TOUR THE SPACE

WHAT IS BAUHAUS?

During its brief existence in post-WWI Germany, the Bauhaus School was among the world's most famous art and design schools. A crucible of modernism, the impact of the Bauhaus can still be felt today. The Bauhaus was inspiring not just because of the extraordinary group of brilliant, visionary people involved, but because it was fueled by a commitment to creativity and experimentation with the underlying tenet that work, play and celebration should be intertwined. Here at Bauhaus Brew Labs, we live by the Bauhaus concept that the joy of art and craft should be celebrated as a part of everyday life.

BUILDING HISTORY

When the Bauhaus family stumbled upon the crumbling industrial warehouse at 1315 Tyler Street back in 2011, they knew in their bones it was a special spot. We’re proud to have taken up shop on the same grounds where some really incredible work took place. A brief (not drunk) history lesson on the Crown Iron Works site where Bauhaus now resides:

1870s: The Swedes “surge” upon Minneapolis after the Germans and Irish dominate St. Paul, and two men by the names of Andrew Nelson and August Malmsten create “Crown Iron Works Company” on the banks of the Mississippi River.

1905: After quite a few inspired undertakings (building of the first skyscraper in the entire region and other little projects like creating elevator enclosures, hundreds of ornate iron and bronze railings, as well as beams and stairs for buildings like City Hall and the Courthouse), these gentleman expand their footprint and choose 13th and Tyler Street as the destination for their new foundry.

“Imagine the cutting of steel beams with cold chisels, handling them in an open yard with a simple, hand-operated crane and the transportation of heavy pieces with horses and wagons.” Clifford H. Anderson, Crown Iron Works

Early 1900s: The foundry is home to many iron, steel and bronze projects (local and national), including majority of the skyscrapers in downtown Minneapolis, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Agricultural Extension Building in Washington DC.

1917, WWI: Crown produces riveted steel and cargo vessels, and invents a better way to make barbed-wire fences to protect soldiers in trenches.

1941, WWII: Crown produces metal decking and fittings for pontoon bridges and structural steel for ocean-going tankers and Army towboats. Of note: the building itself features a unique glass ceiling that allows for light swift replacement if hit by enemy artillery. In other words, the building is bombproof.

1960s: Crown takes on steel fabrication of first skyway built over Marquette Ave.

1970s: Crown fabricates structural steel for IDS Crystal Court and other U of M campus buildings.

1980s: Crown provides all structural steel for the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome; shortly afterward, the structural steel division of Crown closes.

2000s: Gopher Towing acquires the abandoned building to use for winter storage.

2013: Hillcrest Development purchases 1315 Tyler St NE from Gopher Towing; within days, the Bauhaus family plants their proverbial flag in the ground.

Sources: A Crowning Achievement: 130 Years of Innovation, Perseverance and Trust, 1878 - 2008 by Crown Holdings