Rescheduled from March 2020

On the occasion of the publication of Gordon Bunshaft and SOM: Building Corporate Modernism, its author, Nicholas Adams, will speak about Bunshaft’s silence as an architect and its effect on his legacy today.

As a partner in the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990) was able to acquire a worldwide reputation as one of the prime shapers of Modern Architecture and to leave us many of the movement’s treasured landmarks — all within the framework of a partnership that did not display his name. In his new book Adams has explored the personal and organizational factors behind this major departure from the familiar star architect scenario, and he will be sharing some of his insights in this Modern Conversation series event. Moderated by Paul Goldberger.

Nicholas Adams was Mary Conover Mellon professor in the history of architecture at Vassar College until his retirement in 2018. He is the author of several books including the first independently-authored book about Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM since 1936, published by Electa and Phaidon in 2006). He is a former editor of the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, and his reviews and articles have appeared internationally. He has taught at Lehigh University and been visiting professor at Columbia, the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, and the University of Rome. In addition to his work on SOM he has published works on the Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund and on the military architecture, urbanism, and architectural drawings of the Italian Renaissance.

Gordon Bunshaft and SOM: Building Corporate Modernism is available through bookstores, online booksellers and yalebooks.com. Get 25% off orders through yalebooks.com with the promo code “YAB89.”

This program has been organized in collaboration with The School of Constructed Environments at Parsons School of Design and is part of AIA NY Archtober.

Thursday October 8, 6:30pm
Please note: this is a virtual event. Advance registration is required.
Log-in information will be sent to registrants prior to the event.

REGISTER