Gunnar Birkerts facts for kids

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri, designed by Gunnar Birkerts, 1992–1994.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 1973, (now: Marquette Plaza), in its original design.

Gunnar Birkerts (Latvian: Gunārs Birkerts, January 17, 1925 – August 15, 2017) was a famous Latvian American architect. He spent most of his career working in the Detroit area in Michigan.

He designed many important buildings. Some of his well-known works include the Corning Museum of Glass and the Corning Fire Station in Corning, New York. He also designed Marquette Plaza in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2014, his design for the National Library of Latvia in Riga was finished.

The unique design of the Corning Fire Station. Small vehicles fit in the narrow part of the triangle. Other rooms like changing rooms and offices are at the wider base.

About Gunnar Birkerts

Early Life and Education

Gunnar Birkerts was born and grew up in Latvia. Near the end of World War II, he left Latvia to escape the Soviet army. He studied architecture in Germany and graduated from the Technische Hochschule, Stuttgart in 1949. He was inspired by Scandinavian design and the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

Moving to the United States

In 1949, Birkerts moved to the United States. He first worked for a company called Perkins and Will in Chicago. In the early 1950s, he moved to the Detroit area. There, he worked for famous architects like Eero Saarinen and Minoru Yamasaki. Later, he started his own architecture firm. He also had an office in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

His Own Firm and Teaching

Birkerts first worked with a partner in a firm called Birkerts and Straub. In 1963, he started his own company, Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, in Birmingham, Michigan. His firm won many awards for its projects.

He also taught architecture at the University of Michigan. He taught there from 1959 until 1990. He was honored with a special award for his teaching in 1989–90.

Notable Buildings Designed by Birkerts

Birkerts designed many important buildings across the United States. These include the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, the Corning Glass Museum, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. He also designed the University of Iowa College of Law and the Duluth Public Library in Duluth, Minnesota. He even designed the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.

One of his most meaningful projects was the National Library of Latvia in Riga. He was asked to design this new building in 1989. It is also known as the Castle of Light. Its design was inspired by an old Latvian folk tale about the Glass Mountain. The building was built between 2008 and 2014.

Awards and Recognition

Gunnar Birkerts received many honors for his work. In 1970, he became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He also became a Fellow of the Latvian Architect Association in 1971.

He won many individual awards, including:

• A fellowship from the Graham Foundation in 1971.
• The Gold Medal of the Michigan Society of Architects in 1980.
• The Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture in 1981.
• The Michigan Artist of the Year award in 1993.

He also received an honorary degree from Riga Technical University in 1990. In 1995, he received the Order of the Three Stars from Latvia. In 2000, he received the Great Medal of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

Birkerts was an honorary professor at The University of Illinois. He was also a member of the Latvian Union of Architects.

Personal Life and Family

Gunnar Birkerts was married to Sylvia, who survived him. They had three children:

• Sven Birkerts, who is a literary critic and professor.
• Andra Birkerts, who is an interior designer.
• Erik Birkerts.

Gunnar Birkerts passed away on August 15, 2017, at the age of 92. He died in Needham, Massachusetts, from heart failure.

Key Architectural Projects

Gunnar Birkerts worked on many projects throughout his career. Here are some of the most important ones, including those he worked on with other famous architects and those designed by his own firm.

Early Work with Other Architects

• With Perkins+Will:
  • Rockford Memorial Hospital, Rockford, Illinois (1950)
• With Eero Saarinen:
  • GM Tech Center, Warren, Michigan (1950–1955)
  • Milwaukee County War Memorial Building, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1950–1955)
  • Kresge Auditorium at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1953)
• With Minoru Yamasaki:
  • Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Main Terminal, St. Louis, Missouri (1956)

Projects by Gunnar Birkerts and Associates

• 1300 Lafayette East Apartments, Detroit, Michigan (1961–1963)
• University Reformed Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1963–1964)
• Fisher Administrative Center at the University of Detroit-Mercy, Detroit, Michigan (1964–1966)
• Lincoln Elementary School, Columbus, Indiana (1965–1967)
• Alfred Noble Branch Library, Livonia, Michigan (1967)
• Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota (1967–1973)
• Duluth Public Library, Duluth, Minnesota (1969–1979)
• IBM Corporate Computer Center, Sterling Forest, New York (1970–1972)
• Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas (1970–1972)
• Corning Municipal Fire Station, Corning, New York (1973–1974)
• Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York (1976–1980)
• University of Michigan Law Library Addition, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1974–1981)
• University of Iowa College of Law Building, Iowa City, Iowa (1979–1986)
• St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Columbus, Indiana (1980–1988)
• Baldwin Public Library Addition, Birmingham, Michigan (1981)
• Domino's Pizza Corporate Headquarters (Domino's Farms), Ann Arbor, Michigan (1984–1998)
• Schembechler Hall for the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1986–1990)
• United States Embassy, Caracas, Venezuela (1989–1996)
• National Library of Latvia, Riga, Latvia (1989–2014)
• Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri (1991–1994)
• Marriott Library Addition at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (1992–1996)
• Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, Michigan (1998–2003)
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library, San Jose, California (1998–2004)
• Kellogg Library at California State-San Marcos, San Marcos, California (2000–2004)
• The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Riga, Latvia (2002–)

See also

In Spanish: Gunnar Birkerts para niños