Inside the archives of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown
Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown – two of the world's most influential living architects – are notorious for challenging Mies van der Rohe's ‘Less is More' mantra with ‘Less is a Bore', and leading the Post-Modernist movement with Venturi's manifesto, ‘Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture'. Now a rare insight into the couple's design philosophy is available at the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts in Chicago, where a series of their research photographs and films from the late 1960s is currently on show.
Taken from their archives, the material is part of the pair's investigation into the Las Vegas strip, which was to prove a big influence on their later work. Their fresh way of examining the city - the influence of popular culture, advertising, film and the experience of the built environment from a moving car – was as revolutionary as their findings, which were published in the legendary 1972 book, Learning from Las Vegas.
‘Their approach to looking at and thinking about the city was unprecedented,' says Graham Foundation director and curator Sarah Herda. ‘Their formulation of architectural research remains vital and influential to generations of architects.'
Still very active in the architecture field, Venturi and Scott Brown are currently working on a building for the Curtis Institute of Music and an extension to the Woodmere Art Museum, both in Philadelphia. The Graham Foundation exhibition – curated by Hilar Stadler and Martino Stierli in collaboration with artist Peter Fischli – provides an interesting look at what has shaped their inimitable careers.
ADDRESS
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts
Madlener House
4 West Burton Place
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Niceworkshop explores the cycle of industrial materials at Milan Design Week
Seoul-based Niceworkshop caught the design world’s attention with its inaugural collection dedicated to the humble bolt. Now, with its first solo showing at Capsule Plaza, the studio aims to disrupt the life cycle of industrial materials with an exploration into aluminium formwork
By Laura May Todd Published
-
The visual feast of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 is revealed
The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 winners have been revealed – we celebrate the Architecture & Design category’s visual artists
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
‘London Estates’ surveys the architecture and influence of the capital’s council-built homes
‘London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946-1981’, a new book by FUEL, is the perfect place to start for inspiration on how architecture can improve every sector of society
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
By Olorunfemi Adewuyi Published
-
Is this the shape of wellness architecture to come?
Explore the future of wellness architecture through trends and case studies – from a Finnish sauna restaurant to UK cabins and a calming Canadian vet clinic
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Restored former US embassy in Oslo brings Eero Saarinen’s vision into the 21st century
The former US embassy in Oslo by Finnish American modernist Eero Saarinen has been restored to its 20th-century glory and transformed for contemporary mixed use
By Giovanna Dunmall Published
-
Discover Dyde House, a lesser known Arthur Erickson gem
Dyde House by modernist architect Arthur Erickson is celebrated in a new film, premiered in Canada
By Hadani Ditmars Published