Feb 12, 2013 Imprint Long Beach: Cara Mullio and Jennifer Volland
Anyone looking into the cooler aspects of Long Beach will quickly locate Cara Mullio and Jennifer Volland’s coffee table book. Published in 2004 by Hennessy + Ingalls, Long Beach Architecture: The Unexpected Metropolis is a gorgeous hardcover that not only celebrates Art Deco, Mid Century Modern, Masonic, Roman, Victorian, and other stylish structures but tells the story of a city that grew in the shadow of Los Angeles, was reborn after a crippling earthquake in 1933, and is facing the familiar crossroads of whether to raze old buildings or resuscitate them. It’s as pleasing to read as it is gorgeous to see, with new and old photos that bring the city’s blue-collar heritage and underdog energy to life.
But for Mullio and Volland, Long Beach and buildings aren’t merely juicy subjects to be used up and tossed away. As a duo they have given architectural tours on bicycle, both celebrating the town’s heritage and its quest to be America’s most bicycle-friendly city at once. Meanwhile, Mullio is a principal at Root Development, LLC, a firm whose mission is to “create and deliver projects that provide constructive growth and spirit to existing neighborhoods.” Volland is a writer and curator who is co-creating an upcoming show in Vancouver called Grand Hotel that “charts the evolution of the hotel from its humble origins as an isolate and utilitarian structure to a cultural phenomenon that figures prominently within the global landscape.”
Next, Mullio and Volland are co-authoring a comprehensive tome about Long Beach’s Case Study architect and creator of many iconic buildings at Cal State Long Beach. A Beautiful Nothing: The Architecture of Edward A. Killingsworth will provide the content of their panel at the next Imprint conference.
Expect a Q&A with them in the near future, as well as more information about the event, ticketing, lineup announcements, and more…