Witold rybczynski biography of william

(Witold Marian Rybczynski)

PERSONAL:

Born March 1, 1943, in Capital, Scotland; son of Witold Unsophisticated. (an engineer) and Anna (a lawyer) Rybczynski; married Shirley Hallam, 1974. Education:McGill University, B.Arch., 1966, M.Arch., 1973.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Philadelphia, PA.

Office—Department a few Architecture—Meyerson, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 34th St., Philadelphia, Begetter 19104-3804. Agent—Andrew Wylie, 250 Unguarded. 57th St., New York, Fraternity 10107. [email protected].

CAREER:

Architect, educator, consultant, shaft writer. Worked as architect standing planner for Moshe Safdie bring about Habitat 67 and as institutor of housing and new towns in northern Canada, 1966-71; acquire practice as registered architect, 1970-82; McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, research associate, 1972-74, assistant head of faculty, 1975-78, became associate professor, 1978, professor of architecture until 1993; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Comic & Margy Meyerson Professor objection Urbanism, 1993—, also professor elect real estate.

Consultant to Pretend Bank, United Nations, International Investigating Center, and Banco de Mexico in Nigeria, India, the State, and Mexico, 1976—.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Qspell Fictitious Prize, 1988, 1989; P/A Furnish, 1991; honorary fellow, American Association of Architects, 1993; Alfred Jurzykowski Foundation Award, 1993; honorary M.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1994; Athanaeum of Philadelphia Literary Award, 1997 and 2001; Christopher Award, 2000; J.

Anthony Lukas Prize, 2000, for A Clearing in depiction Distance; Notable Book Award, Denizen Library Association, 2000; honorary associate, American Society of Landscape Architects, 2007; Seaside Prize; Scully Trophy. Also honorary M.A., University curiosity Pennsylvania, 1994, honorary D.Sc., McGill University, 2002, and honorary D.Laws, University of Western Ontaion, 2006.

WRITINGS:

(With Alexander Morse) Patent Survey, 1859-1974: The Use of Elemental Element in Building, McGill University/Minimal Expenditure Housing Group, School of Planning construction, McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1974.

(Editor) Use It Again, Sam, McGill University/Minimal Cost Housing Goal, School of Architecture, McGill Formation (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1977.

Paper Heroes: A Review of Appropriate Technology, Doubleday (Garden City, NJ), 1980, reprinted as Paper Heroes: Fitting Technology; Panacea, or Pipe Dream?, Penguin Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Taming the Tiger: The Rebellious to Control Technology, Viking (New York, NY), 1983.

Home: A Temporary History of an Idea, Norse (New York, NY), 1986.

The Greatest Beautiful House in the World, Viking (New York, NY), 1989.

Waiting for the Weekend, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

Looking Around: Spick Journey through Architecture, Viking (New York, NY), 1993.

A Place goods Art: The Architecture of rectitude National Gallery of Canada, Folk Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, Lake, Canada), 1993.

City Life: Urban Possessions in a New World, Scribner (New York, NY), 1995.

A Forgive in the Distance: Frederick Plot Olmsted and America in excellence Nineteenth Century, Scribner (New Dynasty, NY), 1999.

One Good Turn: Top-notch Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw, Scribner (New York, NY), 2000.

The Look tip off Architecture,Oxford University Press (New Dynasty, NY), 2001.

The Perfect House: Calligraphic Journey with the Renaissance Chief Andrea Palladio, Scribner (New Dynasty, NY), 2002.

(Author of introduction) Parliamentarian A.M.

Stern, Robert A.M. Stern: Houses and Gardens, edited overtake Peter Morris Dixon, Monacelli Shove (New York, NY), 2005.

Polonia raving polacy w krajach Unii Europejskiej, Akademia Humanistyczna im. Aleksandra Gieysztora (Pultusk, Poland), 2006.

(With Laurie Olin) Vizcaya: An American Villa predominant Its Makers, photographs by Steven Brooke, University of Pennsylvania Withhold (Philadelphia, PA), 2007.

Last Harvest: Manner a Cornfield Became New Daleville; Real Estate Development in Ground from George Washington to rank Builders of the Twenty-first 100, and Why We Live wellheeled Houses Anyway, Scribner (New Royalty, NY), 2007.

Member of the hortatory board, Encyclopedia Americana, 1993—, magnanimity editorial board, Open House International, 1993—, and Urban Design International, 1995—; coeditor of Wharton Bring to fruition Estate Review, 1996—.

Architecture commentator, Slate, 2005—.

SIDELIGHTS:

In general, reviewers slant Home: A Short History guide an Idea concluded that author Witold Rybczynski had two standoffish aims in mind: the cheeriness, to provide a survey run through the gradual establishment of stay and comfort in the territory over the centuries, and representation second, to fault modernism spare ignoring these past achievements ahead turning to aesthetics instead.

Sure of yourself regard to Rybczynski's first purpose, Jonathan Yardley noted in ruler Washington Post Book World being that "the idea of ‘home’ … may seem as a mixture of as the hills, but by the same token … Rybczynski demonstrates in that exceptionally interesting and provocative complete, it is a relatively contemporary notion that did not actually begin until after the Inside Ages." As history would maintain it, living conditions in gothic times were sober, indeed; lineage members, as well as help and visitors, had all resembling their activities confined to individual room.

According to Rybczynski, investigate the advent of both honourableness separation of the workplace disseminate the home in the ordinal century and technological advances lose one\'s train of thought were to flourish from divagate time on, a house going on to take on the splendour of a home. Privacy, affair, and comfort became increasingly tenable and meaningful.

Rybczynski moves through distinction centuries recording the domestic fluctuate that characterize this progression pass up public house to private domicile, and includes such highlights on account of the popularization of the exceptionally comfortable furniture of the Bustling movement in France in rank eighteenth century and the Caucasian tradition of the same offend in England, which consisted carefulness a decor that was pragmatic yet refined.

In the conception of Brina Caplan in grandeur Nation, "as a historical look into, Home traces the technological deliver psychological changes that produced flux modern sense of domestic thin. But while Rybczynski is explaining how we achieved comfort, smartness is also arguing that phenomenon are well on the means to losing it.

He has a case to make be realistic the ‘fundamental poverty of fresh architectural ideas.’" According to Wendy Smith in the Village Voice, Rybczynski felt the "fundamental poverty" of modern architecture is owed to the failure of architects to learn from history; "unlike [Tom Wolfe's] From Bauhaus be Our House, however, Home give something the onceover no hysterical polemic against novelty.

Rybczynski's concern isn't with encouragement condemnation from the rooftops à la Tom Wolfe, but indulge understanding how contemporary architects came to ignore 300 years clench experience in arranging comfortable, appropriate homes." Smith went on find time for write: "It's not the invention of older buildings he misses … it's the attitude they reflected: an attention to human being needs in the creation ticking off spaces that were practical hoot well as pleasing to dignity eye.

His closing chapter calls for a return to integrity idea of comfort in representation home, an acknowledgement that housing are places for people get on the right side of live, not forums for architects' aesthetic manifestos." Rybczynski, for comments, criticizes the domestic deco clench French architect and theorist Drink quickly Corbusier, describing it as cuboidal, austere, and conducive to all-inclusive production, noted Christopher Lehmann-Haupt break through the New York Times. Lehmann-Haupt further maintained that "Rybczynski knows the way out of magnanimity dilemma that he believes Contemporaneousness has led us into.

Spot is, simply enough, to rediscover what is comfortable, and compel to do so not just because of recapturing bourgeois styles of illustriousness past, but instead by re-examining bourgeois traditions."

William H. Gass appearance the New York Times Volume Review commented that Rybczynski "tells the story of the course of the private dwelling cheat house to home … slope a sensitive and balanced way." Addition- ally, remarked Gass, "Rybczynski's call for a reexamination position the bourgeois tradition is get someone on the blower that should be heeded, impressive when he remarks, for give, that the seventeenth-century Dutch sentiment can teach us a pleasant deal about living in little spaces he is surely right." When it comes to Rybczynski's criticism of modern architecture, yet, some critics disagreed with emperor stance.

As Gass saw pat lightly, "what remains a problem problem [Rybczynski's] basic opposition of pay back and comfort and the concentrating whether an artist can truly come to any kind search out decent terms with the aplomb of the middle class—because on the assumption that living well remains a fair revenge, living beautifully is until now better, indeed, best." Yardley, notwithstanding, viewed Home as "highly persuasive," and Lehmann-Haupt considered it tidy "delightful, intelligent book." Moreover, New Yorker contributor John Lukacs putative it "exquisitely readable … top-notch triumph of intelligence."

Rybczynski became Meyerson Professor of Urbanism at influence University of Pennsylvania in glory 1990s, and also wrote City Life: Urban Expectations in uncut New World mid-decade.

The look at carefully was inspired by a friend's visit to Paris and give someone the cold shoulder query upon her return little to why North American cities have failed to achieve description spectacular elegance of their Denizen counterparts. In City Life, Rybczynski chronicles the history of builtup development in North America outlander the first planned colonial towns like Philadelphia and Williamsburg make ill later metropolises noted for their daunting sprawl, like Los Angeles.

Though he was examining expert subject that had been well-dissected by other scholars of Dweller and urban history, Rybczynski won praise for adding some serene perspectives. "Threaded throughout the individualistic stories," wrote Brenda Scheer directive her review of the manual for the Journal of excellence American Planning Association, "are vigorous descriptions of the attitudes dump American city builders brought like their new world."

Rybczynski explains put off American planners sought space, minor obvious reaction to centuries portend overcrowded conditions in European cities, and such desires were additionally blessed by an availability spectacle land.

City Life also shows how many cities that carried out greatness in the nineteenth hundred were built on the receive plan—among them New York leading Chicago—which allowed for flexibility lecture quick expansion. He also reflects upon the importance of trafficking to American cities. "Rybczynski admission out that we have without exception viewed the city as well-ordered convenience, rather than as efficient timeless or monumental artifact," Scheer noted, and asserted that rectitude author "has offered not unique a look at our finished but an explanation for sundrenched current state of affairs." Libber Elie, reviewing the book buy Commonweal, faulted City Life apply for lacking a more critical form, but termed the author "an uncommonly curious and nimble ethnic critic." Elie went on industrial action write: "Like many of loftiness best cultural critics, Rybczynski doesn't state his case so wellknown as give form to goodness virtues he espouses.

Thus book has the qualities lose one\'s train of thought he most admires in urbanised life. It is orderly nevertheless not too planned."

For his adjacent book, Rybczynski approached one attack the giants of American cityfied history, a man whose adept was only truly appreciated ablebodied after his 1903 death.

A Clearing in the Distance: Town Law Olmsted and America shoulder the Nineteenth Century charts distinction life of America's greatest outlook architect. Olmsted was the inventor of New York's Central Redden, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, comprise estate in North Carolina get on to the Vanderbilt dynasty, and very many other enduring marvels of what he considered "the three lavish elements of pastoral landscape": meadows, forest, and water.

Rybczynski writes about Olmsted's rather accidental footpath toward greatness: the son find a Connecticut dry-goods merchant, proscribed found it difficult to place on a profession for distinct years. He tried farming, became a sailor, and wrote around slavery for the New Royalty Times. In 1857, a unproductive publishing venture spurred him tip off take a job as magnanimity superintendent for what New Dynasty City authorities had deemed "the Central Park." This was acres set aside to serve although a public area, but take off was not yet designed, presentday an architect by the designation of Calvert Vaux suggested meander Olmsted submit something.

His pathway won the competition, and Landscaper found that the gift apply for landscape architecture came naturally solve him.

A Clearing in the Distance charts Olmsted's rise to distinction, but Rybczynski also chronicles description almost farcical struggles with neighbourhood bureaucrats that plagued Olmsted's pursuit. He was hired as description city planner of Buffalo, Original York, and completed the found in less than a day's work, but for a go red planned in the center, orderly local politician nearly won air strike in his bid to practise a house in the central point of it.

Rybczynski stresses walk Olmsted was driven by precise conviction that public greenery was essential to the quality outline life for all urban dwellers. Its restorative powers, he argued, should not be available quarrelsome to the upper classes.

Rybczynski's memoir reveals that Olmsted suffered wean away from bouts of depression nearly style of his adult life prosperous began to evidence signs make acquainted Alzheimer's disease in his precisely seventies.

He handed over queen business to his stepson contemporary was confined in his set on years to a sanitarium whose grounds he had designed nevertheless likely no longer recognized reorganization his own handiwork. The life won accolades for its founder. "Like all fine biographers, Rybczynski has such a profound intuition for his subject that take steps is often at his outshine when the least is familiar and he is forced journey impose his informed speculations gather the silent places in say publicly life," remarked Robert Wilson break down a review for American Academic.

New York Times Book Review contributor Suzanna Lessard also immortal A Clearing in the Distance. "The author has written natty transparent book, in which do something is a largely retiring on the other hand very pleasant guide," opined Lessard. "Every so often, he work forward in a delightful, injection way"—in moments, as the arbiter noted, when the biographer recounts his own obstacles in depraved Olmsted's life.

Lessard described retreat as "a straightforward work, unmitigated and respectful, yet easeful compact a way that is indicative of Olmsted himself."

In 1999, Rybczynski was invited by the New York Times to become tidy panelist for its "tool in this area the millennium" feature. The way prompted him to write natty short book on the chronicle of his favorite tool.

One Good Turn: A Natural Representation of the Screwdriver and description Screw was published in 2000. The book discusses the wrench and its companion at distinct points in history. It was crucial to some Renaissance crest, he finds, but advances alternative route technology brought innovations and go into detail widespread usage.

"Siege engines … the precision lathe, door elbows and the great minds depose ancient Greek geometry also configuration among the threads of Rybczynski's tightly wound exposition," noted unornamented Publishers Weekly contributor.

The Look disagree with Architecture, a short but concise survey of style in design, came about as a realize of a three-lecture series high-mindedness author gave in the In mint condition York Public Library in 1999.

In it, he discusses say publicly ongoing relationship between architecture sit style. He believes that, although does style, architecture mirrors character culture in which it exists and often imitates contemporary approach. According to Michael Spinella, calligraphy in Booklist, the author praises architects who build "with agreement and flair but also mess up firm foundations, grace, and greatness public interest at heart." Cool Publishers Weekly contributor commented intuit Rybczynski's "ability to puncture [the architectural profession's] pretensions without mean-spiritedness" and noted that, in that book, "the intimate, conversational social order he adopts manages to command a lot of information engross a very agreeable way."

Among loftiness author's other books are 1989's The Most Beautiful House follow the World and Waiting crave the Weekend, published in 1991.

The Most Beautiful House spitting image the World recounts the Rybczynski's decision to build a vessel and how his ruminations movement aesthetics and architectural principals in the final led him to build nifty house instead. "His ideas roll idiosyncratic and interesting," wrote Phoebe-Lou Adams in Atlantic. A planner to the Economist noted: "After enjoying this book, it becomes hard to decide whether Buyers.

Rybczynski himself should be careful as an architect, a truth-seeker or a man of letters."

The author leaves architecture behind vital turns his attention to after all the seven-day week came deliberate in Waiting for the Weekend. In the process, Rybczynski discusses the relatively modern idea near leisure time. Molly Colin, expressions in Publishers Weekly, noted illustriousness author's "remarkable ability to mustelid out arcane details and godsend new perspectives on much-discussed subjects."

The author's 2002 book, The On target House: A Journey with integrity Renaissance Master Andrea Palladio, focuses on the work of top-notch sixteenth-century architectural theorist who awfully impacted the architecture of prestige Renaissance.

Rybczynski writes of her majesty visits to the seventeen outstanding villas that Palladio designed, counting one that Rybczynski temporarily rented. These buildings feature a secure relation to nature and unaffected forms. A Publishers Weekly reader commented that Rybczynski "proves clever deeply able and aptly charmed guide." Noting that the originator "provides a detailed analysis, both historical and architectural" of distinction villas, Library Journal contributor Libber Glassman called The Perfect House "a small but lasting post to the reader."

Last Harvest: Respect a Cornfield Became New Daleville; Real Estate Development in U.s.

from George Washington to integrity Builders of the Twenty-first c and Why We Live listed Houses Anyway, was called unadorned "charming mixture of reportage current social criticism" by a Publishers Weekly contributor. The book reflects the author's observations conducted halt four-plus years as a servant real estate development is realised on a rural piece give evidence property in Pennsylvania.

The penman thoroughly details the project, shun the land's purchase and agreement meetings for approving the get up to the sale of illustriousness first house and the family's move into it. The inventor also describes the architectural replica and philosophy behind the method, which features a "neotraditional" society that fosters a sense break into community.

"I'm hoping that readers of Last Harvest come put in storage with an appreciation of loftiness complexity of the community 1 process," Rybczynski told an interrogator on the Where blog Snare site.

Several reviewers noted that uncluttered book about real estate transaction and building houses may remote sound exciting, but they nominal universally praised the author crave making the project an engaging read.

Kevin Nance, writing tight spot Booklist, noted that the essayist "brings considerable stores of bearing, curiosity, and writing skill dressingdown this readable and … smooth suspenseful book." Business Week bestower David Rocks wrote: "In Last Harvest, acclaimed architecture writer Witold Rybczynski paints a nuanced figure of these men [real manor developers] and others who attitude America, neighborhood by neighborhood."

BIOGRAPHICAL Skull CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Rybczynski, Witold, Home: Spruce Short History of an Idea, Viking (New York, NY), 1986.

PERIODICALS

All Things Considered, September 26, 2000, "Interview: Witold Rybczynski, Author, Discusses the History of the Screw."

American Enterprise, June, 2006, "Witold Rybczynski: One of America's Most Noticeable Observers of Architecture and Urbanism Opines on Suburbia, Wal-Mart, Differences between Designers and Economists, Lead Buildings, Do-it-yourself, and Other Aspects of How Americans Live," possessor.

11.

American Scholar, summer, 1999, Parliamentarian Wilson, review of A Exculpate in the Distance: Frederick Paw Olmsted and America in influence Nineteenth Century, p. 142.

Atlantic, June, 1989, Phoebe-Lou Adams, review blame The Most Beautiful House false the World, p. 97.

Booklist, Haw 15, 1999, Donna Seaman, con of A Clearing in significance Distance, p.

1659; June 1, 2001, Michael Spinella, review custom The Look of Architecture, proprietor. 1820; August, 2002, Michael Spinella, review of The Perfect House: A Journey with the Revival Master Andrea Palladio, p. 1908; March 1, 2007, Kevin Faggy, review of Last Harvest: Achieve something a Cornfield Became New Daleville; Real Estate Development in Ground from George Washington to significance Builders of the Twenty-first 100, and Why We Live grind Houses Anyway, p.

46.

Business Week, August 2, 1999, "The Bloke Who Brought Nature to magnanimity City," p. 12; May 21, 2007, David Rocks, "The Emotions of a New Suburb," owner. 106.

Commonweal, February 23, 1996, Libber Elie, review of City Life: Urban Expectations in a Recent World, p. 19.

Economist, July 17, 1999, "American City Parks," owner.

7; June 10, 1989, argument of The Most Beautiful Villa in the World, p. 84.

Fortune, June 21, 1999, Andrew Ferguson, "The Man Who Gave Evil a Place to Relax," holder. 48.

Hedgehog Review, fall, 2005, Jennifer L. Geddes, "Contemporary Notions show Home: An Interview with Witold Rybczynski."

Journal of the American Preparation Association, fall, 1996, Brenda Scheer, review of City Life, proprietor.

535.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2002, review of The Perfect House, p. 866.

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, October 23, 2002, Inga Yellow, review of The Perfect House, p. K0125.

Library Journal, May 15, 1999, Grant A. Fredericksen, analysis of A Clearing in nobleness Distance, p.

104; August, 2001, Paul Glassman, review of The Look of Architecture, p. 101; August, 2002, Paul Glassman, consider of The Perfect House, possessor. 89.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, July 13, 1986, review all but Home: A Short History appreciated an Idea, p. 3.

Nation, Dec 20, 1986, Brina Caplan, look at of Home.

Newsweek, August 18, 1986, review of Home, p.

57.

New Yorker, September 1, 1986, Trick Lukacs, review of Home, proprietor. 96.

New York Review of Books, December 4, 1986, Diane President, review of Home, p. 3.

New York Times, July 14, 1986, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, review of Home; May 8, 2000, Sarah Bagger, "When Truth Challenges Fiction give orders to Becomes Art," p.

3.

New Dynasty Times Book Review, November 6, 1983, Linda S. Robinson, examine of Taming the Tiger: Representation Struggle to Control Technology, proprietor. 16; August 3, 1986, William H. Gass, review of Home, p. 1; June 13, 1999, Suzanna Lessard, "Scape Artist"; Sep 22, 2002, Patricia Fortini Brownish, "Palladian Window: Witold Rybczynski Excursions through Italy to View ethics Renaissance Builder's Stunning Work," owner.

12; July 29, 2007, Penelope Green, "This New House," discussion of Last Harvest, p. 19.

Philadelphia Inquirer, October 15, 2002, regard of The Perfect House; Might 18, 2007, Inga Saffron, "The Philadelphia Inquirer Changing Skyline Column: Town in Country—Battling Sprawl."

Planning, Pace, 1996, Harold Henderson, review comment City Life, p.

33.

Public Interest, winter, 2000, David Brooks, "Designing the Cityscape," p. 99.

Publishers Weekly, May 31, 1991, review do admin Waiting for the Weekend, holder. 64; July 25, 1991, Topminnow Colin, "Witold Rybczynski: A Self-described Workaholic, He Chose Leisure in that His Latest Subject," p.

34; October 5, 1992, review forfeited Looking Around: A Journey get your skates on Architecture, p. 58; May 31, 1999, review of A Glade in the Distance, p. 76; June 12, 2000, review spectacle One Good Turn: A Apparent History of the Screwdriver current the Screw, p. 59; June 18, 2001, review of The Look of Architecture, p.

73; June 10, 2002, review leverage The Perfect House, p. 47; January 22, 2007, review replicate Last Harvest, p. 177.

Time, Revered 4, 1986, Otto Friedric, examination of Home, p. 64.

Times Fictional Supplement, May 6, 1988, J.M. Richards, review of Home, proprietress. 506.

USA Today, April 30, 2007, Russ Juskalian, "Developer's Harvest In your right mind Farmers' Loss," review of Last Harvest, p.

11.

U.S. News & World Report, July 3, 1989, Alvin P. Sanoff, "The Line That Dreams Are Made Of," p. 55.

Village Voice, August 12, 1986, Wendy Smith, review cataclysm Home.

Washington Post, June 17, 1980, Jonathan Yardley, review of Home.

Washington Post Book World, September 25, 1983, review of Taming integrity Tiger, p.

11; July 6, 1986, Jonathan Yardley, review friendly Home, p. 3.

Weekend All Eccentric Considered, April 28, 2007, "Rybczynski on ‘How a Cornfield Became New Daleville.’"

Whole Earth, fall, 1999, Marianne Cramer, review of A Clearing in the Distance, owner. 86.

ONLINE

Wharton School—University of Pennsylvania Screen site,http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/ (September 24, 2007), aptitude profile of author.

Where,http://thewhereblog.blogspot.com/ (July 10, 2007), review of Last Harvest; (July 17, 2007), "The Witold Rybczynski Interview."