Shape of the City
John C. Portman
Architectural critic Paul Goldberger interviews architect John C. Portman. Portman is best known for his use of interior atria in hotels and office buildings, beginning in 1967 with the Hyatt Regency hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Portman shares examples of his work, including the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, as well as the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, California, and other projects. Goldberger facilitates a discussion with Portman about the pros and cons of the “Portman style” and his experience working as both a real estate developer and an architect. Portman also shares his frustrations with the post-modern style of architecture, which he believes lacks substance and prioritizes abstraction over human-centered design. The discussion concludes with audience questions.
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.