Alberto Pérez-Gómez (born 24 December 1949) is an

architectural historian An architectural historian is a person who studies and writes about the history of architecture, and is regarded as an authority on it. Professional requirements As many architectural historians are employed at universities and other facilities ...

and theorist known for taking a phenomenological approach to architecture. He lives in

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Biography

Born December 24, 1949, in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

he graduated as an engineer and architect from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico. Afterwards he did postgraduate work at Cornell University. He then pursued graduate studies in the History and Theory of Architecture at the

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. The university comprises three camp ...

where he received his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in 1975 and Ph.D. in 1979. In 1987 he became a Canadian Citizen and a Quebec resident. In 1984, he won the Alice Davis Hitchcock Award for his book ''Architecture and the Crisis of Modern Science''. He has taught and lectured at various schools of architecture around the world and was director of the

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...

School of Architecture from 1983 to 1986. From 1986 to 2020, he ran the History and Theory of Architecture program at the

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

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, where he was the Saidye Rosner Bronfman Professor in History and Theory of Architecture. He is currently the Saidye Rosner Bronfman Professor Emeritus of Architecture. In 2022, he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. Dr. Pérez-Gómez is the author of numerous volumes of architectural scholarship. ''Polyphilo or The Dark Forest Revisited'' (MIT Press, 1992), an erotic narrative/theory of architecture that retells the love story of the famous fifteenth century novel/treatise ''Hypnerotomachia Poliphili'' in late twentieth-century terms, a text that has become the source of numerous projects and exhibitions (http://www.polyphilo.com). A Spanish version translated by the author was published as ''El Sueño de Polyfilo. El Origen Erótico del Significado Arquitectónico'' (Universidad Iberoamericana, 2012). He was co-editor of the well-known book series ''CHORA: Intervals in the Philosophy of Architecture'' vol. 1-7 (McGill-Queen's University Press) together with Stephen Parcell, which collects essays exploring fundamental questions concerning the practice of architecture through its history and theories. He co-authored a major book with Louise Pelletier, ''Architectural Representation and the Perspective Hinge'' (MIT Press, 1997), tracing the history and theory of modern European architectural representation, with special reference to the role of projection in architectural design. In ''Built Upon Love: Architectural Longing after Ethics and Aesthetics'' (MIT Press, 2006), Pérez-Gómez examines points of convergence between ethics and poetics in architectural history and philosophy, and draws important conclusions for contemporary practice. His most recent title, ''Attunement, Architectural Meaning after the Crisis of Modern Science'' (MIT Press, 2016) calls for an architecture that can enhance our human values and capacities, an architecture that is connected—attuned—to its location and its inhabitants. Architecture, Pérez-Gómez explains, operates as a communicative setting for societies; its beauty and its meaning lie in its connection to human health and self-understanding.

Publications

*''Attunement: Architectural Meaning after the Crisis of Modern Science'' (2016) *''Timely Meditations: Architectural Theories and Practices (Selected Essays on Architecture), vol.1'' (2016) *''Timely Meditations: Architectural Philosophy and Hermeneutics (Selected Essays on Architecture), vol.2'' (2016) *''Built upon Love: Architectural Longing after Ethics and Aesthetics'' (2006) *''Architectural Representation and the Perspective Hinge'' with Louise Pelletier (2003) *''Anamorphosis'' (1997) *''Polyphilo, or, The Dark Forest Revisited : an Erotic Epiphany of Architecture'' (1992) *''Architecture and the Crisis of Modern Science'' (1983) *''Lo Bello y lo Justo en Arquitectura (''2015'')'' *''Alberto Pérez-Gómez. De la Educación en Arquitectura'' (2014) *''El Sueño de Polyfilo. El Origen Erótico del Significado Arquitectónico (''2012'')''

Awards and recognitions

*''Officer of the Order of Canada'' (2022) *''Profesor Honoris Causa,'' International Institute of Hermeneutics (2021) *''Award for Outstanding Achievement'', Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum (2021) *''Droga Architect in Residence Fellowship'' Sydney Australia (2017) *''David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision and Teaching'' McGill University (2008) *''Canadian Personalities Exchange Programme Award'' Israel Association of Canadian Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, (2007) *''Fellowship from the Institute of Arts and Humanities of the Pennsylvania State University'' (2007) *''Juan O’Gorman Medal'' (1999) For 25 years of distinguished service in Architectural Education, IPN, Mexico *'' Alice Davies Hitchcock Book Award'' (1983) Granted by the Society of Architectural Historians for Architecture and the Crisis of Modern Science as "the most distinguished work of scholarship in the history of architecture published in North America between Nov. 1, 1981 to Oct. 31, 1983." *''Fellow of the Mexican Academy of Architecture'' (1980)

References

External links

McGill University faculty pageHistory and Theory of Architecture homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez-Gomez, Alberto 20th-century Canadian historians Canadian male non-fiction writers Mexican emigrants to Canada 1949 births Living people Architectural historians Instituto Politécnico Nacional alumni People from Mexico City Alumni of the University of Essex Academic staff of McGill University Academic staff of Carleton University Architectural theoreticians 21st-century Canadian historians Officers of the Order of Canada

Biography

Publications

Awards and recognitions

See also

References

External links