Richard Meier's work is easily recognized in most cases by the use of white and its uses. He established his own pattern of work, which today serves as the inspiration for great architects, forming a school of his architecture.

Photos from richardmeier.com.

Richard Meier was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 12th, 1934. He studied architecture in Cornell University, graduating in 1957.

“I believe that architecture has the power to inspire, to elevate the spirit, to feed both the mind and the body. It is for me the most public of the arts.”

Influences

After college, Meier worked in several architecture offices. In 1959, he worked briefly for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, after working for 3 years for Marcel Breuer.

In 1963 he started his own work in New York and already in 1972 was identified as one of The New York Five, together with Peter Eisenmanm, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey and John Hejduk.

Richard Meier was greatly influenced by architect Le Corbusier, using many of his ideas in his work. Mies Van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright were also extremely important for his career.

Works

Meier has a concept of designing very clear and his works are easily recognized. Over time one can see the consistency and dedication in his work which forms his philosophy in all works. His more recent works, however, show a greater refinement compared with his first projects.

Richard Meier has done countless residential projects, all with interesting variations on the theme while every solution maintaining a great aesthetic quality and functionality. In 1984 he received the Pritzker Prize, rewarding a great career and a great variety of work performed.

“White is the most wonderful color because within it you can see all the colors of the rainbow. The whiteness of white is never just white; it is almost always transformed by light and that which is changing; the sky, the clouds, the sun and the moon.”

Lambert House, New York, USA.

Smith House, New York, USA

Saltzman House, New York, USA

Bronx Development Center, New York, USA

Douglas House, Michigan, USA

Museum for the Decorative Arts, Frankfurt, Germany

Siemens Headquarters Building, Munich, Germany

The Getty Center, California, USA

Siemens Office and Research Facilities, Munich, Germany

Richard Meyer & Partners New York Office, New York, USA

Barcelona Museum of Contemporany Art, Barcelona, Spain

KNP Headquarters, Hilversum, The Netherlands

Camden Medical Centre, Singapore

Rachofsky House, Texas, USA

United States Courthouse, New York, USA

Gagosian Gallery, California, USA

United States Courthouse, Arizona, USA

Ara Pacis Museum, Rome, Italy

Jubilee Church, Rome, Italy

Tan House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Peek & Cloppenburg Department Store, Düsseldorf, Germany

Southern California Beach House, California, USA

UCLA Eli & Edythe Broad Art Center, California, USA

Burda Museum, Baden-Baden, Germany

Joy Apartment, New York, USA

Arp Museum, Rolandseck, Germany

Malibu Beach House, California, USA

9900 Wilshire, California, USA

Tianjin Villa, Tianjin, China

On Prospect Park, New York, USA