Italian Architect Gae Aulenti Dies at 84

November 2, 2012

Gae Aulenti, the preeminent Italian architect whose art-infused take on postmodernism elevated such projects as the Musée d'Orsay and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco to works of true resonance, died on October 31st, following a long illness. Aulenti, who lived in Milan, was 84 years old.

Aulenti was arguably the only internationally-recognized female practitioner in the first wave of starchitects, winning commissions in the 1980s alongside the likes of Aldo Rossi, Michael Graves, I.M. Pei, and Robert Venturi. And while she shared postmodernist interests in reconnecting present day technologies with the multivalent richness of the past, she rejected labels. "It's not possible to define a style in my work,'' she told the New York Times in 1987. ''If you're designing an airport, then airplanes are important. It's no more complicated designing a museum. I prefer museums for my own personal passion—the art."

Designing with Concrete in the 21st Century

Now On Demand

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 IACET CEU

May qualify for learning hours through most Canadian architectural associations

Concrete is a rather ubiquitous, tested, proven, and versatile building material. It has been used for literally thousands of years to create long-lasting man-made structures of all types, including buildings. Architects in the past few centuries have found it to be an appealing choice to express dynamic and vibrant designs in ways that other materials could not.

Housing Our Cities’ Growing Populations

Now On Demand

Credits: 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 IACET CEU

May qualify for learning hours through most Canadian architectural associations.

Population growth within American cities continues to skyrocket. Once empty downtowns in Rust Belt cities like Detroit, St. Louis and Buffalo are filling up; cities across North America like Tulsa, Philadelphia, and Ottawa, hoping to be the next Seattle, are wooing tech companies to bring their offices there.

2019 February

In the February 2019 issue, Architectural Record includes building type studies involving renovation, restoration, and adaptive reuse.

View More Subscribe