ABOUT THE HOUSE
The Dome House was designed and built by local artist and Door County resident Albert Quinlan. Al Quinlan was moved by the energy crisis of the mid-1970s to build a self-regulatory home—one that would require minimal cooling and heating, maintaining an even 55-degree temperature from the earth surrounding it. The home was completed in 1978, built entirely of chicken wire, rebar, and Ferro cement.
The home has many interesting design features, including a concrete dunescape, an indoor botanical area, and an open concept design—all meant to enhance the natural appearance and feel of the space. There are two domes, one that Al used as his living quarters and one that served as his studio.
The Dome House changed ownership in the early 1980s and for decades sat empty. The home became shrouded in mystery, inspiring local folklore. Visitors of the county frequently made The Dome House a stop while sightseeing other wonders of the area, like Cave Point and Washington Island.
In 2016, the home was purchased by Al Quinlan’s daughter and her husband, who restored it to its original condition. The Dome House is now used as a community space—a place for local residents, artists, and families to come and gather inspiration from the natural beauty of the Door County landscape.
View a virtual tour of the house here.
ABOUT AL QUINLAN
Albert F. Quinlan (April 22, 1919 - September 13, 1992) was born in Kansas City, MO, grew up in St. Louis, and studied art at Washington University under the late Fred Conway. From 1943 to 1969, Mr. Quinlan was employed by Gardner Advertising in St. Louis. He was appointed art director in 1945; during this work there, he created advertising for Cessna Aircraft, Ralston Purina, Procter & Gamble, John Deere, Eli-Lilly, and helped create the once-famous Jack Daniels ads. In 1966 he was elected vice president of Gardner and served as creative supervisor. During his years in advertising, Mr. Quinlan received numerous awards, including honors from: Art Directors Club of Chicago, Art Directors Club of St. Louis, Package Designers Council, and the New York Art Directors Club.
Having been a long-time summer resident, Mr. Quinlan retired to Door County in 1970 and began his second career and creative pursuits as a printmaker. His large photo-serigraphs depict mostly images of Door County. The technique, which he developed, involved the use of a 35mm negative greatly enlarged. In this large size the grain of the film becomes part of the image and imparts a softness and tone. He used a series of screens made from negatives exposed for different parts of a scene and then reconstructed to create a unique transformation of the original image. Many of his prints combine portions of more than one landscape to create an imaginary landscape.
On May 13, 1986, Mr. Quinlan, along with John Kahlert, were recognized for their leadership in organizing the fundraising drive that brought the new Door County Library to fruition in Sturgeon Bay in 1975. At that time, the two men focused on the many community benefits the new building would bring to the community; given their skills in public relations in the positions they held prior to moving to Door County, both men possessed the sense of optimism vital to the success of such a project. Miller Art Museum founder Gerhard Miller, with his vision to bring artwork from around the world to our Door County community, became a reality due in part to his friendship with Albert Quinlan and the diverse advertising skills he brought to his role, for which he was instrumental in making the community dream—Miller’s vision—of a new library housing an art gallery come true.