Architect Day: Richard Meier
GenCept
by GenCept | May 15, 2010
Photos from richardmeier.com.
Richard Meier was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 12th, 1934. He studied architecture in Cornell University, graduating in 1957.
“I believe that architecture has the power to inspire, to elevate the spirit, to feed both the mind and the body. It is for me the most public of the arts.”
Influences
After college, Meier worked in several architecture offices. In 1959, he worked briefly for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, after working for 3 years for Marcel Breuer.
In 1963 he started his own work in New York and already in 1972 was identified as one of The New York Five, together with Peter Eisenmanm, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey and John Hejduk.
Richard Meier was greatly influenced by architect Le Corbusier, using many of his ideas in his work. Mies Van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright were also extremely important for his career.
Works
Meier has a concept of designing very clear and his works are easily recognized. Over time one can see the consistency and dedication in his work which forms his philosophy in all works. His more recent works, however, show a greater refinement compared with his first projects.
Richard Meier has done countless residential projects, all with interesting variations on the theme while every solution maintaining a great aesthetic quality and functionality. In 1984 he received the Pritzker Prize, rewarding a great career and a great variety of work performed.
“White is the most wonderful color because within it you can see all the colors of the rainbow. The whiteness of white is never just white; it is almost always transformed by light and that which is changing; the sky, the clouds, the sun and the moon.”