The New York Five (Peter Eisenman, John Hejduk, Richard Meier, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey)

NEW YORK FIVE

INTRODUCTIONMUSEUM OF MODERN ARTFIVE ARCHITECTS PETER EISENMANMICHAEL GRAVES CHARLES GWATHMEYRICHARD MEIERJOHN QUENTIN HEJDUK

CONTENTSRefers to a group of fiveNew York Cityarchitects(Peter Eisenman,Michael Graves,Charles Gwathmey,John HejdukandRichard Meier) whose photographed work was the subject of a CASE (Committee of Architects for the Study of the Environment)meeting at theMuseum of Modern Art, organized byArthur DrexlerandColin Rowein 1969, These five had a common allegiance to a pure form of architecturalmodernism, harkening back to the work ofLe Corbusier.

INTRODUCTION

John Hejduk, the oldest of the five, is known as a pedagogue and the visionary composer of drawings, buildings, poetry, and theoretical writings from the mid-1950s on. Charles Gwathmey is known for his prolific practice (a partnership with Robert Siegel). While Gwathmey remained true to modernist style, the purity of his work is tempered by the evolving capital realities of corporate and public commissions. Meier is similarly prolific, yet known best for a continuous refinement of the purist voyage on which they initially embarked. Meier's buildings remain truest to the modernist aesthetic and especially to a neo-Corbusier form. Eisenman, the most printed writer of the five was perhaps the one who best navigated the line between theory and practice. And along with this navigation came infamy as a critic. Eisenman is famed for his associations withDeconstructivism.

MoMA is anart museuminMidtownManhattaninNew York City(on 53rd Street) between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collectingmodernist artIdentified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world.Offers an overview of modern and contemporary art,including works ofarchitectureanddesign,drawing, painting,sculpture,photography,prints,illustratedbooks andartist's books,film, andelectronic media.

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

MoMA's library and archives hold over 300,000 books, artist books, and periodicals, as well as individual files on more than 70,000 artists. The archives contain primary source material related to the history of modern andcontemporary art. It also houses a restaurant, The Modern, run byAlsace-born chef Gabriel Kreutzer.Born August 11,1932 anAmericanarchitect.Discovered architecture as an undergraduate atCornell Universityand gave up his position on the swimming team in order to immerse himself in the architecture program there. He received a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Cornell, a Master of Architecture Degree fromColumbia University'sGraduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from theUniversity of Cambridge. Also received an honorary degree fromSyracuse UniversitySchool of Architecturein 2007.

PETER EISENMAN

Born on July 9, 1934) An Americanarchitect, Indianapolis.Known first for his contemporary building designs and some prominent public commissionsDirects the firm Michael Graves & Associates, which has offices in Princeton and inNew York City. Graves and his firm have earned critical acclaim for a wide variety of commercial and residential buildings and interior designGraves was elected aFellowof theAmerican Institute of Architects(AIA) in 1979. In 1999 Graves was awarded theNational Medal of Arts, in 2001 theAIA Gold Medal, in 2010 theAIA Topaz Medal, and in 2012 theDriehaus Prize for Classical Architecture. He is also a Senior Fellow of theDesign Futures Council.In 2000 he designed the unique scaffolding used for the restoration of the Washington Monument in DC Concerned about Target's partnerships with other designers with less-successful outcomes, he explored other relationships to bring products to consumers.

MICHAEL GRAVES

Born on June 19, 1938 Charlotte.AnAmericanarchitect. One of Gwathmey most famous designs is the 1992 renovation ofFrank Lloyd Wright'sGuggenheim MuseuminNew York City.Gwathmey served as President of the Board of Trustees forThe Institute for Architecture and Urban Studiesand was elected a Fellow of theAmerican Institute of Architectsin 1981.

CHARLES GWATHMEY

Born 19 July 1929 An American architect, artist and educator ofCzechorigin who spent much of his life inNew York City,USA. Noted for his use of attractive and often difficult-to-construct objects and shapes; also for a profound interest in the fundamental issues of shape, organization, representation, and reciprocity.His early work and curriculum grew from a set of exercises exploring cubes, grids, and frames, through an examination of square grids placed within diagonal containers set against an occasional curving wall. JOHN QUENTIN HEJDUK

Born October 12, 1934) is an Americanabstract artistandarchitect, whose geometric designs make prominent use of the color whiteMeier worked forSkidmore, Owings and Merrillbriefly in 1959, and then forMarcel Breuerfor three years, prior to starting his own practice in New York in 1963. Identified as one ofThe New York Fivein 1972, his commission of theGetty Centerin Los Angeles, California catapulted his popularity into the mainstream. Richard Meier & Partners Architects has offices in New York and Los Angeles with current projects ranging from China and Tel Aviv to Paris and Hamburg.

RICHARD MEIER

Early in his career, Meier worked with artists such as painterFrank Stellaand favored structure that were white and geometric.Much of Meier's work builds on the work of architects of the early to mid-20th century, especially that ofLe Corbusierand, in particular, Le Corbusier early phase. Meier has built more using Corbusier ideas than anyone, including Le Corbusier]. Meier expanded many ideas evident in Le Corbusier work, particularly theVilla Savoyeand the Swiss Pavilion.

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