The block screen wall behind the Kenwood Taco Bell

Those who read our blog know that I am fascinated by decorative concrete block screen walls (breeze blocks).  There are several good examples in town – and one on its way down, we think – so I thought I would take this time to give them a little shout out.  Surely anyone who has been through the drive through at the Kenwood Taco Bell has seen one of the more prominent walls.  It is at the back of the Taco Bell parking lot and it ‘screens’ a cool little midcentury office park from view.  Alas, this entire modest office park is coming down and presumably, the wall will come down with it.  We stopped by today to see if there is any chance the wall could be dismantled and saved. It appears to be in near perfect condition, and securely mortared into place.  Looks like the blocks would break if you tried to take it apart.

Not sure what is in store for this prime real estate in Kenwood, but it saddens me to see some of the last midcentury modern remains of this ‘first suburb’ plowed under in favor of…. progress.

kinda makes waiting for your chalupa a little more enjoyable, doesn’t it? 

The demo equipment in the background is hard at work taking these sweet little modern buildings down

If anyone knows of other screen walls in town, please reply to this post or post them on our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/cincinnatimodern

Save the block walls!

i drive by this wall on paddock rd. in hartwell a couple of times a week. check out the cool mcm building in the background.

this screen is actually made from ceramic faced blocks! it is on the dick calef ‘perritt house’ in anderson

this wall was built just this past summer from blocks found at a concrete supply company in middletown.

this wall was built last year by architect chris magee as a screen for his garbage cans.

our back yard last summer during our BEST magazine photo shoot with photographer cathy lyons.

this unusual screen block design is an original feature of our 1956 house