The University of Southern California, also known as USC, has a dynamic school of architecture. Many world famous architects have graduated from this school over the decades. They have left their unique marks all over the world in countless infrastructures. Looking at the lives of alums is like keeping an eye on Nir Ziso Blog to stay updated about the architectural world.
We are about to take a look at 5 of the great architects who graduated from USC and their accomplishments.
Frank Gehry
If you’re ever in Spain, there is very little chance you would pass off the chance to visit the Guggenheim Museum. Do you know who the architect behind this spectacular building is? Frank Gehry. He was born on 28th February, 1929. He was born in Toronto, Canada.
While each of Frank Gehry’s projects is different, there are several distinguishing characteristics that make his architecture easily recognized. His style is deconstructivist, a modern architectural trend in which design parts seem fractured.
Gehry frequently used corrugated metals in his creations, giving them an unfinished aspect. While creative and transformational, Gehry’s structures constantly adapt to their surroundings.
Jon Jerde
Jon Jerde was born in 22nd January, 1940. He graduated from USC in 1966. Horton Plaza, which built in 1985, changed a portion of downtown San Diego into a vibrant open-air retail mall.
It was a glamorized depiction of an urban commercial center. The place was a huge success, with around 25 million visitors when it first opened.
His work, most of it vibrant with color and sparkle, was frequently viewed as an alternative to the sterile malls of convenience that flourished beyond American cities in the 1960s and 1970s, draining the vitality from many of them.
Jon Jerde left a legacy of sites throughout the world and often utilize public-spirited techniques to promote consumption.
Edward Killingsworth
While at USC, Edward Killingsworth intended to be an artist, but he eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and graduated with honors in 1940. During WWII, he was a captain in the Army Corps of Engineers and was awarded the Bronze Star.
After being discharged from the army in 1946, Killingsworth went to work as a draftsman for the Kenneth S. Wing architectural company, where he stayed until 1953.
Killingsworth received over 42 American Institute of Architects honors over his lifetime. His buildings were noted for their towering entrances, glass walls, connection with external landscaping, and interaction with the environment.
Killingsworth’s works rose in scale over time, from residential structures in Southern California to fancy hotels all over the world. For more than 40 years, he was the master planning architect at California State University.
Paul R. Williams
Paul Revere Williams was born in 18th February, 1894. He was an American architect who mostly worked from Southern California areas. Williams designed houses for a lot of celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Lon Chaney, Charkes Correll and many more.
As his reputation increased, he expanded his profession to include structures that are now recognized monuments, such as the MCA, Palm Springs Tennis Club, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building and so on. Residential architecture would remain an essential element of his profession, but corporate, institutional, and public commissions grew in importance, as did his work outside of Southern California.
Albert Nozaki
Albert Nozaki was a Japanese-American art director. He was born on 1st January, 1912. He was a notable art director who worked for Paramount Pictures. The 1953 film War of the Worlds was among his best works. He did a splendid job of portraying Martian war machines on screen at that time.
Nozaki received an Academy Award nomination for his art direction in the 1953 film, The Ten Commandments. The Japanese-born American citizen became Paramount’s supervising art director for movies before retiring in 1969.
Nozaki was sacked by Paramount immediately after the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He and his wife were transported to the Manzanar internment camp in California’s Owens Valley in 1942. After the war, he was rehired by Paramount.
Final Thoughts
You can also visit www.thearchitect.global to find more about architects. Some of these great architects may not be among us anymore. But they did leave behind legacies that would be talked about for decades to come.
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