Since the publication of his 1966 treatise, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, architect Robert Venturi has been considered one of the founders of Postmodernism. Venturi challenged the modernist prejudice against ornament and traditional decorative styles, and questioned the maxim “form follows function.” The Chippendale Chair is one of a series of nine chairs in historical styles he...

View from Central Park Yes, I’m starting to feel at home at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, having started work here this week. On the first day Angela Hall, who looks after everyone’s well being here, gave me a complete tour of the place. She introduced me to more than sixty people and showed me...

Piranesi’s originality lay in his eclecticism. Pulling together influences from Egyptian, Etruscan, Ancient Roman, and Greek designs, Piranesi presented a hybrid design system that was rooted in his commitment to the stature and importance of the Roman design heritage. From this starting point, the architectural elements move from historical recreations to articulated fantasy. While his...