOM's distinctive structure by which a board of general partners divide the workload is unlike many architectural firms. The formula to expand the base of partnership is a variation of one widely used by law firms which is nearly unheard of in the architecture world. A substantial account of Louis Skidmore, Nathaniel Owings, John O. Merrill, and the creation of SOM is included along with the firm's accomplishments and noted buildings. Walter Netsch is recognized as a design partner who heads up a group of young architects doing design work. His contribution to the U.S.A.F.A. project is also noted.

"Accent on the Vertical: The Inland Steel Building." Inland Architect (March 1958): 7-10. 7 il. 2 plans and diagrams.

Concentrates on Inland Steel's unique design and engineering features. Also describes interior spaces and color schemes. The building was the first new high-rise in Chicago's Loop since the Great Depression and Chicago's first air-conditioned office building.

"New Way to Raise the Roof." Architectural Forum 108, no. 3 (March 1958): 126-28. 7 il. 1 plan.

Details lifting the huge steel-grid roof frame of the U.S.A.F.A.'s Cadet Dining Hall, using hydraulic jacks.

The square roof measures 308 feet on a side, covers just over two acres, weighs 1,150 tons, has a clear span of 266 feet yet rests on only 16 columns. It is the first structure of this type to be jacked into place. The largest known concrete slab ever lifted weighed more, 1,466 tons, but covered only about one-third the area of the Air Academy roof: 32,000 square feet versus 94,864 square feet. And of course, concrete slab construction would require many more columns, with consequently less free span.

The roof frame is a grid-truss system, in which trusses run both length-wise and crosswise, intersecting at right angles. (p. 127)

Photos show the six-hour process of hoisting the roof frame into place.

“Inland’s Steel Showcase.” Architectural Forum 108, no. 4 (April 1958): 88-93. 11 il. 4 plans.

A follow-up on the completed Inland Steel Building, this article draws parallels to William Le Baron Jenney’s Fair Store, Louis Sullivan’s Carson, Pirie, Scott, and Company Building and the Standard Building, situating the Inland Steel Building as a true descendant of the Chicago School. These comparisons are fitting in that the Inland Steel Company rose to fame supplying the steel for Chicago’s architectural masterworks. The Inland Steel Building thus fulfills dual roles as both an impressive work of modern design and as a potent advertisement for steel frame construction. The article illustrates the interiors and highlights the efficiency and savings afforded to Inland Steel by the building’s open floors.

“Inland Steel: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Architects and Engineers.”Architectural Record 123, no.4 (April 1958): 169-78. 14 il. 9 plans and diagrams.

Overview of the newly completed Inland Steel Building, the first major new construction in the Chicago Loop for twenty years. Describes the building's design, engineering, creative uses of new materials, and innovative air conditioning system. Includes several full-page black-and-white photos. States:

This 19-story office building, which has an exterior of approximately one-third stainless steel and two-thirds glass, is framed by seven slender steel columns on each of the broad sides, spanned by uninterrupted 60-ft plate girders. This, it is believed, give the widest clear span of floorspace ever designed for a multi-story building. (p. 170).

"Furnishing For Fifty Years." Industrial Design 5, no. 4 (April 1958): 28-37. 20 il. 2 plans.

This article discusses the job of equipping an academic city of over 12,000 people, considered the largest assignment an industrial design firm has ever tackled, by Walter Dorwin Teague Associates. The planning of space was done concurrently with the designs of the buildings. Consultation with Walter Netsch on basic floor plans determined the location of equipment in the plan. The article details the process of planning such a large project.

Sachs, Samuel. "Air Condition New Building via Cellular Steel Floor." Heating, Piping & Air Conditioning 30, no. 6 (June 1958): 97-100. 3 il.

Trade-journal report on construction and engineering details and air-conditioning mechanics of the new Inland Steel Building. Sachs was SOM's chief mechanical engineer who worked closely with Netsch on several projects.

"The Inland Steel Building." Products Council Incorporated (June 1958): 17-20. il. plans.

Trade-journal article on the new Inland Steel Building.

Bush-Brown, Albert. “Aloft with the Landless Gull.” Journal of Architectural Education 13, no. 2 (Autumn 1958): 5-11.

Report of the third annual seminar on "The Teaching of Architecture," held on Nantucket Island in summer of 1958. Summarizes conference proceedings, events, speakers' presentations, and significant ideas and trends in architectural education. The seminar was sponsored by the AIA and the Graham Foundation in Chicago. The author found Walter Netsch's presentation one of the most impressive. The article begins:

Those who think of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as 'The Three Blind Mies' will surely be caught short by the leadership displayed by a principal designer in that firm, Walter Netsch, whose quiet, almost buried, remark embraced the theme of the whole Nantucket conference: The aim of architectural education, he said, is to nurture intuitive judgment, sharpen visual perception, and encourage a will to understand and improve the society in which we live-through architecture. (p. 5).

For other references to Netsch's presentation, including his work on the Illinois Board of Architectural Registration licensing exam, see page 10.

"The Flexible Formula at Work: Inland Steel Co., Chicago." Interiors 118, no. 3 (October 1958): 112-21. 25 il. 8 plans and diagrams.

Describes the Inland Steel Building and shows its exterior and interior spaces with numerous photos. Although Netsch designed the concept and first model, Bruce Graham is named as project designer. Includes details of office spaces, furniture, color schemes, acoustical ceilings, air-conditioning, windows, and the dining area. Includes a list of contractors and suppliers at the end.

Darby, Kim. "New Air Force Academy." Modern Metals 14, no. 11 (December 1958): 36-44. 12 il. 1 diagram.

Details innovative uses of aluminum cladding in U.S.A.F.A. buildings, in particular the Cadet Chapel. Photos show use of aluminum in buildings and furniture.

1959

Books

Two Buildings in San Francisco. San Francisco: San Francisco Museum of Art, 1959. 51 p. il. plans. maps.

Catalogue to an exhibition of drawings and models for the Crown Zellerbach Headquarters Office Building and the John Hancock Western Home Office Building. The exhibition was held at the San Francisco Museum of Art and at the Portland Art Museum in 1959. Walter Netsch began designing the Crown Zellerbach Building in 1954, before he was transferred to SOM's Chicago office. Crown Zellerbach was completed by architect Charles Bassett.

Articles

"New Look: Air-Age Buildings for Air Cadets." Engineering News-Record 162, no. 5 (February 5, 1959): 36-39, 42, 44. 5 il.

Presents the basic design approach to U.S.A.F.A. buildings and grounds and showcases its major buildings. Explains how cadets live, eat, study, and exercise. Credits Netsch as director of design for SOM. Photos show the sprawling site and individual buildings.

Kenney, Nathaniel T. "Where Falcons Wear Air Force Blue." Photographs by William Belknap, Jr. National Geographic 115, no. 6 (June 1959): 844-73. il.

Lavish photographic overview of the new U.S. Air Force Academy outside Colorado Springs, Colorado that highlights buildings, site, and aspects of cadet life. The class of 1959 was the first to graduate from the Academy. Page 852 shows Lt. Gen. Hubert R. Harmon, the Academy's first superintendent, next to an architect's early aerial drawing of the Academy.

"The Air-Age Acropolis." Architectural Forum 110, no. 6 (June 1959): 158-65. 12 il. 2 plans.

Abundantly illustrated article on the Air Force Academy shows cadets at the newly opened grounds, but the chapel has not yet been constructed. However, its completion is noted as crucial to the entire design's success.

"U.S. Air Force Academy." Architectural Record 125, no. 6 (June 1959): 151-62. 17 ils. 4 plans.

Generously illustrated article written to commemorate the dedication of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Questions are raised concerning the architecture, but the author points out that a visit to the site is necessary to grasp the overall scale. The cadet academic area, cadet quarters complex, cadet dining hall, and academic complex are described and illustrated.

McQuade, Walter. "Acropolis of the Air." Think 25, no. 9 (September 1959): 30-33. 7 il.

Positive critique of the U.S. Air Force Academy that emphasizes how the buildings characterize the Air Force's modern image. Concludes:

In picking a physical site for their Academy, the Air Force aimed high. They selected a part of the country where the mountains rear up like an opponent, a forbidding barrier to mankind. Then they picked architects who would surly oppose the mountains with a highly logical portrayal of the modern mind at work, without sentiment or emotionalism.

The real meaning of the architecture of the Air Force Academy may be that the men who are being trained there are not going to be concerned primarily in years to come with getting into planes and taking to the air, but with pushing the right buttons at the right time and sending metal up into the air to do abstract battle with other metal. The will have to oversee what may be the most intricate and enormously technical mechanism in our technical culture-the defense system. ...

Such a realization, spoken or unspoken, was the basis of the design now growing in Colorado. Final judgment as to the complete success of the group must fairly await the completion of the chapel; the design for this building is a real piece of architectural courage, which will make or break the entire composition. But so far the choice of technique for this gleaming group of structures represents a coming of age of the newest independent service, the Air Force. (p. 33).

“Académie de l’armée de l’air américaine, Colorado Springs, Etats-Unis.” L’Architecture d’aujourd’hui no. 85 (Septembre 1959): [1]-9. 22 il. 3 plans.

This feature article highlighting current American architecture is the second from this publication to praise the United States Air Force Academy, and it affirms the recognition that Walter Netsch’s work received in Europe. The text is comprised of short critical remarks and a synopsis of each building. The text is accompanied by several photographs and artist’s renderings.

"United States Air Force Academy in Colorado." Architects' Journal 130 (October 1959): 383-85. 4 il.

Heavily illustrated feature on the U.S.A.F.A. that includes an aerial photograph of the site and exterior photographs of buildings and one classroom.

Koeper, H.F. “At the Summit.”Journal of Architectural Education 14, no. 2 (Autumn 1959): 5-9.

Report of the Fourth Annual ACSA-AIA Seminar on Teaching Architecture, held in Northern Wisconsin at Williams Grindstone Lake Lodge. Walter Netsch, the final speaker, addressed grading licensing exams for the Illinois State Board of Registration for Architects (see p. 9).

"Luftwaffen-Akademie bei Colorado Springs." Bauen und Wohnen 13, no. 12 (December 1959): 443-54. 23 il. 4 plans.

Feature article on the U.S. Air Force Academy with particular attention to engineering and construction details. Includes numerous photos of the site, buildings, and interiors. Captions are in German and English.

Date last modified:March 12, 2007

Photographs courtesy Northwestern University Archives