Behind the Veil

By Michael Bridgeman 

There are times we must re-imagine a familiar place that can no longer be seen. That happens when we conjure up a demolished building, perhaps as we drive by a construction site in Madison and have only a vague memory of what was recently removed. The rustiness of our memory varies from person to person, depending on the building itself, the site, and its context—as well as its connection to our own lives and its role in the community.

Bradley House front façade

 I was reminded last month that existing buildings can trigger a similar response when I came upon the Bradley House (106 N. Prospect Ave.) behind fabric wrapped over scaffolding. [a] It’s a house I have observed, described, and extolled as a docent on Madison Trust walking tours for many years. Seeing such a recognizable building under wraps changes the way we perceive it. Describing it to a recent tour group was a challenge; I had to focus more on the history and idea of the house rather than its mere presence.

Completed in 1909 to a design by Louis Sullivan, the Bradley house is undergoing major restoration undertaken by the Bradley-Sigma Phi Historical Landmark Preservation Fund:

  • Stripping the faded black paint from the original cypress shingles, soffits and fascia, and the white paint from the windows.

  • Restoring or replacing wood on the decorative cantilevers that has deteriorated or been damaged by woodpeckers.

  • Refinishing the exterior with a natural brown stain, closely matching the home’s original color. [b]

The shrouded Red Gym

 The shift in perception is especially true at the Red Gym (706 Langdon St.), whose steep roof, towers, and turrets have been partially covered by scaffolding for more than a year. A dominating presence on the University of Wisconsin’s Library Mall, the building’s form is still evident, though the masked portions look simplified and exaggerated, bulkier yet more lightweight. Details are lost behind pipes, planks, and porous fabric, making a sort of three-dimensional sketch of what lies behind the falsework. [c]

Madison architects Conover and Porter designed the University of Wisconsin Gymnasium and Armory, the formal name of the edifice, which was completed in 1894. The interior has been repurposed many times over its long life. The current restoration project will renew exterior mortar, replace bricks as needed, and install a slate tile roof.

Elvhejem Building from the East Campus Mall

 Scaffolding has a less pronounced impact on the way we see the Conrad A. Elvhejem Building (800 University Ave.), since it is tightly situated among other buildings. The rectilinear mass of the museum results in a box-like cage; there is no mesh fabric skin. Nonetheless, the scaffolds make us consider what we are not seeing or may not remember about a building we may have seen many times before.

Designed by Harry Weese, the Elvhejem Art Center opened in 1970 and is now part of the Chazen Museum of Art. The stone cladding and skylights are being replaced to tighten the envelope for this wing’s galleries, which are temporarily closed.

 

Notes

[c] For a capsule history see https://incredibleplanet.net/history-of-scaffolding-a-complete-timeline/

[b] Project information from a note on the sidewalk entry post in June of 2025.

[c] Falsework is any temporary structure that is needed to construct, decorate, or repair the interior or exterior of a permanent structure. Falsework has been used for thousands of years to create safe and stable platforms for workers, their tools, and supplies. Most modern scaffolding is made of metal, though wood is widely used. In parts of Asia bamboo is the ideal scaffold material—plentiful, strong, lightweight, and reusable. John Fitchen. Building Construction Before Mechanization. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, [1986] p.85-90.

 

Image Credits

All photographs by Michael Bridgeman.

Madison Trust