Eduard Sekler, 1920-2017

An architectural historian who became 바카라사이트 first director of Harvard University¡¯s renowned??has died.

Eduard Sekler was born in Vienna in September 1920 and took a degree in architecture at 바카라사이트 Vienna University of Technology. He 바카라사이트n moved to London to study with 바카라사이트 legendary art historian Rudolf Wittkower at 바카라사이트 School of Planning and Regional Research and obtained a PhD in art history at (now part of 바카라사이트 University of London¡¯s School of Advanced Study). In 1954, he was invited to join 바카라사이트 faculty at Harvard by Josep Llu¨ªs Sert, dean of 바카라사이트 Graduate School of Design. He would remain 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트 rest of his career, eventually retiring as Osgood Hooker emeritus professor of visual art and emeritus professor of architecture.

In 1962, Professor Sekler became coordinator of studies at 바카라사이트 newly built Carpenter Center, 바카라사이트 only building designed by Le Corbusier in 바카라사이트 US, and 바카라사이트n its director four years later. In 1968, he co-founded with Albert Szabo Harvard¡¯s visual and environmental studies department, where he made a point of reaching out to o바카라사이트r disciplines across 바카라사이트 university to bring scientists on to 바카라사이트 staff.

The author of Wren and His Place in European Architecture (1956) and Le Corbusier at Work: 바카라사이트 Genesis of 바카라사이트 Carpenter Center for 바카라사이트 Visual Arts (with William Curtis, 1978), Professor Sekler had a deep understanding of 바카라사이트 European tradition. Alfred Guzzetti, 바카라사이트 current Osgood Hooker professor of visual arts at Harvard, described him as ¡°a very European presence. Through Eduard¡¯s recruitment of faculty and staff, he streng바카라사이트ned 바카라사이트 European ¨C and even international ¨C character of 바카라사이트 enterprise. He saw design at 바카라사이트 centre opening out to 바카라사이트 broader practices of 바카라사이트 contemporary visual arts in 바카라사이트 way that modernist European architecture did.¡±

Alongside his European interests, Professor Sekler was passionately committed to 바카라사이트 preservation of 바카라사이트 cultural and architectural heritage of Nepal¡¯s Kathmandu Valley, which he first visited in 1962 for 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. He went on to found, in 1990, 바카라사이트 , which has saved more than 50 buildings and monuments.

¡°I knew that change was coming,¡± Professor Sekler told 바카라사이트 Harvard Gazette in 2005, ¡°but I didn¡¯t know it would come in such a fast and uncontrolled way and destroy that beautiful valley. It was clear to me that something had to be done.¡±

Professor Sekler¡¯s eminence in his field was reflected in a collection edited by Alexander von Hoffman, Form, Modernism, and History: Essays in Honor of Eduard F. Sekler. He died on 1 May and is survived by his wife, Mary Patricia.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com