Mickey Muennig (born George Kaye Muennig; 1935–2021) was an American architect.[1][2] He was known for this organic architecture in Big Sur, along the California coast.[1][3]
George Kaye Muennig was born on April 20, 1935, in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.[4] He got his nickname Mickey, by his older sister, due to his outward semblance with Mickey Mouse.[1]
After graduation he had apprenticeships in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Long Beach, Mississippi.[4] In 1969, he moved to Denver for an architecture job that did not materialize and his family stayed in Denver until 1971.
In 1971, Muenning went to a two week Gestalt therapy class in the Big Sur at Esalen Institute, he described it as an enlightening experience and decide to stay a week longer.[4] He was able to blend his architectural design with the local materials, and create homes that felt like they were a part of Big Sur.[6][7] He was a proponent of underground houses for both temperature control and fire proofing, as well as building on stilts.[6][7] Many of his works have been described as "magical", "creative", or "visionary".[6][7] Some of the houses had issues with livability according to Edward Bazinet, a client of Muenning's, as he had failed to plan for the need of furniture.[6]
The Post Ranch Inn, a luxury resort in Big Sur opened in April 1991.[8] Muenning's design work for the Post Ranch Inn featured buildings with geometric inspiration by animals (such as the butterfly), as well as towers and cylinders that are a nod to Bruce Goff.[9] The guest rooms were arranged in a village, made of individual small structures.[8] The hotel design was meant to not compete with the landscape, the hotel is located on a dramatic coastal bluff and had views of migrating whales in the Pacific Ocean.[9]
Muennig died on June 10, 2021, at the age of 86 in Big Sur.[1] The Muennig archives are held at the University of Oklahoma, American School of Architecture Archive.[11][12]
^ abcdef"How an Unsung Architect Gave Big Sur Its Look". Dwell. July 1, 2021.
^"Big Sur architect Mickey Muennig"s work shaped by the land". Monterey Herald. 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^Stinson, Liz (2019-07-23). "Big Sur modern stunner can be yours for $6.9M". Curbed. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^ abcdefKennedy, Wally (January 3, 2015). "Joplin-born architect looks back on remarkable career". Joplin Globe. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^"Remembering Mickey Muennig". Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^ abcde"To Sur, with Love: He Builds with the Land". Newspapers.com. The Orlando Sentinel. November 9, 1997. p. 164. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^ abcdYoung, Lucie (18 May 1997). "Designer's Unique Homes Meld Buildings and Nature". Newspapers.com. The Miami Herald. p. 574. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^ ab"Post Ranch Inn: Simple Luxuries". Newspapers.com. The San Francisco Examiner. November 15, 1992. p. T-1, T-10. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^ abNewman, Morris (May 12, 1991). "Big Sur Welcomes New Hotel". Newspapers.com. The Naples Daily News, The New York Times. p. 127. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^"Events". Newspapers.com. The Californian. May 21, 2005. p. 23. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^Lattin, Don (2002-06-16). "Esalen Bares Its Soul / The Big Sur oasis of enlightenment turns 40 with a major face lift and a rejuvenated mission". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^Caraccio, David (April 18, 2022). "See modern Big Sur home built into natural terrain: Ocean views, 109 acres for $35M". The Sacramento Bee.
^Clarke, Katherine. "A Big Sur Mansion Shaped Like an Airplane Wing Lands on the Market for $35 Million". MansionGlobal.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^Barber, Megan (2019-12-16). "Big Sur oceanfront home with skybridge now asks $6.2M". Curbed. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^"Big Sur fire: Late season blaze destroys 17 homes on California's iconic, parched coast". The Mercury News. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^"Big Sur fire: Before escrow could close, "Hummingbird House" burns down". Monterey Herald. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
Further readingedit
Saeks, Diane Dorrans (1999). Taschen, Angelika (ed.). California Interiors. Cologne, Germany: Taschen. ISBN 9783822866108.
Olsen, Richard (2012). Handmade Houses: A Century of Earth-Friendly Home Design. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0847838455.
Muennig, Mickey (2014). Mickey Muennig: Dreams and Realizations for A Living Architecture. Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423637523.