On September 24, Design Watch Members were treated to a rare look into the Richard Meier & Partners Model Gallery in Long Island City, overlooking the Pepsi-Cola sign and the East River. A mammoth model of The Getty Center greeted viewers: made of basswood and birch, the 25’ x 25’ model rested on 16 tables outfitted with caster wheels. The tables were then pulled apart to reveal various sections of the museum. Architects who work for Richard Meier complete a mandatory tenure in the firm’s in-house model shop where everything is crafted by hand. Stacked nearby were smaller models, ranging from the 1965 Smith House to the luminous model for the World Trade Center site competition. Many thanks to Laura Galvanek, the firm’s archivist and exhibitions manager, for the special tour!
Read more about the gift made by Richard Meier, Cooper-Hewitt Trustee, and Meier 75.
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