Engineering Center Honors History, Moves Forward
Date Posted: December 16, 2016
Posted In: Organizations, Projects,
by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum STL
Vern Remiger remembers seeing copies of the old Schwarz and Von Hoefen drawings for the Engineers Club Building 4359 Lindell Blvd. in a vault at Henmi & Associates back in the ’80s.
Top: Groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.
Bottom: 1959 photo of building when it was just completed.
The 148-year history of the The Engineering Center of St. Louis and its new imperative to serve as a hub for engineering and technology in the center of St. Louis’ central corridor was at the forefront of an event held at the club on Wednesday. That ceremony marked the official start (demo was already well along) for the first phase of a three-part $3 million program directed at putting the Center at the forefront of St. Louis’ technology future.
Remiger’s firm, Remiger Design is the architect on the project. The $1.5 million first phase of the program — converting the buildings auditorium into a technologically-advanced meeting space — was scheduled to break ground in the Spring. Nicole Young, PE, president of the Engineering Center, said that “getting underground was a feat.”
The Engineers Club purchased the site on Lindell in the 1920s, Young, principal of Lion CSG, said. United Construction is the contractor on the first phase project.
The Engineers Club of St. Louis is the the third oldest regional organization in the country. Last year, the separate foundation which owns the building rebranded under the title “Engineering Center of St. Louis” to better reflect the facility’s role as a host to 34 engineering organizations with a total membership of 14,000 engineers. The mission of the Center is to advance the profession of engineering, encourage the next generation of engineers; and raise awareness of current engineering issues.
Part of the challenge in getting construction underway was financial. The club raised $1 million and borrowed the other $500,000 of the $1.5 million project’s cost. Present at the ceremony were major donors Breck Washam, vice president, general manager for the St. Louis office of Burns & McDonnell and George Tomazi, past president of the Engineers Club and retired director of design and construction at Mallinckrodt, Inc.
“60-Degree Angles Everywhere”
Remiger noted that the Engineering Center building, tucked back from the street on Lindell just east of the New Cathedral is an outstanding example of Mid-Century Modern architecture. Designed by Russell, Mullgardt, Schwarz & Van Hoefen (S&V), it was completed in 1959.
The building was included in a Mid-Century Modern architecture survey by the City of St. Louis. Just west of the Engineers Club is the Optimist Building, also designed by S&V. Other examples of their work include the “Flying Saucer” building on Grand and the Mansion House downtown. Henmi & Associates was one of the successor firms to S&V (Dick Henmi designed both the Flying Saucer and Mansion House), which is how Remiger came across the drawings.
Remiger said that the building has “good bones,” but pointed out to those in attendance that the design of the new facilities was challenging because the building consists of, “60-degree angles everywhere”.
Attendees at Wednesday’s event inspect the demolition of the former auditorium.
A photo caption in an article published at the time the building was completed stated, “The triangle, considered the strongest shape known to man, forms appropriate motif for new building of the Engineers’ Club… Roof sections, skylights, piers, sunshades and other features contain elements of triangular form in the design…”
Today’s St. Louis’ engineers are hoping to capitalize on that structural strength to help build the future for the region.