Wallace K. Harrison, architect /

Wallace K. Harrison (1895-1981) will undoubtedly be remembered as the architect whose career was fostered by members of the Rockefeller family and who excelled at coordinating such major projects as Rockefeller Center, the United Nations complex, and the Empire State Plaza in Albany. This admiring but not uncritical biography of Harrison's professional life draws upon oral memoirs, interviews with a host of associates, clients, and friends, as well as other architects, to present the difficulties he confronted in these and other major projects. Especially notable were the changes in the design of the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, which occurred when a series of committees forced Harrison to modify his designs. In this and other examples, the book constitutes an allegory for the transformation of architectural practice from artistic endeavor to corporate entity in the 20th century. It shows Harrison's position within the changing definitions of modernism, and also places public conflicts within the context of Harrison's personal life--that of a man from very modest beginnings who by intelligence, character, and connections became one of the most important architects in 20th-century America. This thoughtful, well-written book will appeal to general readers and will be especially useful in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. D. Schuyler Franklin and Marshall College

In 1956, at the peak of his career, Time magazine rated Harrison the equal to Wright, Gropius, and Le Corbusier. While this assessment seems overstated today, Harrison was involved in some of the 20th century's most monumental building projects: Rockefeller Center, the 1939 New York World's Fair, the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and the infamous Albany Mall. Newhouse has written a well-researched and immensely readable account of Harrison's career, from his humble beginnings in Worcester, Massachusetts, to his long and complex association with the Rockefeller family. While Newhouse focuses on Harrison's larger projects, attention is also given to smaller-scale buildings--in many respects his most satisfying work--designed over the course of his long career. Highly recommended.-- H. Ward Jandl, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.