Stars: They’re Just Like Us

In 1896 New York State proposed legislature to limit the height of new building construction in New York City. John Carrere wrote a letter on behalf of the SBAA asking for member feedback in order to send a representative to Albany to advocate for or against the bill.

A letter from Ernest Flagg acting as chairman of the Committee on Building Code Revision of the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects

Ernest Flagg’s plan for zoning and building height, proposed by the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects in conjunction with the American Institute of Architecture.

Competition drawings were judged anonymously, with each drawing noted with a symbol rather than a name. Robert Venturi entered the 1949 Paris Prize competition but did not win.

The Society des Architectes Diplomes par le Gouvernment, a subgroup of the National Institute of Architectural Education, would customarily bestow a medal of honor at their yearly dinner. The 1950 recipient was Robert Moses.

A telegraph from Louis Kahn to say that he was running late to a competition jury session

In 1957 the National Institute for Architectural Education organized its own international exhibition, a showing of architectural student’s work. The exhibition attracted a wide range of patrons from across the industry and all over the world.

“In this day and age, the world is very small and every effort should be made for a mutual understanding of people and their purpose.”

Louis Skidmore gives enthusiastic support to the National Institute of Architectural Education’s international exhibition of student work.

Aaron Copland gladly consented to have his name included as a patron of the National Institute of Architectural Education's international exhibition.

A letter from Frank Lloyd Wright consenting to have his name included as a patron of the National Institute of Architectural Education's international exhibition of student work.

A letter from Walter Gropius granting the National Institute of Architectural Education permission to list him as a patron of the international exhibition.

Philip Johnson declined his patronage to the international exhibition as he was already associated with architectural exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art at the time.

Lewis Mumford consenting to have his name included as a patron of the National Institute of Architectural Education's international exhibition of student work.

“I have several ideas about what U.S. student work should be represented and there is neither the time for the exhibition nor the time on my part to go into this at present.”

A letter from Eero Saarinen declining patronage to the international exhibition, suggesting discontent with the state of architectural education.

A letter from Richard Neutra inquiring as to the role of patron, which he later accepted.

A formal invitation to Ada Huxtable of the New York Times to be a juror for the 1988 Van Alen Prize

For an institution with 125 years of history, it is not surprising that a few famous names have passed through our doors. The likes of Peter Eisenman and Robert Venturi have entered our competitions. Others have been board members, patrons, or competition jurors. These stars are just like us. They overbook themselves, run late, and ask necessary questions regarding their responsibilities. The correspondences in this collection show the humanity of some of the greatest architectural minds of the past century.

In 1957 the National Institute of Architectural Education (NIAE) organized an international exhibition that showcased architectural student work. Many of the star architects in this series are responding to requests to lend their patronage to the exhibition.