21st Century Architecture: Knitting Together the Old and the New - The 92nd Street Y, New York

Your Cart

On Demand

92NY Humanities Audio Collection

Our Life and Times

21st Century Architecture: Knitting Together the Old and the New

Apr 18, 2002


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.

The Preservation of and Increased Access to the 92nd Street Y Humanities Audio Archives is generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

92NY Performance History

Explore 24,000+ events from 1929-present
David Schwarz (1 result)


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.

© 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.

Please note that all 92Y regularly scheduled in-person programs are suspended.