MANILA, Philippines - Who is the Italian-American architect considered a leader of the 20th-century Modern movement in architecture best known for his high-profile commissions like the Pan-Am Building?
He was born in Ancona, Italy, on August 18, 1899, growing up in his home country and serving in the Italian armed forces during World War I.
After the war, he studied in the University of Rome, earning a degree in civil engineering in 1922.
He moved to the US in 1922, despite speaking no English, and finished his education as an exchange student on a scholarship at Cornell University with a second degree in Civil Engineering. Instead of returning to Italy, he worked briefly as a mining engineer in Idaho, but then joined the architectural office of AE Doyle in Portland.
At Doyle’s office, he rose rapidly, soon becoming chief designer. After Doyle passed away in 1928, he became a partner in 1933 and by 1943, he took control of the firm by buying out all other partners.
In 1951, he became Dean of the Architecture and Planning School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a position he held until 1965. Upon accepting that position, he moved to Massachusetts and transferred his office in Portland to the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.
He emerged as a leader in the development of American Modern Architecture with the design of several buildings reflecting the influence of the International Style and his awareness of the technological opportunities of new materials. Most important was the Equitable Building (1944-27) in Portland, Oregon, a concrete-frame office block clad in aluminum, and considered the first office building with a completely sealed, air-conditioned environment.
Other notable works include the Pan-Am Building in 1963, 555 California Street in 1969, One Boston Place in 1970, the University of Virginia School of Architecture in 1970, the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in 1978-1983, One Financial Center in1983, and the US Bancorp Tower in 1983.
His churches and residences, however, differed from his commercial works. Although modern in design, they fit within the development of the Pacific Northwest regional modern idiom as they frequently used regional materials (particularly wood) and were often integrated with their suburban or rural sites. Some of these include the Sacred Heart Church in Lake Oswego, Oregon; St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Portland; the Central Lutheran Church in Oregon; the Temple B’rith Kodesh in New York, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in 1971, and the United Hebrew Congregation in Missouri.
In his 50 years of practice, he designed over 1,000 buildings. For his contributions to his profession, he was awarded the AIA Gold Medal, the highest award given by the institute and the National Medal for the Arts in 1991 for his lifetime achievements.
He died in Portland on February 14, 1994.
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