"As his reputation grew, his practice expanded to include buildings now considered landmarks: MCA, Saks Fifth Avenue, Palm Springs Tennis Club and Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building. The private residences he designed for leaders in business and entertainment became legendary: actor Bert Lehr, comedians Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, dancer Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, popular entertainer Frank Sinatra and the entrepreneurial Cord and Paley families. Residential design would remain an important part of his practice, but commercial, institutional and public commissions became increasingly significant as did his work beyond Southern California, across the nation and the world.
In the course of his five-decade career, Williams designed thousands of buildings, served on many municipal, state and federal commissions, was active in political and social organizations earning the admiration and respect of his peers. He frequently donated his time and skills to projects he believed furthered the health and welfare of young people, African Americans in Southern California and greater society. In 1957, he was the first African American elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects."
Marc Miller
Feb 11, 16 2:28 pm
Thank you B3ta.
b3tadine[sutures]
Feb 11, 16 2:34 pm
Marc, I wish I knew more about Paul's work, what I appreciate most, from what I've read, and seen on-line, is his amazing diversity of styles. Pinning him down to one style is absurd, yet, his work is so distinctly California, to me. Reading about how highly regarded he was, back in the 20's no less, admitted to the AIA in 1923, it makes me wonder why this profession is so lost when it comes to race and gender.
MyDream
Feb 11, 16 4:36 pm
This architect along with frank llyod wright were my greatest influence and are very dear to my heart what a great post....with reading it first ...
Marc Miller
Feb 11, 16 4:37 pm
It's a reflection of the culture at large.
Recall that Williams learned to draw upside down when talking to clients because some refused to stand behind or beside him. I'm not a historian, so I'm not entirely familiar with his career. But I've heard his career compared to FLW, in that he was able to adjust style and the nature of his practice as what mattered in architecture evolved (I likely will catch flack for suggesting this).
Marc Miller
Feb 11, 16 4:40 pm
MyDream,
My post went up before I saw your comment. Thanks for being yet another person to make these connections.
If there is anyone who like to know more about this great amazing architect and his unbelievable story here is a bio on YouTube. I have watched several times while going thru my first degree. This architect use to sketch upside down to not disgust his white clients, he was told that he would never become an architect by his teachers because he was black and was though no one white would hire a black architect, he design over three thousand designs and was once called the architect of the stars, and he was the FIRST African American to join the AIA. He is one of my greatest influences because I have made many mistakes in my life and am having trouble going thru my journey to licensure it is great to look at someone who also has gone thru barriers and succeeded if he can WHY CAN'T I.
geezertect
Feb 11, 16 4:44 pm
FLW would never admit he had a "style" or that what mattered in architecture could "evolve", but I take your point.
Love that mid-century stuff. The refined version was so elegantly simple, and the googie stuff was just plain fun. The junk done today just doesn't match it, IMHO.
Miles Jaffe
Feb 11, 16 5:10 pm
Wow.
Prolific, with a wide range of diverse work, often very nicely detailed.
TIQM
Feb 11, 16 6:43 pm
Williams was a very prolific architect here in Southern California from the 1020s until the 1960's. He also did a lot of this:
This is a "cranky" response and a stall until I have the time to assemble links.
The work is not what they built, but what they endured. In that respect, the artifact is not as relevant as their experiences. I can't post that.
citizen
Feb 27, 16 1:06 pm
Wow, talk about timing! I just clicked over from the Paul Williams Project's excellent website, where I was trying to find some info on his public service on LA city commissions. He was on the first planning commission (1921-1925), the housing commission (1935-1941), and the municipal arts commission (1953-1965). That's a long career of public service in addition to his thriving private practice.
ken robeert
Feb 27, 16 1:48 pm
I'm hoping that there will be an interview with his grand-daughter soon, she's written two books about his work.
citizen
Feb 27, 16 1:52 pm
I want to dig into the city archive for commission meeting minutes and reports to find what he had to say on planning and housing.
awaiting_deletion
Feb 27, 16 1:54 pm
Sklarek became the first black woman to be elected a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), in 1980.[1] In 1985, she became the first African-American female architect to form her own architectural firm: Siegel-Sklarek-Diamond, which was the largest woman-owned and mostly woman-staffed architectural firm in the United States.
Among Sklarek's designs are the San Bernardino City Hall in San Bernardino, California, the Fox Plaza inSan Francisco, and the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, Japan.[1][3]
.....on phone otherwise could post.
MyDream
Feb 27, 16 11:38 pm
^ I never heard of her Olaf thanks for your post I will give her a look. I am looking forward to see what I find and from what you put she must've been great and overlooked by many including me. Maybe she was a little sexist huh? At that time though, women must have needed to stick together.
MyDream
Feb 27, 16 11:39 pm
Norma Merrick Sklarek
awaiting_deletion
Feb 28, 16 2:49 pm
yes, Mydream that was from Marc's post, since he was cranky and didn't want to post all their work. ...so here you go
Fox Plaza
US Embassy Tokyo, JP (comes up under Cesar Peli)
Marc Miller
Feb 28, 16 2:59 pm
Olaf,
You forgot to say "whine," but I'm totally guilty. Thanks for stepping in.
Marc Miller
Mar 1, 16 9:24 am
I'll continue to post work, but here's some great news about Albert Cassell's Founders Library at Howard University.
MyDream
Mar 2, 16 12:15 am
Great posts Marc I learned a lot from this post. I'll be studying about Albert Cassell next, thanx for the informative info.
Marc Miller
Mar 2, 16 12:50 pm
My Dream,
Be sure to check out the whole family. It's an interesting story about about architects. Charles Cassell is still alive and advocating for voting rights in DC.
Marc Miller
Mar 2, 16 1:00 pm
I'm on a bit of a "Big Red" trend, so here's some work from Vertner Tandy.
Marc Miller
Mar 21, 16 8:15 pm
Hi all, just read this post from National Trust for Historic Preservation.
b3tadine[sutures]
Mar 21, 16 8:53 pm
"Before he was known as the architect to the stars, Paul R. Williams was a high school student in Los Angeles whose teacher advised him against pursuing a career in architecture. This teacher thought no one would want to hire an African-American architect. But Williams didn’t let that stop him."
How many women and men did this stop, and continue to stop to this day?
citizen
Mar 21, 16 9:06 pm
The LAX Theme building was designed by Pereira and Luckman, not Williams. That photo of him in front of it has contributed to this minor myth. Williams was part of the joint-venture design team for the massive LAX expansion in the early '60s.
Above: Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia
Norma Merrick Sklarek
Above: Fox Plaza, San Francisco (co-attribution)
Beverly Loraine Greene
Above: UNESCO United Nations Headquarters
Shaw
Jun 30, 18 9:34 pm
Bravo Marc! At last their stories are truly gaining national and international attention; may I refer readers to Ellen Weiss' book on Robert R. Taylor, along with Dreck Spurlock Wilson's book on African-American Architects. True heroes and exemplars, in their work and craft, and in their faith, lives, and character. Also, Booker T. Washington could be known as an architect in a sense, as he had the vision to begin a school at the Institute for Architectural Drawing and the Trades, as it was known then, and possessed that sense of 'habitus' about Beauty and Appropriateness, much like Alberti; he also did some sketching for Robert R. Taylor to show a desired result.
Shaw
Jul 1, 18 6:32 am
At Tuskegee Institute, the Department Booker T.
Washington created was 'Architectural Drawing ....Trades'. Re: above info.
awaiting_deletion
Apr 30, 16 9:04 am
i love concrete canopies like that
b3tadine[sutures]
Dec 13, 16 11:45 pm
Bump.
ken robeert
Feb 26, 17 11:38 pm
Bumping for this week's podcast.
Nam Henderson
Feb 27, 17 12:18 am
Uh oh...finally doing that interview with the grand-daughter @ken?
99 PI recently did a short piece on Paul Revere Williams. Interesting story and it's so curious how the "be a doctor trope" has been such a mainstay in discouragement (minute 6:45).
The subtle bit is that this episode is also a nod to the LA Riot in 1992, pointing in that direction w/o screaming it.
MyDream
Apr 30, 17 11:15 pm
This is amazing...so amazing :( (tear falling down). He really reminds me of myself when he was starting out (I know I am not him). He got his education so much like me with duct tape and super glue and just went for it absolutely amazing I know I will not be as good as him but a very nice story.
The LAX airport building is often mistaken for the aircraft control tower. It is not, it is a restaurant with an observation deck on top. The restaurant is closed but the observation tower remains open. A wonderful building.
Paul Revere Williams
"As his reputation grew, his practice expanded to include buildings now considered landmarks: MCA, Saks Fifth Avenue, Palm Springs Tennis Club and Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building. The private residences he designed for leaders in business and entertainment became legendary: actor Bert Lehr, comedians Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, dancer Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, popular entertainer Frank Sinatra and the entrepreneurial Cord and Paley families. Residential design would remain an important part of his practice, but commercial, institutional and public commissions became increasingly significant as did his work beyond Southern California, across the nation and the world.
In the course of his five-decade career, Williams designed thousands of buildings, served on many municipal, state and federal commissions, was active in political and social organizations earning the admiration and respect of his peers. He frequently donated his time and skills to projects he believed furthered the health and welfare of young people, African Americans in Southern California and greater society. In 1957, he was the first African American elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects."
Thank you B3ta.
Marc, I wish I knew more about Paul's work, what I appreciate most, from what I've read, and seen on-line, is his amazing diversity of styles. Pinning him down to one style is absurd, yet, his work is so distinctly California, to me. Reading about how highly regarded he was, back in the 20's no less, admitted to the AIA in 1923, it makes me wonder why this profession is so lost when it comes to race and gender.
This architect along with frank llyod wright were my greatest influence and are very dear to my heart what a great post....with reading it first ...
It's a reflection of the culture at large.
Recall that Williams learned to draw upside down when talking to clients because some refused to stand behind or beside him. I'm not a historian, so I'm not entirely familiar with his career. But I've heard his career compared to FLW, in that he was able to adjust style and the nature of his practice as what mattered in architecture evolved (I likely will catch flack for suggesting this).
MyDream,
My post went up before I saw your comment. Thanks for being yet another person to make these connections.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-EMQdkRD7o
If there is anyone who like to know more about this great amazing architect and his unbelievable story here is a bio on YouTube. I have watched several times while going thru my first degree. This architect use to sketch upside down to not disgust his white clients, he was told that he would never become an architect by his teachers because he was black and was though no one white would hire a black architect, he design over three thousand designs and was once called the architect of the stars, and he was the FIRST African American to join the AIA. He is one of my greatest influences because I have made many mistakes in my life and am having trouble going thru my journey to licensure it is great to look at someone who also has gone thru barriers and succeeded if he can WHY CAN'T I.
FLW would never admit he had a "style" or that what mattered in architecture could "evolve", but I take your point.
Love that mid-century stuff. The refined version was so elegantly simple, and the googie stuff was just plain fun. The junk done today just doesn't match it, IMHO.
Wow.
Prolific, with a wide range of diverse work, often very nicely detailed.
Williams was a very prolific architect here in Southern California from the 1020s until the 1960's. He also did a lot of this:
Before this month ends, let us recognize-
Paul Williams
Norma Merrick Sklarek
Julian Abele
Robert Robinson Talyor
Calrence W. Wiginton
Albert Cassell
Vertner Tandy
Wallace Rayfield
John A. Lankford
Horace King
Georgia Louise Harris Brown
And unnamed others
post the work
This is a "cranky" response and a stall until I have the time to assemble links.
The work is not what they built, but what they endured. In that respect, the artifact is not as relevant as their experiences. I can't post that.
Wow, talk about timing! I just clicked over from the Paul Williams Project's excellent website, where I was trying to find some info on his public service on LA city commissions. He was on the first planning commission (1921-1925), the housing commission (1935-1941), and the municipal arts commission (1953-1965). That's a long career of public service in addition to his thriving private practice.
I'm hoping that there will be an interview with his grand-daughter soon, she's written two books about his work.
I want to dig into the city archive for commission meeting minutes and reports to find what he had to say on planning and housing.
Sklarek became the first black woman to be elected a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), in 1980.[1] In 1985, she became the first African-American female architect to form her own architectural firm: Siegel-Sklarek-Diamond, which was the largest woman-owned and mostly woman-staffed architectural firm in the United States. Among Sklarek's designs are the San Bernardino City Hall in San Bernardino, California, the Fox Plaza inSan Francisco, and the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, Japan.[1][3] .....on phone otherwise could post.
^ I never heard of her Olaf thanks for your post I will give her a look. I am looking forward to see what I find and from what you put she must've been great and overlooked by many including me. Maybe she was a little sexist huh? At that time though, women must have needed to stick together.
Norma Merrick Sklarek
yes, Mydream that was from Marc's post, since he was cranky and didn't want to post all their work. ...so here you go
Fox Plaza
US Embassy Tokyo, JP (comes up under Cesar Peli)
Olaf,
You forgot to say "whine," but I'm totally guilty. Thanks for stepping in.
I'll continue to post work, but here's some great news about Albert Cassell's Founders Library at Howard University.
Great posts Marc I learned a lot from this post. I'll be studying about Albert Cassell next, thanx for the informative info.
My Dream,
Be sure to check out the whole family. It's an interesting story about about architects. Charles Cassell is still alive and advocating for voting rights in DC.
I'm on a bit of a "Big Red" trend, so here's some work from Vertner Tandy.
Hi all, just read this post from National Trust for Historic Preservation.
"Before he was known as the architect to the stars, Paul R. Williams was a high school student in Los Angeles whose teacher advised him against pursuing a career in architecture. This teacher thought no one would want to hire an African-American architect. But Williams didn’t let that stop him."
How many women and men did this stop, and continue to stop to this day?
The LAX Theme building was designed by Pereira and Luckman, not Williams. That photo of him in front of it has contributed to this minor myth. Williams was part of the joint-venture design team for the massive LAX expansion in the early '60s.
Four More African-American Architects You Should Know
From the Article-
Julian Francis Abele
Above: Duke University Chapel
Charles T. Russell
Above: Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia
Norma Merrick Sklarek
Above: Fox Plaza, San Francisco (co-attribution)
Beverly Loraine Greene
Above: UNESCO United Nations Headquarters
Bravo Marc! At last their stories are truly gaining national and international attention; may I refer readers to Ellen Weiss' book on Robert R. Taylor, along with Dreck Spurlock Wilson's book on African-American Architects. True heroes and exemplars, in their work and craft, and in their faith, lives, and character. Also, Booker T. Washington could be known as an architect in a sense, as he had the vision to begin a school at the Institute for Architectural Drawing and the Trades, as it was known then, and possessed that sense of 'habitus' about Beauty and Appropriateness, much like Alberti; he also did some sketching for Robert R. Taylor to show a desired result.
At Tuskegee Institute, the Department Booker T. Washington created was 'Architectural Drawing ....Trades'. Re: above info.
i love concrete canopies like that
Bump.
Bumping for this week's podcast.
Uh oh...finally doing that interview with the grand-daughter @ken?
Oooo- excited
Phil Freelon
99 PI recently did a short piece on Paul Revere Williams. Interesting story and it's so curious how the "be a doctor trope" has been such a mainstay in discouragement (minute 6:45).
The subtle bit is that this episode is also a nod to the LA Riot in 1992, pointing in that direction w/o screaming it.
This is amazing...so amazing :( (tear falling down). He really reminds me of myself when he was starting out (I know I am not him). He got his education so much like me with duct tape and super glue and just went for it absolutely amazing I know I will not be as good as him but a very nice story.
and let’s start with Micheal Ford
https://www.dezeen.com/2018/01/23/kanye-west-pharrell-williams-solange-knowles-promote-diversity-architecture-interview-michael-ford/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N4J5Y_4_ddM
The man who built LA
The LAX airport building is often mistaken for the aircraft control tower. It is not, it is a restaurant with an observation deck on top. The restaurant is closed but the observation tower remains open. A wonderful building.