Standing as one of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s distinct South Side supper clubs, The Packing House has been proudly serving guests both near and far since 1974. Notorious for their fabulous Fish Fry Fridays and wonderful live music, this staple can easily become a “packed house”. Since the late 1980s, this family operated establishment has also extended their dining options by offering a drive through service so that all families can enjoy fresh fish in the comfort of their homes. The Packing House prides itself on being a scratch kitchen, which is what separates them from the rest. It also has the ability to adapt to changing societal trends, which attracts many generations. This flexibility along with how this place makes one feel has secured The Packing House a place as a timeless Milwaukee staple.
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The Packing House is an important place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin because it is a microcosm of the City of Milwaukee. The Packing House, like Milwaukee itself, operates in zones and layered boundaries. These layers operate on each facet that makes a city a city and a restaurant and restaurant which includes people, the built environment, and culture. These three attributes act has a triumvirate because, they hold the key to transforming space into an inhabitable place.
The Packing House is a tiny Milwaukee due to where it is located in the city. This place lives further South next to an airport for private planes; this spot is where entering Milwaukee ends, leaving Milwaukee begins, or vice versa. |
Project 1
Standing as one of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s distinct South Side
supper clubs, The Packing House has been proudly serving
guests both near and far since 1974. Notorious for their
fabulous Fish Fry Fridays and wonderful live music, this staple
can easily become a “packed house”. Since the late 1980s, this
family operated establishment has also extended their dining
options by offering a drive through service so that all families
can enjoy fresh fish in the comfort of their homes. The Packing
House prides itself on being a scratch kitchen, which is what
separates them from the rest. It also has the ability to adapt
to changing societal trends, which attracts many generations.
This flexibility along with how this place makes one feel has
secured The Packing House a place as a timeless Milwaukee
staple.
The Packing House neighbors an airfield and a hair salon.
Across the street are car dealerships and right behind it houses
residential spaces. One might think that because of its location,
there is little to no business. This is a common mistake because
the parking lot is usually dense with cars of guests from all
over Milwaukee. It is really quiet; the car traffic in the streets
become background hums. There is hierarchy of respect for the
residents who live just five feet away.
Upon approaching The Packing House, one becomes excited
to enter because of smooth melodies from Dean Martin which
smothers quickly; these sounds effortlessly pull one into the
past. The level of attention applied to not only their delicious
food, but also to the building is apparent when entering. Once
inside, one does not expect to be sitting adjacent to a vast
airfield. Guests immediately feel inclined to abandon their
coats for relaxation and music. This place hugs one’s nose
with warm delicious smells, laughter and live music, and the
particular dress attire fit for dinner with the mayor. People
anxiously wait for musicians like Jeff Stoll to play tunes. In
2015, he celebrated his 35th year anniversary for playing
live. Adding onto the character, guest immediately speak The
Packing House language.
The form of the Packing House is simple in design. The main
entrance prepares many for its uniquely lofted ceiling that
emphasizes massive beams. Vertical openings direct guests
to their seats and favorite spots, there is a clear difference of
public and private sections. This sectioning is based on how
outside areas are situated. The public bar is pushed closer to
the car dealership across the street and the private dining area
is pushed back towards residential. The bar is the main focal
point as it stretches across the entire room, which helps to
elongate the space. The use of space makes it easier to seat the
larger volumes throughout the night. The walls are sweatered
with local art; the paintings seem very impressionistic with
its fast blurring brush strokes. Every weekend, the Packing
House guarantees a good time,while preserving Milwaukee’s
cherished Fish Fry traditions for many future generations to
come.
supper clubs, The Packing House has been proudly serving
guests both near and far since 1974. Notorious for their
fabulous Fish Fry Fridays and wonderful live music, this staple
can easily become a “packed house”. Since the late 1980s, this
family operated establishment has also extended their dining
options by offering a drive through service so that all families
can enjoy fresh fish in the comfort of their homes. The Packing
House prides itself on being a scratch kitchen, which is what
separates them from the rest. It also has the ability to adapt
to changing societal trends, which attracts many generations.
This flexibility along with how this place makes one feel has
secured The Packing House a place as a timeless Milwaukee
staple.
The Packing House neighbors an airfield and a hair salon.
Across the street are car dealerships and right behind it houses
residential spaces. One might think that because of its location,
there is little to no business. This is a common mistake because
the parking lot is usually dense with cars of guests from all
over Milwaukee. It is really quiet; the car traffic in the streets
become background hums. There is hierarchy of respect for the
residents who live just five feet away.
Upon approaching The Packing House, one becomes excited
to enter because of smooth melodies from Dean Martin which
smothers quickly; these sounds effortlessly pull one into the
past. The level of attention applied to not only their delicious
food, but also to the building is apparent when entering. Once
inside, one does not expect to be sitting adjacent to a vast
airfield. Guests immediately feel inclined to abandon their
coats for relaxation and music. This place hugs one’s nose
with warm delicious smells, laughter and live music, and the
particular dress attire fit for dinner with the mayor. People
anxiously wait for musicians like Jeff Stoll to play tunes. In
2015, he celebrated his 35th year anniversary for playing
live. Adding onto the character, guest immediately speak The
Packing House language.
The form of the Packing House is simple in design. The main
entrance prepares many for its uniquely lofted ceiling that
emphasizes massive beams. Vertical openings direct guests
to their seats and favorite spots, there is a clear difference of
public and private sections. This sectioning is based on how
outside areas are situated. The public bar is pushed closer to
the car dealership across the street and the private dining area
is pushed back towards residential. The bar is the main focal
point as it stretches across the entire room, which helps to
elongate the space. The use of space makes it easier to seat the
larger volumes throughout the night. The walls are sweatered
with local art; the paintings seem very impressionistic with
its fast blurring brush strokes. Every weekend, the Packing
House guarantees a good time,while preserving Milwaukee’s
cherished Fish Fry traditions for many future generations to
come.
Project 2
Owned by the Wiken Family, The Packing house lives at 900 E
Layton Ave, Milwaukee, WI. Just across the street is the airport
for more private flights and a car dealership, adjacent the space
are many commercial spots and just behind the space house
residential. The neighborhood’s order, starting at across the
street from The Packing House, is public to semipublic to semi
private to private; across the street is public, the sidewalk and
parking lot are semipublic, The Packing house is semi private
and the residential area is private. This same order organizes
the order within The Packing House.
The public space within The Packing House is pushed
towards the front where the most noise is generated and where
the least people live. Each map shows different information that
contributes to this observation. In Roger Trancik’s chapter in
Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design entitled, “Three
Theories of Urban spatial Design”, he writes about the Figure
Ground Theory. The Figure ground theory is all about studying
land coverage of buildings as solid mass to porous voids. He
also delves into how Giambatista’s Noli Map of 1798 Rome
plunges into what it means to be massive, while creating
space. The figure ground created for The Packing House area,
shows the clear separation of public form private. The Noli Map
created on an urban scale shows the slanted lines that signify
density levels; this is opposite for the Noli Map at a building
scale. Because across the street is more separated and less
dense, it makes sense to push the more dense area of The
Packing House to front, which balances the flow from public to
semipublic to semi private at both an urban and building scale.
The center part of the entire the East Layton area where
The Packing House along with other businesses serves as a
buffer, just as the centered bar within The Packing House. Along
with Figure Grounds and Noli Maps, Trancik also includes the
Linkage Theory. This theory is about spatial datum like lines
and/or directional aspects. The Sound maps show how sound
travels from the loud vehicular traffic, but as the sound waves
get closer to The Packing House, it becomes a soft hum. The
Noli map also shows how often the roads are used. The main
road is held to the public front, but as the colors get darker
the road lines and reason for driving become more specific,
which buffer who is coming into the residential side of East
Layton Ave. The centered bar within The Packing House acts
as a buffer too because the bar splits of the loudness spewing
from the front that may ooze to the back where it is more quiet.
Reason for entering the more quiet area becomes more specific
as well. These buffers create a clear transition from semipublic
to semi private.
The Residential area as a whole is far away from the loudness,
just as the dining area within The Packing House. Peter Smithson
briefly and effectively explains that no one should, “pretend
that quality of place will arise from zoning or master planningbut
feeling.’ Trancik emphasizes Place Theory, which is the
realm of understanding the why and how of a culture to guide
meaningful design. The buffers block disturbances from those
who live in that area simply out respect of the culture of living
and how importance silence is to a home. Families usually want
the option to be loud or relax in quietness. Whomever design
the layout of both the entire Layton Ave and The Packing House
has this clear respect for the community because of where
spaces are placed. Families eat more in the dining area of the
packing House, than in the bar area. This orientation respects
each aspect of what it means to be social and what it means to
relax at home; it gives people options
Layton Ave, Milwaukee, WI. Just across the street is the airport
for more private flights and a car dealership, adjacent the space
are many commercial spots and just behind the space house
residential. The neighborhood’s order, starting at across the
street from The Packing House, is public to semipublic to semi
private to private; across the street is public, the sidewalk and
parking lot are semipublic, The Packing house is semi private
and the residential area is private. This same order organizes
the order within The Packing House.
The public space within The Packing House is pushed
towards the front where the most noise is generated and where
the least people live. Each map shows different information that
contributes to this observation. In Roger Trancik’s chapter in
Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design entitled, “Three
Theories of Urban spatial Design”, he writes about the Figure
Ground Theory. The Figure ground theory is all about studying
land coverage of buildings as solid mass to porous voids. He
also delves into how Giambatista’s Noli Map of 1798 Rome
plunges into what it means to be massive, while creating
space. The figure ground created for The Packing House area,
shows the clear separation of public form private. The Noli Map
created on an urban scale shows the slanted lines that signify
density levels; this is opposite for the Noli Map at a building
scale. Because across the street is more separated and less
dense, it makes sense to push the more dense area of The
Packing House to front, which balances the flow from public to
semipublic to semi private at both an urban and building scale.
The center part of the entire the East Layton area where
The Packing House along with other businesses serves as a
buffer, just as the centered bar within The Packing House. Along
with Figure Grounds and Noli Maps, Trancik also includes the
Linkage Theory. This theory is about spatial datum like lines
and/or directional aspects. The Sound maps show how sound
travels from the loud vehicular traffic, but as the sound waves
get closer to The Packing House, it becomes a soft hum. The
Noli map also shows how often the roads are used. The main
road is held to the public front, but as the colors get darker
the road lines and reason for driving become more specific,
which buffer who is coming into the residential side of East
Layton Ave. The centered bar within The Packing House acts
as a buffer too because the bar splits of the loudness spewing
from the front that may ooze to the back where it is more quiet.
Reason for entering the more quiet area becomes more specific
as well. These buffers create a clear transition from semipublic
to semi private.
The Residential area as a whole is far away from the loudness,
just as the dining area within The Packing House. Peter Smithson
briefly and effectively explains that no one should, “pretend
that quality of place will arise from zoning or master planningbut
feeling.’ Trancik emphasizes Place Theory, which is the
realm of understanding the why and how of a culture to guide
meaningful design. The buffers block disturbances from those
who live in that area simply out respect of the culture of living
and how importance silence is to a home. Families usually want
the option to be loud or relax in quietness. Whomever design
the layout of both the entire Layton Ave and The Packing House
has this clear respect for the community because of where
spaces are placed. Families eat more in the dining area of the
packing House, than in the bar area. This orientation respects
each aspect of what it means to be social and what it means to
relax at home; it gives people options
Project 3
TEAM TALK WITH JOAN
Tradition, family, 1950’s, Jazz, and scratch are just 5 out
of many words that describe The Packing House. Joan Zellner,
the Assistant General Manager and Event Planner of this supper
club, has shed essential light on the many missing historical
and social puzzle pieces within this investigation. The Packing
House was founded by Margaret and Keith Wiken in 1974. This
space has been in the family ever since; currently, their son
Chris Wiken, is the Manager. Starting from the history, Joan
told us that before The Packing House was The Packing House,
it was a Japanese restaurant called Dutch’s Sukiyaki House and
before Dutch’s Sukiyaki House, it was a corner tavern. As you
walked in the restaurant, Joan describes with a smile in her
eyes, you were greeted by a Koi fish tank and waited while
looking at these sunset orange and white fish. There was also
a Tatami Room with hanging red lanterns. Highlighted with East
Asian decorum, the servers wore traditional Japanese garbs as
if they were geisha. As Dutch’s Sukiyaki House transformed
into The Packing House, namesake became really important.
Because this supper club served primarily meat, the Wikens
decided on The Packing House because packing houses were
slaughterhouses for all kinds of meat. As history became
recycled within this ecosystem, tradition oozes from the seams
from the corner tavern to Dutch’s Sukiyaki House and finally to
The Packing House.
When asked to compare the space when she first saw
it to how the space is currently, Joan emphasized strong effort.
The inside was outdated; there was til blue, jaded green, and
pink paint everywhere with plastic flowers and floral lamps.
Everything was very old school and seemed unwelcoming. Joan
and Chris made many huge efforts to put the space together
and set the ambiance. Now, there are warm wooden beams
moving across the ceiling, mirror covered walls to make the
space bigger and diffused lighting to give The Packing House
a warm familial feeling. This building has literally changed
tradition while keeping that exact tradition inside its walls along
with catering to the changing culture of Milwaukee.
The team and I mentioned the formal attire the guest
wear while enjoying food or listening to music. Joan explained
how people just like to dress up to go out to eat, again hinting
at tradition. With tradition and family being strong legs for this
supper club, Joan spoke about the Fish Fry Fridays. There is a
drive thru dedicated to giving out fish. Everyone came out for
Fish Fry Fridays and everyone worked together like an oiled
machine. Joan expressed that every person, customer or
employee, served their purpose. The employees worked in an
assembly line, one person frying the fish the entire time and the
other just passing the finished masterpiece out of the window.
Around Lent, a period of time in the Christian Catholic tradition
where many give up meat, the drive thru line spanned as far as
the aroma of delicious fish snaked through the environment.
This scratch kitchen truly does make everything from scratch
and Joan believes that this is one of the reason the food tastes
nice; scratch food then becomes the heart and the heart is the
core reason for long term employees, regular musicians, and
family food.
Joan stressed how important family is to The packing
House. This space houses many events from baptisms to
bridal parties. Toddlers and teens would be roaming around
the area, while Joan would be soothing a cranky baby. Many
from the community come for specific activities like self led
chess matches or happy hour. The employees are family as
well because most are long term employees with the oldest
being 70 and the youngest being in the early 20’s. This place is
for families because of how well local businesses are melded.
Many local artists have paintings up along with photographs.
In fact, one photograph is a picture of, now deceased, Keith
Wiken’s childhood home. Joan finished the interview with how
the photo reminds everyone that Keith is still watching over us
and The Packing House.
Scratch, tradition, family, and Jazz are attributes that
what bring Wisconsinites to The Packing House, while a “where
can I get a good meal?” Brings travelers. This specific built
environment has thrived through its own identity along with
keeping up with the changing identity of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Packing House is important place in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin because it is a microcosm of the City of Milwaukee.
The Packing House, like Milwaukee itself, operates in zones
and layered boundaries. These layers operate on each facet
that makes a city a city and a restaurant and restaurant which
includes people, the built environment, and culture. These three
attributes act has a triumvirate because, they hold the key to
transforming space into an inhabitable place.
The Packing House is a tiny Milwaukee due to where it is
located in the city. This place lives further South next to an
airport for private planes; this spot is where entering Milwaukee
ends, leaving Milwaukee begins, or vice versa. The placement
is strategic because one is offered only a slither of Milwaukee
if they are visiting. While many from all over Wisconsin visit,
others who are traveling eat there as well because flights are
delayed for hours. It is not unusual for someone to suggest The
Packing House for a good bite.
One organizational layer is the attire because those
who live closer to downtown Milwaukee dress casually, which
is defined according to each person. Each individual is a product
of his or her’s environment; one might grow up to act exactly
like the culture they grew up in, while some might grow up to
abandon that very culture. Formal attire often draws in a more
affluent crowd who are older. The young crowd may also eat at
The Packing House, but only if it is for a familial occasion; many
will not go in by choice simply because of the type of dress.
This organization for the City of Milwaukee is used for work,
specifically jobs or careers that allows one to wear whatever
he or she wants, but within either corporate attire or casual
professional. Many know where they “belong” simply because
of what everyone else is wearing. Although a space does not
write, “YOU MUST WEAR X,Y AND Z” the culture of those within
the space shows that you SHOULD wear X,Y and Z.
In addition to attire, Fish Fry Fridays are also an
organizational layer because of its roots within the Christian
Catholic traditions and the tradition’s power to be resilient
throughout the changing culture. During Lent, many Christians
and Catholics fast from meat because of what that time span
symbolize. Although the origin lies in fasting due to the lack of
means to refrigerate meat and giving up something that is really
loved, modern culture just really love to eat fish. The Packing
House has survived the changing culture because of society’s
tendency to change what it means to do things. Examples
include companies that snake from corporate to un-corporate
or teachers who arrange desks from boring grid to open
teamup. Some keep the tradition of fasting during Lent sacred
while, those who do not believe in the tradition still eat fish
because they like it. The City of Milwaukee is similar in a sense
that people who worship differently live there. Both The Packing
House and Milwaukee does a fair job of accommodating both
in spite of the constant culture change.
All in all, The Packing House represents Milwaukee
because of the zones and boundaries created through cultural
change. The attire most wear out to eat in this steakhouse
represents one culture, while the Fish Fry Fridays represent
a tradition that has morphed from religious tradition to social
tradition. People, the built environment, and culture dance a
three way tangle as they all respond to one another. Because
the overarching similarity between everyone is the fact that we
are all different, we react to different things. As differences
are realized, accepted, or tolerated, culture starts to realize,
accept,and tolerate as well. In turn, the built environment shifts
according to what the people and the culture needs. These
ingredients, people, culture, and the built environment, bake a
city or a restaurant.
Tradition, family, 1950’s, Jazz, and scratch are just 5 out
of many words that describe The Packing House. Joan Zellner,
the Assistant General Manager and Event Planner of this supper
club, has shed essential light on the many missing historical
and social puzzle pieces within this investigation. The Packing
House was founded by Margaret and Keith Wiken in 1974. This
space has been in the family ever since; currently, their son
Chris Wiken, is the Manager. Starting from the history, Joan
told us that before The Packing House was The Packing House,
it was a Japanese restaurant called Dutch’s Sukiyaki House and
before Dutch’s Sukiyaki House, it was a corner tavern. As you
walked in the restaurant, Joan describes with a smile in her
eyes, you were greeted by a Koi fish tank and waited while
looking at these sunset orange and white fish. There was also
a Tatami Room with hanging red lanterns. Highlighted with East
Asian decorum, the servers wore traditional Japanese garbs as
if they were geisha. As Dutch’s Sukiyaki House transformed
into The Packing House, namesake became really important.
Because this supper club served primarily meat, the Wikens
decided on The Packing House because packing houses were
slaughterhouses for all kinds of meat. As history became
recycled within this ecosystem, tradition oozes from the seams
from the corner tavern to Dutch’s Sukiyaki House and finally to
The Packing House.
When asked to compare the space when she first saw
it to how the space is currently, Joan emphasized strong effort.
The inside was outdated; there was til blue, jaded green, and
pink paint everywhere with plastic flowers and floral lamps.
Everything was very old school and seemed unwelcoming. Joan
and Chris made many huge efforts to put the space together
and set the ambiance. Now, there are warm wooden beams
moving across the ceiling, mirror covered walls to make the
space bigger and diffused lighting to give The Packing House
a warm familial feeling. This building has literally changed
tradition while keeping that exact tradition inside its walls along
with catering to the changing culture of Milwaukee.
The team and I mentioned the formal attire the guest
wear while enjoying food or listening to music. Joan explained
how people just like to dress up to go out to eat, again hinting
at tradition. With tradition and family being strong legs for this
supper club, Joan spoke about the Fish Fry Fridays. There is a
drive thru dedicated to giving out fish. Everyone came out for
Fish Fry Fridays and everyone worked together like an oiled
machine. Joan expressed that every person, customer or
employee, served their purpose. The employees worked in an
assembly line, one person frying the fish the entire time and the
other just passing the finished masterpiece out of the window.
Around Lent, a period of time in the Christian Catholic tradition
where many give up meat, the drive thru line spanned as far as
the aroma of delicious fish snaked through the environment.
This scratch kitchen truly does make everything from scratch
and Joan believes that this is one of the reason the food tastes
nice; scratch food then becomes the heart and the heart is the
core reason for long term employees, regular musicians, and
family food.
Joan stressed how important family is to The packing
House. This space houses many events from baptisms to
bridal parties. Toddlers and teens would be roaming around
the area, while Joan would be soothing a cranky baby. Many
from the community come for specific activities like self led
chess matches or happy hour. The employees are family as
well because most are long term employees with the oldest
being 70 and the youngest being in the early 20’s. This place is
for families because of how well local businesses are melded.
Many local artists have paintings up along with photographs.
In fact, one photograph is a picture of, now deceased, Keith
Wiken’s childhood home. Joan finished the interview with how
the photo reminds everyone that Keith is still watching over us
and The Packing House.
Scratch, tradition, family, and Jazz are attributes that
what bring Wisconsinites to The Packing House, while a “where
can I get a good meal?” Brings travelers. This specific built
environment has thrived through its own identity along with
keeping up with the changing identity of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Packing House is important place in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin because it is a microcosm of the City of Milwaukee.
The Packing House, like Milwaukee itself, operates in zones
and layered boundaries. These layers operate on each facet
that makes a city a city and a restaurant and restaurant which
includes people, the built environment, and culture. These three
attributes act has a triumvirate because, they hold the key to
transforming space into an inhabitable place.
The Packing House is a tiny Milwaukee due to where it is
located in the city. This place lives further South next to an
airport for private planes; this spot is where entering Milwaukee
ends, leaving Milwaukee begins, or vice versa. The placement
is strategic because one is offered only a slither of Milwaukee
if they are visiting. While many from all over Wisconsin visit,
others who are traveling eat there as well because flights are
delayed for hours. It is not unusual for someone to suggest The
Packing House for a good bite.
One organizational layer is the attire because those
who live closer to downtown Milwaukee dress casually, which
is defined according to each person. Each individual is a product
of his or her’s environment; one might grow up to act exactly
like the culture they grew up in, while some might grow up to
abandon that very culture. Formal attire often draws in a more
affluent crowd who are older. The young crowd may also eat at
The Packing House, but only if it is for a familial occasion; many
will not go in by choice simply because of the type of dress.
This organization for the City of Milwaukee is used for work,
specifically jobs or careers that allows one to wear whatever
he or she wants, but within either corporate attire or casual
professional. Many know where they “belong” simply because
of what everyone else is wearing. Although a space does not
write, “YOU MUST WEAR X,Y AND Z” the culture of those within
the space shows that you SHOULD wear X,Y and Z.
In addition to attire, Fish Fry Fridays are also an
organizational layer because of its roots within the Christian
Catholic traditions and the tradition’s power to be resilient
throughout the changing culture. During Lent, many Christians
and Catholics fast from meat because of what that time span
symbolize. Although the origin lies in fasting due to the lack of
means to refrigerate meat and giving up something that is really
loved, modern culture just really love to eat fish. The Packing
House has survived the changing culture because of society’s
tendency to change what it means to do things. Examples
include companies that snake from corporate to un-corporate
or teachers who arrange desks from boring grid to open
teamup. Some keep the tradition of fasting during Lent sacred
while, those who do not believe in the tradition still eat fish
because they like it. The City of Milwaukee is similar in a sense
that people who worship differently live there. Both The Packing
House and Milwaukee does a fair job of accommodating both
in spite of the constant culture change.
All in all, The Packing House represents Milwaukee
because of the zones and boundaries created through cultural
change. The attire most wear out to eat in this steakhouse
represents one culture, while the Fish Fry Fridays represent
a tradition that has morphed from religious tradition to social
tradition. People, the built environment, and culture dance a
three way tangle as they all respond to one another. Because
the overarching similarity between everyone is the fact that we
are all different, we react to different things. As differences
are realized, accepted, or tolerated, culture starts to realize,
accept,and tolerate as well. In turn, the built environment shifts
according to what the people and the culture needs. These
ingredients, people, culture, and the built environment, bake a
city or a restaurant.
Project 4
Not found