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7445 Hubbard Avenue, Middleton, Wisconsin


This project is located on the "Main Street" of Middleton. Hubbard Avenue fronts the library, City Hall, restaurants and churches.

The site was a vacant lot between two landmark buildings, a beautiful old brick store built in 1857 and a post-modernist brick library built in 1990. Our design objective was to create a unifying presence between these two eras: 1857 - 1990, centering the design on a 1920's to 1940's influence.

The use of the building was to be a full service restaurant, thus, the Hubbard Avenue Diner was created. Our task was to design a building with minimal setbacks and an articulation that created an aesthetic, "human scale" solution.

We brought the building forward on the site to create a zero lot line and allow the streetscape facade to meet the community. Since the building is viewed from all sides, the exterior was designed to give each elevation individual identity.

To enhance the impact of the diner upon its surroundings we juxtaposed many exterior finishes: split-faced block, glass block, synthetic stucco, two types of brick, corrugated galvanized metal panel, corrugated stainless steel, flat stainless steel, and clear anodized storefront framing.

A unifying feature was the round corner tower creating movement at the major corner of the site.

The architectural and decorative interior continues this streamlined philosophy with its raceway soffits and strong geometric shapes leading the eye toward the corner cylinder. Just as this cylindrical element is a unifying feature on the exterior, it becomes a powerful interior statement, unifying the 20's to 40's influences of art deco, industrial design, and Buck Rogers.


Project: Freestanding building
Square Footage: 5200
Architect: Linville Architects, LLC
Contractor: Krupp Construction
Photographer: Dale Hall