Linsen Chai

Long held trust at the Library of Congress, the career of the architect Paul Rudolph is celebrated through this first retrospective of his career spanning five decades. Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph showcases more than 70 never before seen drawings, models, and various ephemera in the Met's first exhibition dedicated to architectural draftsmanship in decades.

The 3000 sq. ft. exhibition is divided in six sections which spans his serpentine career. From his modest residential designs at his beginnings to the massive scale of his drawings and projects in the 1960s and later in Asia, what transpires is his attention to linework and material detail. The exhibition design echoes his sensibilities working with angled A-frame walls to separate the different sections. This references first his usage of vibrant colours in projects such as the Yale Art and Architecture Building or the Burroughs Wellcome Building where additionally he explored large angled planes. The walls of the exhibition reminisces this architectural context as well as the drafting tables used to create the drawings inviting the viewer to lean in for closer inspection.

Paul Rudolph's legacy is most apparent in the way he permeated popular culture with his iconic architecture showcased through the video montage of films shot in his buildings or inspired by them. His projects and drawings have inspired generations of architects and the exhibition as a result has been lauded for finally giving him his due as reviewed here in the New York Times and Wallpaper Magazine.