Frederic Schwartz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederic Schwartz
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 1, 1951 |
| Died | April 28, 2014 (aged 63) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley Harvard |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Rome Prize (1985) |
| Practice | Frederic Schwartz Architects |
| Projects | Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal, New York (2005) The Rising (2006) Empty Sky (2011) Chennai International Airport (scheduled: 2015) |
Frederic David Schwartz (born April 1, 1951 – died April 28, 2014) was an American architect and city planner. He designed many important buildings and places. One of his most famous works is Empty Sky. This is the New Jersey 9-11 Memorial, which was opened on September 11, 2011. It honors those lost in the September 11 attacks.
Frederic Schwartz won the special Rome Prize in Architecture. He is also in the New York Hall of Fame. This group honors amazing New Yorkers who have helped make the city better. They also serve as good examples for young people. In 2003, First Lady Laura Bush honored him at the White House National Design Awards.
Contents
About Frederic Schwartz
Frederic Schwartz was born in Jamaica, Queens, a part of New York City. He grew up in Plainview. There, he watched new houses being built where potato fields used to be. This is where he started to build his "first houses" using old refrigerator boxes!
He studied architecture at Berkeley and Harvard. Later, he taught architectural design at famous universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. He also gave talks in America, Europe, China, and India. He wrote three books about architecture. He was part of a group called Creative Cities, which wanted to put culture and community at the heart of city planning.
Schwartz owned his own company, Frederic Schwartz Architects, in New York City. He loved New York and chose to have his office in SoHo. He said he could see many famous buildings from his window, like the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building. He liked to draw with a pen and said a "good day" was when he had "a lot of ink on my hands."
He was known for being an "activist and a humanist." This means he cared deeply about people and used his skills to help others. He worked on many big projects, especially along waterfronts. These included the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal and the Master Plan for the Shanghai World Expo 2010. His work won him many awards.
Schwartz also worked on "green" affordable housing. He helped the Housing Authority of Ghana design eco-friendly homes for new towns. He called much of his work a "Robin Hood practice." This meant he used money from bigger projects to help fund projects that truly "help people." He said his parents taught him the importance of giving and working hard.
Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal
Frederic Schwartz was the architect for the updated Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan. This terminal is a very busy place, with over 100,000 people using it every day. It's open 24 hours a day!
The new design made the terminal a major transportation hub. It connects to subway lines, bus lines, and taxis. You can also find bicycle lanes and other water transport options there. The terminal was designed to feel like a "gateway to the city." It has amazing views of Manhattan's tall buildings and the harbor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the terminal makes you "feel like you're part of the city." Many people called it a beautiful addition to the city.
Helping New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Frederic Schwartz was chosen to help rebuild part of the city. He focused on creating affordable and strong housing. He wanted to use this chance to make the city fairer and stronger for everyone.
He believed that rebuilding after a disaster was a chance to make cities better. He wanted to focus on caring for the environment and helping people, especially those who were poor. He worked hard to involve the people living in New Orleans in the planning. He made sure the new homes looked like the old ones but were also modern and well-designed.
September 11 Memorials
Frederic Schwartz was in Manhattan during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He was deeply affected by the tragedy. He believed that architecture could help the city and its people heal.
He created a group called the "THINK Team." They wanted to help plan how to rebuild Ground Zero. Their idea was to replace the World Trade Center with a "World Culture Center." This would be a group of educational and cultural buildings. It would include a concert hall, a library, and a museum about 9/11. Their design also included two steel structures where the original towers stood, but they would not touch the exact spots out of respect.
Even though his design wasn't chosen for Ground Zero, it received a lot of praise. The New York Times called him "The Man Who Dared the City to THINK Again."
Schwartz later won competitions to design two other 9/11 memorials:
- The Rising in Westchester County, New York. This memorial won an award in 2007. It's a place for families and visitors to remember loved ones and reflect.
- Empty Sky in New Jersey. This memorial was opened on September 11, 2011. It stands in Liberty State Park, across from Ground Zero. It was chosen by the families of the victims from 320 different designs.
Chennai International Airport
One of Frederic Schwartz's international projects was the Chennai International Airport in Chennai, India. He worked with other design groups on this project. They planned new terminals, parking garages, and roads.
This airport will be special because it will have two beautiful, green gardens inside the terminals. These gardens will be seen through tall glass walls. The design also collects rainwater from the large, wing-shaped roofs. This water is stored and used to water the gardens during the dry season. The airport will be India's "greenest airport" because of its eco-friendly technology. It will also be one of the most modern airports in South Asia.
Death
Frederic Schwartz passed away from prostate cancer on April 28, 2014. He was 63 years old.
Projects
- Raipur Airport, Raipur, India (2007–2008)
- The Rising (9-11 memorial)
- Empty Sky (9-11 memorial)
- Pike County Library, Milford, PA (2007–2008)
- Kalahari Mixed Use Development, New York, NY (2003–2008)
- Nike SoHo, New York, NY (2007–2008)
- Santa Fe Railyard Park, Santa Fe, NM (2006)
- Deutsch Inc., New York, NY (1992–2005)
- Knoll, New York, NY (2004)
- Deutsch Inc., Los Angeles, CA (2002)
- Southwest Regional Capitol, Toulouse, France (1992–1999)
Awards
Frederic Schwartz won many awards for his designs. He won international competitions, including one for a very tall skyscraper in Shanghai, China.
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Awards
Here are some awards he received from the AIA, a major group for architects:
- 2009 AIA New York State Award, Staten Island Ferry Terminal, New York, NY
- 2009 AIA New York/Boston Urban Design Honor Award, Santa Fe Railyard Park, NM
- 2008 AIA Louisiana Urban Design Honor Award, Unified New Orleans Plan, New Orleans, LA
- 2008 AIA New York Urban Design Award, Unified New Orleans Plan, New Orleans, LA
- 2007 AIA Louisiana Project Award, New Orleans Shotgun Loft House, New Orleans, LA
- 2006 AIA New York Project Award, New Orleans Shotgun Loft House, New Orleans, LA
- 2005 AIA Westchester Honor Award, Westchester 9/11 Memorial, Westchester, NY
- 2005 AIA Westchester Project Award, Westchester 9/11 Memorial, Westchester, NY
- 2005 AIA Tennessee Award of Excellence, Nashville, TN (Shelby Street Bridge)
- 2004 AIA New York Project Award, World Trade Center Master Plan, New York, NY (Think)
- 2004 AIA New Jersey Honor Award, New Jersey 9/11 Memorial, Liberty State Park, NJ
- 2003 AIA National Honor Award for Collaborative Achievement (New York New Visions)
- 2003 AIA Long Island Design Excellence Award, Deutsch LA, Los Angeles, CA
- 2003 AIA New York Interior Design Award, Deutsch LA, Los Angeles, CA
- 2003 AIA Chicago Interior Design Award, San Diego Zoo Store, San Diego, CA
- 2002 AIA New York Special Design Award, Possible Futures, New York, NY
- 2002 AIA San Diego Interior Design Award, San Diego Zoo Store, San Diego, CA
- 1999 AIA Chicago Interior Design Award, Shedd Aquarium Store, Chicago, IL
- 1996 AIA New York Interior Design Award, Bumble+Bumble, New York, NY
- 1995 AIA New York Interior Design Award, SMA Video, New York, NY
- 1995 AIA New York Project Award, New York Newsstand, New York, NY
- 1994 AIA New York Project Award, Lake Sebago House, Maine
- 1993 AIA New York Interior Design Award, Chelsea Pictures, New York, NY
- 1982 AIA National Honor Award, Block Island Houses, Block Island, RI (with Robert Venturi)
Other Awards
Here are some other awards Frederic Schwartz received:
- 2008 New York City Hall of Fame
- 2007 National Honor Award, Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art, Architecture (Westchester 9/11)
- 2006 Diamond Award for Engineering Excellence, ACEC New York, (Staten Island Ferry Terminal)
- 2005 Winner, People's Choice Award, New York NOW, Center for Architecture, New York, NY
- 2004 Winner, Cityscape/Architectural Review Architecture Award 2004 (Shanghai World Expo 2010)
- 2004 Winner, Cityscape/Architectural Review Planning Award 2004 (Shanghai World Expo 2010)
- 2004 International Interior Design Association, 10 Best of Decade Design Award (Deutsch LA)
- 2003 Finalist, National Honor Award in Architecture, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
- 2003 Lawrence M. Orton Award, New York Metro Chapter, American Planning Association
- 2002 First Prize (Big Store of the Year), National Retail Association, San Diego Zoo Store
- 1992 Met 100: Architects We'd Hire, Metropolitan Home
- 1991 Record Interiors of the Year, Architectural Record
- 1991 AD 100: Architectural Digest World Top 100 Architects
- 1990 Record Houses of the Year, Architectural Record
- 1988 Emerging Voices, Architectural League of New York
- 1988 New York City Arts Commission Award of Honor, Rector Gate
- 1987 40 Under 40, Interiors Magazine
- 1985 Young Architects Award, Architectural League of New York
- 1985 Rome Prize in Architecture, American Academy in Rome, Rome, Italy
- 1984 Young Architects Award, Architectural League of New York
- 1983 National Endowment for the Arts Design Fellowship
Published Works
Frederic Schwartz also wrote books about architecture:
- Introduction, Alan Buchsbaum: Architect and Designer, by Rosalind Kraus, Monacelli Publishes, 1996, ISBN: 978-1-885254-39-9
- Mother's House (co-authored with Robert Venturi), Rizzoli Publishers, 1992, published in English, Japanese, and German, ISBN: 978-0-8478-1141-0
Images for kids
-
The Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal, Lower Manhattan
-
The message board at the Whitehall Terminal, showing the message, "Have a nice day."
-
Relaxing with his mother, Charlotte Schwartz, May 2006.
-
Artist's rendering of visitors at Empty Sky, Liberty State Park, NJ, New Jersey State 9-11 memorial
