Our Life and Times
21st Century Architecture: Knitting Together the Old and the New
David Schwarz, founder of the Washington D.C. based architecture firm David M. Schwarz Architects, speaks about the intersection of history and modernity in contemporary architecture. Schwarz argues that strict modernists often prioritize an intellectual attachment to buildings over an emotional one. Rejecting this modernist theory, he instead favors of an “architecture of humanism,” or, the idea that the ultimate purpose of architecture is create “places for people.” Schwarz also emphasizes the importance of understanding architectural history and context in order to effectively design new buildings. He contends that, considering the deep roots of many architectural practices and styles, “all of us are simply building on the shoulders of giants.” The lecture is followed with questions from the audience.
Did you know that donations cover nearly half of our costs?
As a nonprofit community and cultural center, The 92nd Street Y, New York relies on support from people like you. Your donation today helps us continue connecting you to the programs you love, no matter where in the world you are.
Sign up for access
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, view our
privacy policy.
© 2024 The Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association
All Rights Reserved.
All material accessed via the 92NY website (“content”) is protected by copyright under U.S. Copyright laws and is the property of The Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association or the party credited as the provider of the content. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any such content, nor may you distribute any part of this content over any network, including a local area network, sell or offer it for sale, or use such content to construct any kind of database. You may not alter or remove any copyright or other notice from copies of the content accessed via 92NY’s website. Copying or storing any content except as provided above is expressly prohibited without prior written permission of 92NY or the copyright holder identified in the individual content’s copyright notice.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.