Ulrich Franzen

Ulrich Joseph Franzen (January 15, 1921 – October 6, 2012) was a German-born American architect known for his "fortresslike" buildings and Brutalist style.[1]

Franzen was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, the son of Eric and Lisbeth Hellersberg Franzen. They emigrated to the United States in 1936. He lived with his mother and a younger brother once his parents divorced. He obtained an undergraduate degree from Williams College, and after one semester at the architectural school at Harvard University, joined the Army. After World War II ended, he obtained a master's degree from Harvard in 1950. By 1951, he was working for I. M. Pei. He left Pei and formed his own firm, Ulrich Franzen & Associates, in 1955.[2]

The Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, which was completed in 1968, was Franzen's first prominent solo project.[3] Franzen also designed the headquarters for the Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, WI (completed 1976). In 2005, LA DALLMAN was commissioned to create the new Miller Corporate Pub and Meeting Center, fully renovating the ground floor. The project received a 2005 American Institute of Architects Wisconsin Honor Award.[4] His other notable projects include the East and West towers at Hunter College (completed in 1984 after a long delay due to the financial crisis in New York City), and the Philip Morris headquarters in New York City (completed in 1982).

Franzen died on October 6, 2012, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, survived by his wife Josephine.[1] He was 91.

Notable works

Alley Theatre, Houston
View of the bridges between the East and West Buildings at Hunter College
Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, New York


References

  1. ^ a b Vitello, Paul (14 October 2012). Ulrich Franzen, Designer of Brutalist Buildings, Dies at 91, The New York Times
  2. ^ The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art, Volume 1, p. 268 (2011)
  3. ^ Gonzales, J.R. (14 October 2012). Ulrich Franzen, Alley Theatre architect, dies at 91, Houston Chronicle
  4. ^ "AIA Wisconsin Honors 10". AIArchitect. 6 June 2005. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  5. ^ (11 November 1957). Tomorrow's Life Today, at pp. 136-137 (photograph)
  6. ^ "In Essex, an Iconic Address". The Day. 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  7. ^ "Ulrich Franzen House/Essex, CT - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  8. ^ Architect Ulrich Franzen's Last Interview, 6 February 2013, retrieved 2022-05-15
  9. ^ Gunts, Edward (December 21, 2023). "Modernist structures by Paul Rudolph and Ulrich Franzen are now landmarks". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  10. ^ (29 September 1958). Homes That Achieve Most in Livability, Life (magazine), at p. 62-63.
  11. ^ Progressive Architecture, May 1961, pp. 126-9. (The house has since been demolished by a subsequent owner.)
  12. ^ Dufresne, Bethe (1 October 2010). A Sleek And Airy Modernist Landmark - Ulrich Franzen Designed Notable New London House In 1962 When Modernist Aesthetic Was Becoming More Experimental, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (originally published in the Hartford Courant)
  13. ^ (13 August 1965) A Fortress by the Sea, Life (magazine), at p. 82 (article on Buttenweiser house with photographs)
  14. ^ (22 December 1968). Tower Is Highest Above Cayuga; Tower Lab For Cornell, The New York Times
  15. ^ a b "Facilities & Resources". College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Cornell University. Retrieved 20 May 2019. Bradfield and Emerson Halls, which were designed by architect Ulrich Franzen in 1968
  16. ^ Barnes, Clive (2 December 1968). Alley Theatre Opens In Houston, St. Petersburg Times (reprint of article from The New York Times)
  17. ^ Omnibus, Urban (2013-03-07), Ulrich Franzen's "Street", retrieved 2022-05-15
  18. ^ "Ulrich Franzen's Street". Urban Omnibus. 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2022-05-15.

Further reading

  • Blake, Peter. The Architecture of Ulrich Franzen: Selected Works (Birkhäuser Basel 1999) (ISBN 3764359056)