Mickey Muennig (born George Kaye Muennig; 1935–2021) was an American architect.[1][2] He was known for this organic architecture in Big Sur, along the California coast.[1][3]
Early life and education
George Kaye Muennig was born on April 20, 1935, in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.[4] He got his nickname Mickey, by his older sister, due to his outward semblance with Mickey Mouse.[1]
After graduation he had apprenticeships in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Long Beach, Mississippi.[4] In 1969, he moved to Denver for an architecture job that did not materialize and his family stayed in Denver until 1971.
In 1971, Muenning went to a two week Gestalt therapy class in the Big Sur at Esalen Institute, he described it as an enlightening experience and decide to stay a week longer.[4] He was able to blend his architectural design with the local materials, and create homes that felt like they were a part of Big Sur.[6][7] He was a proponent of underground houses for both temperature control and fire proofing, as well as building on stilts.[6][7] Many of his works have been described as "magical", "creative", or "visionary".[6][7] Some of the houses had issues with livability according to Edward Bazinet, a client of Muenning's, as he had failed to plan for the need of furniture.[6]
The Post Ranch Inn, a luxury resort in Big Sur opened in April 1991.[8] Muenning's design work for the Post Ranch Inn featured buildings with geometric inspiration by animals (such as the butterfly), as well as towers and cylinders that are a nod to Bruce Goff.[9] The guest rooms were arranged in a village, made of individual small structures.[8] The hotel design was meant to not compete with the landscape, the hotel is located on a dramatic coastal bluff and had views of migrating whales in the Pacific Ocean.[9]
Muennig died on June 10, 2021, at the age of 86 in Big Sur.[1] The Muennig archives are held at the University of Oklahoma, American School of Architecture Archive.[11][12]
