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04/29/2021 12:01 AM

Great Iconic Residential Architecture of the 20th Century


After looking at the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Kaufmann family was not impressed. Instead, it hired the Austrian-American architect Richard Neutra, who incorporated a modernist approach with glass, steel, and stone to design this California getaway.Photo courtesy of the Essex Library

Architectural historian Dr. Chuck Benson returns to the Essex Library’s design lecture series on Friday, May 14 at 7 p.m. to present a virtual illustrated talk focused on such architectural masters as Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, E. Stewart Williams, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Some of their most unforgettable designs include the Kaufmann Desert House, the Edris House, the Farnsworth House, and “Wingspread.” Benson will further discuss why these were selected, rather than other choices for this century of great modern residential design.

Benson has been teaching art and architectural history for more than 25 years at various universities and has led groups to explore iconic places and buildings in America, Europe, and elsewhere. His lecture credits include MOMA, Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. He studied the history of art and architecture at Yale, and holds advanced degrees from Columbia University.

This illustrated Zoom event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 or visit www.youressexlibrary.org.