Zantzinger, Borie and Medary was an American architecture firm that operated from 1905 to 1950 in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. It specialized in institutional and civic projects. For most of its existence, the partners were

Clarence C. Zantzinger Clarence Clark Zantzinger (1872–1954) was an American architect and public servant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Life Clarence was born in Philadelphia, the son of Alfred Zantzinger (1839–1873) and Sarah Crawford Clark. Alfred was a medical ...

, Charles Louis Borie Jr., and

Milton Bennett Medary Milton Bennett Medary Jr. (February 6, 1874 – August 7, 1929) was an American architect from Philadelphia, practicing with the firm Zantzinger, Borie and Medary from 1910 until his death. Biography Medary attended the University of Pennsylvan ...

, all Philadelphians. The firm was a launching pad for numerous architects of note, including

Dominique Berninger Dominique Berninger (1898–1949) was a French-born American architect based in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, United States, who practiced nationally in the mid twentieth century but particularly in Pennsylvania. He is best known for his design ...

(1898–1949) and

Louis Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. Whil ...

(1901–1974).

Zantzinger and Borie

The firm was established in 1905 as Zantzinger and Borie. Zantzinger and Borie were involved in years of preliminary design work on the

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is an List of art museums#North America, art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at ...

. The 1911 commission was shared between Z&B and

Horace Trumbauer Horace Trumbauer (December 28, 1868 – September 18, 1938) was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of t ...

. Most of the credit for the final building, completed in 1928, is given to architects Howell Lewis Shay and

Julian Abele Julian Francis Abele (April 30, 1881April 23, 1950) was a prominent black American architect, and chief designer in the offices of Horace Trumbauer. He contributed to the design of more than 400 buildings, including the Widener Memorial Library ...

, both from Trumbauer's firm. After Medary joined in 1910, the firm was renamed Zantzinger, Borie & Medary.

Zantzinger, Borie & Medary

The firm collaborated with

Paul Philippe Cret Paul Philippe Cret (October 23, 1876 – September 8, 1945) was a French-born Philadelphia architect and industrial designer. For more than thirty years, he taught at a design studio in the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsyl ...

for the completed buildings listed below, and on proposals for the

Nebraska State Capitol The Nebraska State Capitol is the seat of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska and is located in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. Designed by New York architect Bertram Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1920, it was constructed of Ind ...

and the

Liberty Memorial The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri was opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial. In 2004, it was designated by the United States Congress as the country's official war memorial and museum dedicated to World Wa ...

in Kansas City. When Medary died in 1929, the firm returned to its original name. Their work was part of the architecture event in the art competition at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

. The firm was the first recorded American employer of French-born American architect Dominique Berninger, who worked there from 1925 to 1932."Questionnaire for Architects’ Roster and/or Register of Architects Qualified for Federal Public Work
"Dominique Berninger - G. Harold W. Haag - Paul d/Entremont (firm)"
June 25, 1946. During this time he served as job captain for their design project of the

Sheffield Scientific School Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale University, Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Jos ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, a project that cost around $1,250,000. Louis Kahn and Berninger had met while working at the firm and went on to form the

Architectural Research Group The Architectural Research Group (ARG) was an association of mostly young architects in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, established in 1932 by Louis Kahn and Dominique Berninger "for the group study of Housing and Slum Clearance." Berninger acted as it ...

(ARG) in Philadelphia, a short-lived collaborative society from 1932 to 1935 before Kahn took a job with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, while Berninger commenced his own practice in 1933 and later formed the partnership of Berninger & Bower (fl.1935 – 1945), the predecessor firm of Haag & d'Entremont (fl.1946 – 1988). The firm employed Edmund R. Purves as a draftsman from 1923 to 1927. The firm also worked with sculptor

Lee Lawrie Lee Oscar Lawrie (October 16, 1877 – January 23, 1963) was an American architectural sculptor and an important figure in the American sculpture scene preceding World War II. Over his long career of more than 300 commissions Lawrie's style ev ...

and iconographer

Hartley Burr Alexander Hartley Burr Alexander, PhD (1873–1939), was an American philosopher, writer, educator, scholar, poet, and iconographer. Family and early years Alexander was born in Syracuse, Nebraska, on April 9, 1873. His father, the Rev. George Sherman Alex ...

, both former collaborators with

Bertram Goodhue Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (April 28, 1869 – April 23, 1924) was an American architect celebrated for his work in Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, Spanish Colonial Revival design. He also d ...

. The firm dissolved in 1950.

Selected works

*1905: West Philadelphia Branch,

Free Library of Philadelphia The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the 16th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the ...

, 40th & Walnut Streets,

, Pennsylvania *1909: Henry Charles Lea Monument,

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery, also called Laurel Hill East to distinguish it from the affiliated West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Bala Cynwyd, is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls, Philadelphia, East Falls neighborhood ...

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

Alexander Stirling Calder Alexander Stirling Calder (January 11, 1870 – January 7, 1945) was an American sculpture, sculptor and teacher. He was the son of sculptor Alexander Milne Calder and the father of sculptor Alexander Calder, Alexander (Sandy) Calder. His best-kn ...

, sculptor. *1912: "Chanticleer" (Adolph Rosengarten Estate),

Wayne, Pennsylvania Wayne is an unincorporated community centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Main Line, a series of highly affluent Philadelphia suburbs located along the railroad tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad and one of the ...

. Now a public garden. *1916: Indianapolis Central Public Library,

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, with

. *1917:

Washington Memorial Chapel Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge National Historical Park is a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The church was in ...

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets ...

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania The village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement. It is located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. The remaining village is in Schu ...

*1918: Federal Ordnance Plant Housing,

Neville Island Neville Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its land area consists entirely of Neville Island, which is an island on the Ohio River. The population was 1,108 at the 2020 census. History The island was forme ...

, Ohio River, Pennsylvania. The $50,000,000 commission was for 15,000 homes to house 20-25,000 workers. *1921-24: Henry Hall and Foulke Hall,

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

. *1926-27:

Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company Building The Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building—originally the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company Building—is an annex of the Philadelphia Museum of Art containing exhibition galleries, offices, conservation labs, and the museum library. It is ...

, Philadelphia. Now part of the

. *1927-28:

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, with

. *1927-29: Bok Singing Tower,

Lake Wales, Florida Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,361 at the 2020 census. History Early history A survey by W.A. Williams and J. ...

. *1929-31: Burton-Judson Courts, Hyde Park,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. *1931: Strathcona Hall,

. This probably refers to the

at Yale, a project that cost around $1,250,000, on which Berninger served as job captain. *1932-35:

Department of Justice Building The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, sometimes called Main Justice, is the headquarters of the United States Department of Justice. It houses Department of Justice offices, including the office of the United States Attorney Gener ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

(on which Kahn worked).George Gurney, ''Sculpture and the Federal Triangle,'' (Washington D.C.:

Smithsonian Institution Press The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, 1985)

Gallery

File:Henry Charles Lea monument, Laurel Hill Cemetery.jpg, Lea Monument, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia,

, sculptor (1909) File:Washington Memorial Chapel.jpg,

, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (1917) File:Philadelphia Museum Perelman Building.JPG,

, Philadelphia (1926–27). Now Ruth & Raymond G. Perelman Building,

File:Bok Tower.png, Bok Singing Tower, Lake Wales, Florida (1927–29) File:U.S. Department of Justice headquarters, August 12, 2006.jpg, Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, Washington, D.C. (1932–35)

References

External links

* *
history of the Department of Justice building
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zantzinger, Borie and Medary Defunct architecture firms based in Pennsylvania Architecture firms based in Pennsylvania Companies based in Philadelphia Art Deco architects Art competitors at the 1928 Summer Olympics