Events December 2021

LocalBook Talk

The Architectural Models of Theodore Conrad

December 7, 2021

In her new book The Architectural Models of Theodore Conrad, historian and curator Teresa Fankhänel offers an alternative history of American modern architecture, highlighting the often-overlooked influence of architectural models and their makers. For this Skyscraper Museum program, Fankhänel focuses on the work of Theodore Conrad (1910–1994), a prominent American architectural model-maker of the 20th century. Conrad’s innovative work was instrumental in the design and realization of many icons of American modernism, from Rockefeller Center (1933–1939) to Lever House (1952) and the Seagram Building (1958). Conrad revolutionized the production of architectural models and became an entrepreneur. Fankhänel’s research is based on the recent discovery of his fully-preserved private archive—models, photos, letters, business files, and drawings.

Teresa Fankhänel is a curator at the Architekturmuseum der TUM in Munich, Germany.

Tuesday December 7, 6:00pm
The Skyscraper Museum
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