Photo: Scott Frances/OTTO
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Richard Meier’s firm (Richard Meier & Partners Architects), the May issue of Architectural Digest features an interview with the pioneering architect, discussing his early years, influences, and how he draws inspiration from travel.
The Pritzker Prize winner attributes winning the competition for Frankfurt’s Museum of Applied Art in ‘79 to opening the door to a number of projects in Europe, which led to such celebrated works as the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art and Rome’s Jubilee Church. Considering his significant architectural presence both abroad and throughout the country, we are grateful for Meier’s contributions right here in Los Angeles, particularly the Getty Center in Brentwood, which has become a California landmark.
Included in Meier’s seasoned list of commissions is the architectural gem at 165 Charles Street in the West Village of New York. The residential Modernist tower is home to a stunning two bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condominium, currently listed by The Agency. When standing in the kitchen and looking out across the Hudson River and city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Meier’s affinity for white speaks volumes.
“Whiteness allows the architectural ideas to be understood most clearly—the difference between opacity and transparency, solid and void, structure and surface. These things are most perceptible in a white environment. They have a greater clarity,” he told Architectural Digest.
The 2,356 sq. ft. home floats on the fifth floor with a private outdoor balcony and all the amenities offered in the full service building including a concierge, a 35-seat screening room, a gym, and a 50-foot infinity-edge lap pool.
Watch the AD Video interview with Richard Meier below.
