William Lescaze

William Edmond Lescaze ( born March 27, 1896 in Geneva, † February 9, 1969 in New York ) was an American architect of the "classical modernity".

Life

Lescaze was born in Switzerland and studied architecture in 1915 at Karl Moser at the Technische Hochschule in Zurich. He graduated in 1919, then he worked until 1920 in Paris by Henri Sauvage. In the same year he emigrated to the United States. After a short stay in Cleveland, he made in 1923 as a freelance architect in New York. In 1929 he met George Howe, with whom he worked until 1932, with Lescaze was responsible for the designs, while Howe was responsible for negotiations and contracts. By Howes previous work for the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society Bank, they were awarded the contract for the new high-rise bank in Philadelphia, which was completed in 1933. A photo of the unfinished building was built in 1932 in the exhibition Modern Architecture: International Exhibition shown by Henry - Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson at the MoMA in New York. Through this exhibition Lescaze was regarded as a leading architect of the International Style in the United States.

1931 Lescaze learned at the designs for the nursery of the Oak Lane Country School in Philadelphia know their headmaster William Curry. Curry shortly after became director of Dartington Hall School in England. He moved the founders of the school, in deliberate contrast to the restored medieval architecture of Dartington Hall to build the new school building in the style of Modern and sat through that Lescaze in the coming years, the High Cross House is a villa of the headmaster, several accommodation for teachers could build the Internatsbauten and management of Dartington. 1932 Lescaze separated from his business partner Howe. For himself he built in 1934 in New York, a residential and commercial building, where he lived until his death. Overall, he drew until his death in plans for more than 1,000 buildings, including several over 50 stories tall buildings. In addition, he still produced designs for furniture, lighting and tableware.

Important buildings

Publications

On Being an Architect, G. P. Putnam's, 1942