Richard Meier. Saltzman House and Bronx Developmental Center

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Richard Meier, as one of the most noted architects in the late twentieth century, is a man who understands that architecture is more than an implementation of design. There is much thought that goes into the design of a project. There is an entire philosophy in fact, and Richard Meier understands that architecture is meant to do more than affect, inspire, and intrigue. His philosophy is much more abstract than that. Any inspiration from a project comes first from analyzing the entire program and implementing a response to the issues at hand, thus creating a wonderfully thought out demonstration of architecture.

Richard Meier was born in Newark, New Jersey in the year 1934. He was educated in architecture at Cornell University in New York and graduated in 1957. Upon graduation, Meier worked for world-renowned architectural firms such as Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill and Marcel Breuer. Even though he has worked with such highly noted architects and firms, his work, especially in house design, is highly regarded as being influenced by Le Corbusier. This is not only because of Meier's decision to use white for his exteriors, but also because of the similarities in the overall design of the houses. In many ways, one can see Le Corbusier's five points (those being the use of pilotes, roof gardens, free/open plan, free façade, and strip windows) very clearly in Meier's house designs, but implemented in a much more modern, compositional way.

This comparison between Meier and Le Corbusier can be seen most appropriately in Meier's earliest house designs, especially in his design for the Saltzman House in East Hampton, New York. The Saltzman House, designed and built between 1967 to 1969, is a formal display of modernism...

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...ow of space and for light. From Le Corbusier comes the inspiration that interior and exterior space can be well defined. Meier takes these small, yet profound inspirations and creates astonishing designs and programs through his own, unique philosophy. Without doubt, Meier's philosophy is successful, through form, function, and aesthetics.

Bibliography

Diamonstein, Barbaralee. American Architecture Now. Rizzoli International Publications, 1980, pp. 103-122.

Meier, Richard. Richard Meier. Architect. Rizzoli International Publications, 1984,

Thorndike, Joseph. Three Centuries of Notable American Architects. Text by Paul Goldberger. American Heritage Publishing, 1981, pp. 318-341.

Five Architects: Eisenman/Graves/Gwathmey/Hejduk/Meier. Wittenborn and Co., 1972, pp. 111-133.

Curtis, William J. R. Modern Architecture Since 1900. Phaidon Press, 1996.

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