Renowned Architect Peter Eisenman Speaks at RE Seminar
On February 19th, The Cornell Program in Real Estate welcomed renowned architect Peter Eisenman to campus as part of the Cornell Real Estate Industry Thursday night seminar series. In the 1980’s Mr. Eisenman was a prominent figure in the deconstructionist architectural movement, a style based in reassessment of traditional definitions of architecture and known for its fragmented and seemly disjointed forms.
Eisenman’s work, however, transcends any simple classification of form or style. Eisenman’s work is a unique blend of modern philosophy, theory, social commentary and architecture. Mr. Eisenman holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University, a Master of Science in Architecture degree from Columbia University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Cambridge University (UK). He holds three honorary Doctorates of Fine Arts, from the University of Illinois, Chicago, the Pratt Institute in New York, and Syracuse University. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Architecture by the Università La Sapienza in Rome. He also was the Arthur Rotch Professor of Architecture from 1982 to 1985.
Eisenman has designed award-wining urban design projects, innovative facilities for educational institutions, and a series of inventive private houses. In 1967, Mr. Eisenman founded the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS), an international think tank for architecture in New York, and served as its director until 1982. Prior to establishing a full-time architectural practice in 1980, Mr. Eisenman worked as an independent architect, educator, and theorist. Mr. Eisenman has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Arnold W. Brunner Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Mr. Eisenman’s lecture on February 19th at the Real Estate Industry Seminar covered a range of topics on architecture that were especially relevant to future real estate professionals. One such topic included a discussion of the important role bold, new Architecture plays in the enhancement of communities quality of life. Citing Frank Gehry’s famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, Eisenman described numerous positive economic, social and political benefits realized over the past 12 years due to cultural tourist desire to experience the architecture of the museum. The positive economic impacts of University of Phoenix Stadium, one of Eisenman’s most recently completed project in Glendale, Arizona, was also discussed in detail.
In addition to existing architectural projects, Mr. Eisenman also discussed the architectural plans he and three other New York City architects (Richard Meier, Charles Gwathmey and Steven Holl) submitted for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site. While their plan was not selected as the winning plan, the merits of bold 5-tower design were clearly evident.
Eisenman’s lecture to the Program in Real Estate faculty, staff and students was a memorable one which provided insights from a industry leading, world-renowned architect on the importance role Architecture plays in the culture, economics and history of real estate development.