Nationality United States Occupation Architect | Name James Polshek Role Architect | |
Awards AIA Medal of Honor (1986)AIA Architecture Firm Award (1992) Structures Clinton Presidential Center, Newseum, Hayden Planetarium, Andrew Carnegie Mansion, McAlpin‑Fox House Similar People George Keister, George II of Great Britain, Bill Clinton, Andrew Carnegie, Charles Hayden | ||
Architect and Innovator James Polshek in Discussion: a GVSHP Oral History 9/20/18
James Stewart Polshek (born 1930, Akron, Ohio) is an American architect living in New York City. He is the founder of Polshek Partnership, the firm at which he was Principal Design Partner for more than four decades. He is currently Design Counsel to the legacy firm Ennead Architects, as well as actively engaged as design lead on multiple projects.
Contents
- Architect and Innovator James Polshek in Discussion a GVSHP Oral History 92018
- James Polshek at the Clinton School 2008
- Education background
- Professional career
- Awards and honors
- References
James Polshek at the Clinton School | 2008
Education & background
Polshek enrolled in premed at Case Western Reserve University's Adelbert College 1947. He began taking a variety of courses, including a course in the history of modern architecture. After deciding to study architecture he enrolled at Yale University, and graduated in 1955 with a Master of Architecture degree. He was also a Fulbright/Hayes fellow in Denmark and received a number of grants from the Graham Foundation.
After he became dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in 1972, Western Reserve University granted his bachelor of science degree in 1973, forgiving the 8 credits he was short.
Professional career
Polshek worked for I.M. Pei prior to starting his own firm, James Stewart Polshek Architect, in 1963. He is currently retired and maintains the title of Design Counsel to Ennead Architects.
He served as the dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation from 1972 to 1987.
Polshek is unusual among top-tier architects for taking the position that architecture is more craft than fine art, and that architects have some measure of social responsibility.
Polshek currently serves as the architect commissioner on the NYC Design Commission.
His book Building, Memory will be published in 2014 by Monacelli Press.
Awards and honors
Polshek received the Gold Medal award from the New York City chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1986. In 2002, he was honored with the Municipal Art Society’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2005, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
He has received honorary degrees from Pratt Institute (1995), the New School University Parsons School of Design (1995) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (2002).