Authors On Architecture: Harby & Fisher on Venturi’s Rome
SAH/SCC Lecture & Book Signing, Santa Monica
Saturday, July 21,2018, 01:00 PM
Please
join SAH/SCC, the Southern California Chapter of the Institute of
Classical Architecture and Art, and the Santa Monica Public Library as
architects Stephen Harby and Frederick Fisher, AIA, share from their guidebook Robert
Venturi’s Rome (Oro Editions, 2017). The book takes the reader on a journey
through the Italian capital as seen through the eyes of architect Robert
Venturi, FAIA, author of the classic text Complexity and Contradiction in
Architecture (Museum of Modern Art, 1966), a book that became fundamental to
the development of every young architect’s outlook on architecture.
Written by two
winners of the prestigious Rome Prize, this new book re-visits the Roman
buildings and places that stimulated Venturi and reexamines them with the
perspective of 50 years of architectural advancements. It also features
exceptionally beautiful watercolor illustrations of the sites by Fisher and
Harby.
Fisher is an
architect known for creating environments of timeless beauty and meaning with
an emphasis on light and connection to art and nature. He earned his Bachelor
of Arts degree from Oberlin College and Master’s Degree in Architecture from
UCLA. Santa Monica is home to numerous buildings by his firm, Frederick Fisher &
Partners, including the Hillstone restaurant (2005), the Annenberg Community
Beach House (2009), and a science building for Crossroads School (2015).
Harby practiced
architecture with the late Charles Moore, FAIA, and was a Visiting Lecturer at
the Yale School of Architecture from 2001 to 2016. Harby is also a recognized
artist with his work found in the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a longtime
member of the Society of Architectural Historians and has conducted numerous
tours and programs for many years.
The free talk
by the authors will focus on the genesis of the idea for the project, the
importance of Venturi’s text, how they went about approaching the sites,
representing them through sketches and paintings, and the research and analysis
that went into presenting these materials coherently to the reader. Books will
be available for sale and signing.
Harby &
Fisher on Venturi’s Rome—Saturday,
July 21, 2018; 1-3pm; MLK Auditorium, Santa Monica Main Library; 601 Santa
Monica Blvd.; free; seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis;
310.458.8600.