William Edmond Lescaze,

FAIA Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member ...

(March 27, 1896 – February 9, 1969), was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, city planner and industrial designer. He is ranked among the pioneers of modernism in American

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

Biography

William Lescaze was born in

Onex, Switzerland Onex (; frp, Ônèx) is a municipality in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland. History Onex is first mentioned in 1292 as ''Onay''. It became an independent municipality in 1851 when the municipality of Onex-Confignon split into the two muni ...

. He studied at the

Collège Calvin The Collège Calvin, formerly the Collège de Genève, is the oldest public secondary school in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin. History On February 24, 1428, the ''Conseil Général'' of Geneva decided to establish ...

and at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

, before completing his formal education at the

École polytechnique fédérale de Zurich (colloquially) , former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule , image = ETHZ.JPG , image_size = , established = , type = Public , budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021) , rector = Günther Dissertori , president = Joël Mesot , a ...

in Zurich where

Karl Moser Karl Moser (August 10, 1860 – February 28, 1936) was an architect from Switzerland. Between 1887 and 1915 he worked together with Robert Curjel in Karlsruhe, setting up the architecture firm Curjel and Moser. Some of their works are: ...

was a teacher, receiving his degree in 1919. He contributed to the post-war reconstruction effort of

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

, and then immigrated to the United States in 1920. He worked for some time at the architectural firm of

Hubbell & Benes Hubbell & Benes was a prominent Cleveland, Ohio architectural firm formed by Benjamin Hubbell (1857–1935) and W. Dominick Benes (1867–1953) in 1897 Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, and taught French at the local YMCA's night classes. In 1923, he was offered a modeling job and moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

where he set up his business. His first major work was the design of the Oak Lane Country Day School outside Philadelphia. After a brief time in New York, he returned to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. In 1927, he designed the Sutton House Apartments project in New York City. Income from the project allowed him to move back to New York City. In 1929,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

architect George Howe invited William Lescaze to form a partnership, Howe & Lescaze. Within just a few weeks after joining forces, the duo began work on a large project for downtown Philadelphia. The resulting structure, completed in 1932, was the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS) Building, which is today generally considered the first

International Modernist International style may refer to: * International Style (architecture), the early 20th century modern movement in architecture *International style (art), the International Gothic style in medieval art *International Style (dancing), a term used in ...

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

, and the first International Style building of wide significance in the United States. It was also the first building with full air conditioning. Lescaze is generally given credit for the design: letters from Howe to Lescaze quote the former insisting to the latter that "the design is definitely yours." The structure replaced the bank's former headquarters in Philadelphia, a classicist structure near Washington Square built in 1897. In 1930, Howe & Lescaze submitted a design for the new building of the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in New York. The wood and metal model was donated to the MOMA in 1994. In 1935, William Lescaze established his own architecture firm, Lescaze & Associates. His 1937 Alfred Loomis house in Tuxedo Park, NY is regarded as an early experiment in

double-skin facade The double-skin façade is a system of building consisting of two skins, or façades, placed in such a way that air flows in the intermediate cavity. The ventilation of the cavity can be natural, fan supported or mechanical. Apart from the type o ...

construction. In 1939 he designed a futuristic "House for 2089" that included a

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard s ...

on the roof. Lescaze was also the design lead for the 1937

Williamsburg Houses The Williamsburg Houses, originally called the Ten Eyck Houses, (pronounced ) is a public housing complex built and operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. It consists of 20 buil ...

in Brooklyn, a pioneering 20-building modernist housing project modeled on European examples. He later taught industrial design at the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

(1943–1945). Among his built works were the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

West Coast studios Columbia Square on

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...

(1938). William Lescaze also designed the office building at 711 Third Street, the city and municipal courts building in the Civic Center in Manhattan, and the

High School of Art and Design The High School of Art and Design is a career and technical education high school in Manhattan, New York City, New York State, United States. Founded in 1936 as the School of Industrial Art, the school moved to 1075 Second Avenue in 1960 and mor ...

. From 1949 to 1959, he served at the State Building Code Commission William Lescaze died on February 9, 1969 of a heart attack at his New York home. He was a proponent of modern architecture, stating it was the only architecture that could solve the housing problem.

Major buildings and projects

* 1929: Oak Lane Country Day School,

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania Blue Bell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,067. Blue Bell was originally known as Pigeontown, after the large flocks of the n ...

, United States * 1930: Sun Terrace (Field House),

New Hartford, Connecticut New Hartford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,658 at the 2020 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the New Hartford Center census-designated place (CDP). The town is mainl ...

, United States * 1932: High Cross House,

Dartington Hall Dartington Hall in Dartington, near Totnes, Devon, England, is an historic house and country estate of dating from medieval times. The group of late 14th century buildings are Grade I listed; described in Pevsner's Buildings of England as "on ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, United Kingdom * 1932:

PSFS Building The PSFS Building, now known as the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A National Historic Landmark, the building was the first International style skyscraper constructed in the United States. ...

, (today: Loews Philadelphia Hotel)

, Pennsylvania, United States * 1934: Roy Spreter Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States * 1934: William Lescaze House and Office, 211 East 48th Street,

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York, United States. The house was the first to use glass blocks in New York. It was designated as a New York City landmark in 1976, and added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1980. In April 2018, the house was put on sale for $4.95 million after renovation to match its original condition. * 1935:

Raymond C. and Mildred Kramer House The Raymond C. and Mildred Kramer House is an early Modern 6,800 square foot townhouse at 32 East 74th Street (between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue) in the Upper East Side Historic District in Manhattan, New York City, New York in the United St ...

at 32 East 74th Street in Manhattan, New York. The house was put on sale in 2008, and finally found a buyer in 2015 for $15.9 million. In December 2017, after renovation, the house is back on sale with a $20 million price tag. * 1936: Magnolia Lounge, Dallas, Texas, United States * 1937: Alfred Loomis house,

Tuxedo Park, New York Tuxedo Park is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Orange County, New York, United States. Its population was 623 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area as well as the la ...

, United States * 1938: CBS Columbia Square Studios,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, United States * 1938:

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York, United States * 1941: Norman residence, 70th Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York, United States * 1960: Manhattan Civil Court,

Civic Center, Manhattan The Civic Center is the area and neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City, that encompasses New York City Hall, One Police Plaza, the courthouses in Foley Square, the Metropolitan Correctional Center and the surrounding ar ...

, New York, United States * 1961:

Manhattanville Houses Manhattanville Houses is a public housing project in the Manhattanville, Manhattan, Manhattanville section of West Harlem, in the borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan, New York City. The project is located between Broadway (Manhattan), ...

, New York, United States * 1962: Church Center for the United Nations, United Nations Plaza and 44th Street, Manhattan, New York, United States * 1963: Brotherhood in Action Building (today: David M. Schwartz Fashion Education Center,

Parsons The New School for Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...

), Manhattan, New York, United States

Honors

* 1951: Named a Fellow of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

(AIA) * In

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, a street, the chemin William-Lescaze, was named after him.

Personal life

He was married to Mary Hughes. His son Lee Adrien Lescaze (1938–1996) was an editor for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''.

References

External links

Lescaze, William (1896–1969)
– ''Philadelphia Architects and Buildings'' biography

* William Lescaze archival card catalog

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lescaze, William 1896 births 1969 deaths People from the canton of Geneva École des Beaux-Arts alumni Swiss emigrants to the United States 20th-century American architects Swiss architects Modernist architects