Peter Eisenman
Peter Eisenman is a prominent American architect and one of the foundational theorists of postmodern architecture. Born on August 12, 1932, in Newark, New Jersey, he pursued his architectural studies at Cornell University, Columbia University, and the University of Cambridge. Eisenman is known for his innovative and often controversial designs, which challenge traditional functionalist principles. Notably, he designed the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, a poignant tribute that has garnered international acclaim.
Throughout his career, Eisenman has been a significant figure in architectural education, teaching at esteemed institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. He was a leading member of the New York Five, a group that focused on theoretical architecture and was influenced by Le Corbusier's ideas. His works, such as House I, House II, and House VI, exemplify his unique approach, incorporating complex geometries and non-functional elements that provoke thought about the nature of architectural form.
Eisenman has authored several influential texts on architecture, contributing to both its literary and technical evolution. His impact on the field has been recognized with awards, including the National Design Award for Architecture in 2001, and he continues to influence contemporary architectural discourse.
Peter Eisenman
American architect
- Born: August 12, 1932
- Place of Birth: Newark, New Jersey
Education: Cornell University; Columbia University; University of Cambridge
Significance: Peter Eisenman is one the founding theorists of postmodern architecture and the architect of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe site.
Background
Peter Eisenman was born on August 12, 1932 in Newark, New Jersey. Eisenman came from a middle-class family. As a child, Eisenman attended Columbia High School, located in Maplewood, New Jersey. Eisenman enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and decided to pursue architectural studies. Eisenman studied under the notable architectural historian, critic, theoretician, and teacher Colin Rowe. Rowe encouraged Eisenman to reexamine the origins of modern architecture, in particular the earlier works of French architect Le Corbusier. This approach to the concepts and designs of Le Corbusier would serve as the foundation of Eisenman’s early architectural philosophy. After giving up his spot on the swim team at Cornell to dedicate all his energies to architecture, he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in architecture in 1955. Eisenman also received the Charles G. Sands Memorial Medal, which was awarded for exceptional merit for his senior thesis. After a brief stint as an apprentice, Eisenman enrolled in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in New York City, and he graduated with a master of architecture degree in 1960. Eisenman continued his education in England when he enrolled at the University of Cambridge. It was there that he studied art and graduated first with an MA degree in 1962 and then with a postdoctoral degree in 1963.
In 1960, Eisenman started designing private houses and urban projects. Between the years 1963 and 1967, he collaborated with another American architect, Michael Graves, and they formed a partnership. Eisenman established the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York City in 1967. From 1973 to 1982, he was editor in chief of the Institute’s publication, Oppositions. In 1987, he formed his own architectural firm—Eisenman Architects—and he immediately received job offers from firms in the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Eisenman has also taught at Cambridge University, Princeton University, Yale University, and Ohio State University. From 1982 to 1985, he was the Arthur Rotch Professor of Architecture at Harvard University, and in 1993, he was the Eliot Noyes Visiting Design Critic at Harvard. Eisenman was the first Irwin S. Chanin Distinguished Professor of Architecture at Cooper Union in New York City, and also a visiting professor at Princeton University. In 2007, Eisenman received an honorary degree from Syracuse University’s School of Architecture.
Life’s Work
In 1963, Eisenman returned to the United States. He worked in New York City and then began to teach as an assistant professor at Princeton University in the School of Architecture. In 1964, he was one of the founding members of CASE—Conference of Architects for the Study of the Environment. Eisenman quickly gained prominence as a member of the New York Five. The New York Five was a group of architects—Michael Graves, Charles Moore, Richard Meier, John Hejduk—but for all intents and purposes, Eisenman was the leader of the group. The members of the New York Five focused primarily on theory, and their work was considered to be an homage that was derived Le Corbusier’s ideas. This period did help them define their individual styles, and Eisenman eventually became more affiliated with the deconstructivist movement. The New York Five put on many exhibitions, and in 1967, Eisenman, in collaboration with Michael Graves and Daniel Perry, proposed an urban megastructure for the renewal of Harlem. This project was the centerpiece of the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibit titled "The New City: Architecture and Urban Renewal."
Eisenman’s prominence increased further as his designs began to be built: House I in Princeton, New Jersey (1968); House II in Hardwick, Vermont (1970); and House VI in Cornwall, Connecticut (1975). These houses were designed using Eisenman’s take on modernism’s rigid geometry and rectangular plans. Eisenman added his own theoretical flair by designing never-ending stairways and columns that served no particular purpose in the structure. This annulled the functionalist concept of modernism.
Eisenman founded his own professional practice in New York in 1980, and he was given the job of designing several major projects, including the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University in Columbus in 1983, the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio in 1993, and the Aronoff Center for Design and Art at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio in 1996. Eisenman has been criticized for his design flaws. For example, the Wexner Center had to be retrofitted and required extensive and expensive repairs. In the 1970s, he designed a house for clients Richard and Suzanne Frank, which was named House VI. The house went over budget and was beleaguered by design failings that made the house structurally unsound.
The most famous of Eisenman’s designs are the award-winning Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (2005) in Berlin and the University of Phoenix Stadium (2006) in Glendale, Arizona. Eisenman won the National Design Award for Architecture from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in 2001. In 2020, Eisenman published Lateness, in which he proposes a different perspective on form and time in arhcitecture. In 2024, Eisenman was the oldest teaching and practicing architect in the world.
Impact
Eisenman has contributed significantly to the literary field of architecture and its technical evolution. Some of his more prominent and influential books are Diagram Diaries (1999), Eisenman Inside Out: Selected Writings (2004), and Peter Eisenman: Barefoot on White-Hot Walls (2005).
Personal Life
Eisenman married Cynthia C. Davidson, the editor-in-chief of Inland Architect magazine in Chicago, on November 11, 1990, and they have two children together.
Bibliography
Akin, Didar. "Deconstructing Deconstruction: The Architectural Philosophy of Peter Eisenman." Parametric Architecture, 12 Apr. 2024, parametric-architecture.com/deconstructing-deconstruction-the-architectural-philosophy-of-peter-eisenman/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.
Eisenman, Peter. Written into the Void: Selected Writings, 1990–2004. New Haven: Yale UP, 2007. Print.
Frampton, Kenneth. Modern Architecture: A Critical History. London: Thames and Hudson, 1992. Print.
"Peter Eisenman." Alchetron.com. Alchetron, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://alchetron.com/Peter-Eisenman-521455-W>.
"Presidential Lectures: Peter Eisenman: Essays: Biography." Presidential Lectures: Peter Eisenman: Essays: Biography. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <https://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/eisenman/bio.html>.
Sharp, Dennis. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture. New York: Quatro, 1991. Print.
Zukowsky, John. "Peter Eisenman: American architect." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Eisenman>.