Driven to Design
January 1, 2007
For South Dakota architect Steve
Larson, it’s not fulfilling enough to buff the hood of his C1 Corvette Roadster,
944 Porsche coupe or MGA Roadster. And it’s not fulfilling enough simply to
display his beloved car collection in his 3,800-square-foot gallery/garage. So
how does a man who is moved by what he calls "vehicular architecture" get his fix? He
designs a prototype for his dream car. Then, he has it built into a cruising
vehicle for himself and both of his grandchildren and keeps it close by in his
customized garage.
Architect Steve Larson designed an
L-shaped, 3,800-square-foot garage and automotive gallery at his South Dakota
residence to house his collection of toys. Photograph by Paul Schiller.
Located on the first floor of his 8,500-square-foot
contemporary all-white home outside Sioux Falls, the L-shaped garage houses
Larson’s prototype for a mid-engine car (something he likens to a Mercedes
roadster) that features his own aftermarket electronically retractable license
plate as well as eight other vintage automobiles. The space also pays homage to
the masters of automotive design—those who drive Larson’s passions for all
things fast, furious and streamlined. Included in the black-and-white photo
gallery is a historic photograph of architect and avid car collector Frank Lloyd
Wright with the 1942 Lincoln he designed for his daughter.
The wall of fame also honors Raymond Loewy, who designed
everything from refrigerators to the Coca-Cola bottle and the Studebaker Avanti;
Virgil Exner, master of the 1952 Chrysler d’Elegance concept vehicle that sold
at auction for $1.1 million last year; and Gordon Buehrig, who stands next to
his baby, the 1936 Cord 810, now part of MoMA’s permanent collection. Of course,
there are nods to Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and Harley Earl, the founder of
General Motors’ original art and color department.
And to top it all off is an Albert Einstein quote, a sentiment that drives Larson to design: "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
"One of the most unique design challenges is the automobile,"
says Larson, who heads the architecture firm NEXT, Inc., and designs and
collects cars as a hobby. "Every year they reinvent the same thing, with a
steering wheel and four tires. It’s an ongoing refinement of the same concept."
NEXT, Inc.
605.334.6002
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