Only a handful female architects pioneers worked together in their times with later to be world-famous male modernist architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe and Gerrit Rietveld
Only a handful female architects pioneers worked together in their times with later to be world-famous male modernist architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe and Gerrit Rietveld. A unique partnership history that is never before noted nor appreciated nor seen as a phenomenon, but resulted in established iconic 20thcentury design. Those above mentioned male designer pioneers worked together with female artists long before it became a common practice as it is today. They were appreciating the input of the woman artists architects before anyone else could see the progressive early adaptor mindset of these copartnerships, and they did so before anyone else. Yet another progressive and ahead of time characteristic that defines those early modernists even more today. They did allow female architects to play their part in modern history, next to their side, before anyone else did. Thereby creating a source of novelty and uniqueness so characteristic for authenticity.
The list with female architects worldwide gets longer every year. The at the time advanced education system in UK and USA, Canada and the Netherlands laid the foundation for many female architects to come into existence in those few countries first. Nowadays the woman architects are working from Iraq, Uganda and Turkey… Some of these woman architects started already as true pioneers in the medieval times, building castle towers and mansions that still stand today! Also these pioneer ladies paved the ways for future female engineers to follow these world heritage contributors in their footsteps on the road to a wholesome architecture worldwide.
In the early days of architecture, design and building was a male domain only. The few women architect working in those times were not really a curiosity nor novelty, they were already admired in selected elites for their work and buildings they created. Of course these girls had to shine a bit more than their male colleagues equivalents to only compensate their lagged behind status start. Some of these ladies were so effective at ‘compensating’ they ended up really famous in their own right. Of course architecture can be seen as an ancient profession, just look at the pyramids. So it’s one of the oldest profession of mankind, but it is only the very last hundred years that architecture by woman architects on this big scale came to be a part of our today’s modern world. And since we live in a digital world, recently this new millennium is the time that appreciates their living artists while still alive and although these first female architects were admired, unfortunately a lot of the work of some of these pioneers is not well documented and even completely lost and destroyed due to the disrespect and the ignorance, the male chauvinism, and lack of appreciation. Like even today the Architect universities do not include the female contribution in their Curriculum. Let’s learn and get to know ourselves better by looking at ourselves in the tubular mirror reflections of the chrome designed modernist 20th century co designed tube chairs.
Now is the time apparently to shine a lit candle on this hardly unopened tomb. Let's shove the closing stone with full force to try to open this female and male mystery architecture tombstone box. Peak through the opening and see what we can find who else is lying in there. …
Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham 14 February 1632 27 July 1705 UK.
Claim to fame: Weston Park St Andrew's Church, Weston-under-Lizard, Belton House in Lincolnshire, de Windsor Guildhall in Berkshire en Up park House in Sussex. and four hundred more buildings!
An insane and very productive career, especially for those times to position yourself first in the male dominated seventeenth century to build all those huge mansions. Since her work was not well documented it was her architectural handwriting that made experts conclude that more and more buildings were ascribed and credited to her only later. Even Buckingham Palace en Clive den House in Buckingham shire show her typical watermark trademark design specifics.
After the great city fire in London in 1666 she redesigned eighteen of the fiftytwo churches... Since she was working in the seventeenth century it was impossible for her to be seen as a lady architect on the construction sites at the time of building. As a result she is not nearly granted and appreciate ted and recognized for her pioneer work unfortunately. But working from the bureau only was an advantage to her: A very productive life as a building, designing and constructing master.
Marion Mahony Griffin 1871 – 1961 USA
Claim to fame: Adolph Mueller House, Illinois David Amberg Residence, Michigan.
She is for sure one of the great female US architects. No less than graduating at prestigious MIT at that time in 1894 already she cooperated a year with maybe the most famous architects of all: Frank Lloyd Wright. She was a drawer and glass in lead designer. During their co-partnership she designed furniture, light armature, murals and wall decorations for a great amount of the Frank Lloyd Wright heritage. Her beautiful aquarels of the Frank Lloyd Wright design plans are only later accredited to her. Later after she refused an offer by Frank Lloyd Wright to work in Europe, she did co-work later with his successor though..
In 1911 Marion Mahony Griffin moved together with her new husband to Australia after winning a designer contest award for Canberra city. She worked as an architect for that city for twenty years. Later the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne was designed and build by her bureau and team. In 1936, they moved to India. The Lucknow University library is designed there by them. Her autobiography was written about her work and life, leaving a heritage of architecture.
Lilly Reich 1885 1947
Claim to fame: The world-famous Barcelona chair and the Barcelona Pavilion
Another co partnership was formed with female architect Lilly Reich and famous architect Mies van der Rohe Lilly Reich was in her time a modernist architect and collaborator with Mies van der Rohe.
The world-famous Barcelona chair and the Barcelona Pavilion are both co-designed by Lilly Reich and Mies van der Rohe together. Next to that another architecture landmark is the Villa Tugendthat. Another partnership between Lilly Reich and her husband Mies van der Rohe. They worked together for more than ten years on several projects. Yet another result of their partnership together next to the Barcelona chair was the other well-known BNRO chair, an icon of 1930 20th-century design. In short a very intriguing and fascinating result comparable to the impact that only few female designers like Coco Chanel amongst others had on modern iconic design culture.
Famous for her Co designing Furniture with Mies Van Der Rohe Barcelona Pavilion Villa Tugendthat .
Julia Morgan 1872-1952
Claim to fame: Hearst Castle
Julia Morgan was the chief architect behind Hearst Castle, collaborating on its construction for 28 years with William Randolph Hearst. Another unique collaboration due to the nature of the collab: the length and the again female pioneer architect working in close partnership shaping one of the most iconic designs of our modern times: Hearst Castle. To build this together with billionaire and media tycoon Hirst, being visited 750.000 times per year today, makes this collaboration one of a kind in the world and yet another example of pioneer men not afraid to work with female talents that are at those times unheard-of and ahead of times. To build only this Hears Castle would have been a super accomplishment for any of us living creatures, but she built seven hundred more buildings, making her the most productive (female) architect of the twentieth century. Julia Morgan Projects: More than 700 buildings in California Hearst Castle California Women Shelter buildings YMCA buildings Berkeley City Club Chapel of the Chimes
Vera Schrader 1926 1983
Claim to fame: Design Rietveld Furniture
She studied Architecture and design at the Kunstnijverheid school in Amsterdam, now known as the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. After her studying with Gerrit Rietveld as a student she started after finishing the architect academy to collaborate with him and co designed several pieces of furniture. And later founded her own architect bureau Vera Schrader and Partners. Gerrit Rietveld later in his own right as a very progressive and ahead of time modernist architect and designer became world-famous after his death for his partnership of ‘De Stijl’ (The Style). A modernist and minimalist art collective together with yet another world-famous Dutch painter Piet Mondriaan. Known for his black lines combined with primary colour squared paintings. Those lines and primary colors were also a trademark water brand of Gerrit Rietveld as is noticeable in his Red and Blue Chair. One of the first 3D expression of the De Stijl art movement. Now part of UNESCO World Heritage. One table designed by Vera Schrader at the time working with Gerrit Rietveld amongst other collaborated design is now known to be sold as a prototype at one hundred and fifty year old warehouse De Bijenkorf in Amsterdam. At that time licensing and selling original Gerrit Rietveld furniture. Since it was approved by Rietveld as an official Rietveld furniture piece and designed by Vera Schrader Catz the furniture is now assigned and accredited to Vera Schrader. Co-designer of Gerrit Rietveld. Vera Schrader Projects: Casimir Lyceum Amstelveen, Bibliotheek Arnhem, De Stijl minimalist Houseboat ‘Pardoes’, Furniture Design together with Gerrit Rietveld, Schrader house Amstelveen, Solar house San Diego.
