Antoni Gaudí was born 163 years ago in Spain. (1852 – 1926) His architecture showed his passion for architecture, nature and religion. Below is the nave of his masterpiece Sagra Familia, its hyperbolic paraboloid shapes inspired by nature and the columns symbolizing trees rising to the sky.
Robert Venturi with his wife Denise Scott Brown were at the forefront of the Post-Modern movement. He retired from his firm in 2012. Below is the Vanna Venturi home he designed for his mother.
Charles and his wife and collaborator Ray Eames are considered one of the most important American designers of the 20th Century. The Eames chair (pictured here) is a classic design that is still popular and in production. He made modernism acceptable to non-elite Americans. His driving principal was a life made better through design and technology.
Sambo Mockbee was an incredible man, architect and humanitarian. He started at a early age challenging racism and poverty in the South. Living in rural Hale County Alabama which had and has extreme poverty right at his door step. He did beautiful homes for wealthy clients. Unfortunately, Sambo died young but prior to his death started the Rural Studio where architecture students actually design and build affordable housing for the working poor. The wonderful thing is that the Rural Studio continues to educate young architects on giving back to the community. I had the extreme privilege of knowing Sambo and find it wonderful how his good work is continuing without him. The painful reminders of recent events with racism shows us that we have a good deal of work ahead of us. Lets hope his good works will inspire others to overcome racism, poverty and provide a legacy of understanding for the future.
Here is a home he designed for a client of means. Below it is a home for a poor Hale County native showing how you can give great design to everyone.
Louis Sullivan is one of the most influential of the Chicago Architects. Here is an example of his James Charnley House in Chicago circa 1892.