Michael Sorkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Sorkin
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| Born |
Michael David Sorkin
August 2, 1948 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Died | March 26, 2020 (aged 71) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Architect, urban designer, writer, educator |
| Spouse(s) |
Joan Copjec
(m. 1982) |
| Practice | Michael Sorkin Studio |
Michael David Sorkin (born August 2, 1948 – died March 26, 2020) was an American expert in architecture and cities. He was known as a designer, a teacher, and a writer who shared his strong ideas. Many people thought he was "one of architecture's most outspoken public intellectuals." This means he was a very clear and brave voice in how we think about cities and design.
Sorkin first became well-known as a writer for The Village Voice, a newspaper in New York City. He wrote about architecture there for ten years in the 1980s. Later, he taught at many famous universities around the world. He also ran his own design company, started a non-profit book publisher, and led a special program about city design at the City College of New York. He passed away at 71 years old because of problems from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Sorkin was born in Washington, D.C., in 1948. He was an architect and urbanist, which means he worked on designing buildings and planning cities. His work included design, planning, writing, and teaching.
Sorkin earned his first degree from the University of Chicago in 1969. He then got a master's degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1974. He also had a master's degree in English from Columbia University in 1970. He was the main leader of the Michael Sorkin Studio. This was a design company based in New York that worked all over the world. They were especially interested in urban planning (how cities are planned), urban design (how city spaces look and work), and green urbanism (making cities environmentally friendly).
Career Highlights
Starting His Career
In the 1980s, Sorkin was the main architecture writer for The Village Voice. He wrote many articles and books. These writings were about modern architecture, design, cities, and how democracy plays a part in architecture.
Teaching and Education
Sorkin was a professor at many universities. From 1993 to 2000, he was a professor of urbanism and led the Institute of Urbanism at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. He was also a visiting professor at many schools, including Cooper Union in New York for ten years.
He held special teaching positions at other universities too. These included the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Yale University, and the University of Michigan. He also gave talks and reviewed student work at places like the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and Harvard University.
Sorkin cared deeply about using architectural education to help society. He led projects in difficult areas like Johannesburg, South Africa, and Havana, Cuba. He also helped organize "Project New Orleans" after Hurricane Katrina. This project aimed to help rebuild the city. In 2008, he became a special professor of architecture at the City University of New York.
Design Work
Michael Sorkin was the head of the Michael Sorkin Studio. His studio in New York City mostly focused on designing public spaces in cities. Sorkin designed environmental projects in Hamburg, Germany. He also suggested big plans for the Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem. Other plans included the Brooklyn waterfront and Queens Plaza in New York City.
His studies on cities have been shown in art galleries. In 2010, he won an award in architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Sorkin often spoke at conferences around the world. He also helped judge many professional design competitions. These included the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Sorkin was also a leader in important organizations. He was the co-president of the Institute for Urban Design. This group works to educate people and support good urban design. He was also the vice president of the Urban Design Forum in New York.
Selected Urban Planning Projects
- 1994: A big plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront.
- 1994: A proposal for Südraum Leipzig in Germany.
- 1998: An alternative plan for the University of Chicago campus.
- 2001: A plan for the Arverne Urban Renewal Area in Queens, New York.
- 2001: A plan for Lower Manhattan.
- 2004: A project for Penang Peaks in Penang, Malaysia.
- 2005: A big plan for New City in Chungcheong, South Korea.
- 2009: Design for the Seven Star Hotel, a tall building in Tianjin, China.
- 2010: A study called Feeding New York in New York.
- 2010: A plan for Lower Manhattan shown in an exhibition.
- 2012: A design idea for the Xi'an, China Airport Office Building.
- 2013: A project called 28+: MOMA PS1 Rockaway.
- 2013: A survey for a new New York City Football Stadium.
- 2013: An alternative plan for NYU.
Writing and Publishing
Sorkin wrote a lot about architecture. He wrote about modern architecture and how cities change. He also covered topics like environmentalism, sustainability (making things last), pedestrianization (making areas for walking), public space, and urban culture. He was part of the International Committee of Architectural Critics.
For ten years, Sorkin was the architecture writer for The Village Voice. He also wrote for many other well-known magazines and newspapers. These included Architectural Record, The New York Times, Metropolis, and Vanity Fair. He also edited books with many different authors. In total, he wrote 20 books himself.
Legacy and Awards
His Passing
Michael Sorkin passed away on March 26, 2020. He died from problems caused by COVID-19 in Manhattan. His death was a big loss for the design world at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. News of his death was shared internationally, and many people in architecture and media paid tribute to him.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2009, 2010: He became a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- 2010: He received the Graham Foundation Architecture Award.
- 2011: He received another Graham Foundation award for his work New York City (Steady) State.
- 2013: He won the Design Mind Award from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
- 2015: He was named a Fellow in Architecture, Planning, and Design by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Sorkin para niños
