Kontakosta, E. M. | Bronze Plaque for Public Buildings | Extant | Jamaica | Public Building | 1963 | This funeral home used a variety of materials and decorative details to evoke a contemporary design. The compact building is surrounded by a parking lot and on one side a step down canopy covers access from the driveway into the building. The building is clad in a gold-colored Roman brick and the window and door surrounds are gold colored aluminum. To the left of the entrance is a striking white decorative block screen which rises above the roofline. The interior incorporates brick, terrazzo, and walnut paneling.
Mulokas, Jonas | Honorable Mention | Extant | Maspeth | Religious Building | 1962 | The Church of the Transfiguration is one of the most unique and striking structures honored by the Chamber of Commerce during this era. Nestled within a compact residential part of Maspeth, the A-frame church incorporates traditional Lithuanian symbols into a definitively modern structure. The front facade is a wall of colored glass which sits recessed under the projecting eaves of the A-frame. The red entrance doors are surrounded by white brick, have a red undulating canopy over them, and above that a modern sculpture of the Transfiguration. The base of the building and the short projecting wings are clad in orange brick. Symbols of Lithuanian culture abound on the exterior as well as the interior, which was designed by V. K. Jonynas. A prominent bell tower rises up with a stylized shrine at the top. The architect Jonas Mulokas specialized in Lithuanian Catholic churches and several of his works still exist in Illinois among other places. An older rectory sits to the right of the church and was reclad in orange brick to match the newly constructed church.
Mauch, Paul G. | Honorable Mention | Extant | Glendale | Commercial Building | 1962 | This commercial facility was built to replace the previous structure which burned down in a major fire the year before. Glendale Lumber has existed in this location since its founding in 1920 by Edward Wagner and remains owned by the Wagner family. The design is utilitarian while also employing popular finishes of the period such as aluminium framed windows, terrazzo flooring, and wood paneling. The complex remains remarkably intact down to the unique 1960s pebble-globe chandelier in the showroom designed by Mrs. Jack Wagner Sr. Behind the showroom and offices in the main storage warehouse is the original modular shelving system imported from England in the early 1960s, which is still in use today. Special thanks to Lance Wagner Sr. and the Wagner Family for the tour of their facility.
Sirof and Sivertsen | Honorable Mention | Extant | Woodside | Industrial Building | 1961 | J. J. Newberry was a prominent “Five and Dime” type store that went out of business in the early 1990s. This location most likely used for storage and distribution to the New York area. The corner of the building has a textured concrete block design, the rest is unrelieved brick.
First National City Bank Bank's Premises Department | Honorable Mention | Extant | Woodside | Bank | 1961 | This branch was designed by the bank’s in-house design team, although it is unclear if the architect was William Shenton, an in-house designer who was credited with the design of First National City’s Maspeth Branch the following year. The building is clad in brick and the front elevation is slightly recessed and clad in ceramic tiles. The exposed side panels of the entrance area have square cut-outs that give at least the primary facade some dynamic qualities.
