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Built in 1937, the Kraigher House is a nationally known example of international style architecture, typified by asymmetrical rectilinear forms and smooth unornamented walls. George Kraigher was chief pilot and operations manager of the western division of Pan American Airways. His courageous service in both World Wars earned him numerous awards and medals, including the Silver Star from the U.S. and the Partisan Star (first class) from his native Yugoslavia. Architect Richard Neutra, born in Vienna, came to the US. in 1923 and was acclaimed for his modernist designs. Neutra designed the house site unseen, using “biorealism,” his approach connecting humans to nature, which resulted in a practical yet innovative approach to architecture. Materials include reinforced concrete, glass, and steel, with passive solar design exhibited in cantilevered shading, soffit ventilation, and site orientation. The interior has plaster walls, built-in furniture, and terrazzo floors. Transferred to the northeast, Kraigher sold the house in 1947 and had Neutra design a new house for him in Litchfield, Connecticut. Years of rental tenants and periods of vacancy at the Brownsville house led to its deterioration. The city of Brownsville bought the site in 1999 to save it from any further decline. The house was highlighted as endangered by Preservation Texas in 2004 and the national trust for historic places in 2005. This prompted the city to seriously consider how best to preserve Neutra’s only single-family house in Texas. The city decided to lease the house to the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College with the understanding that the universities would restore and maintain the house and allow for public access. The work was done in accordance with the original drawings and completed in 2008. The house is currently used as a center to train young artists and designers. |
