Daydreams on Modernist Lamps + Architecture
A few years ago, I had a daydream. I was thinking about buildings a lot- I still do. My partner works in architecture, and thus I find myself surrounded by building lovers. My mind wandered to glass forms rising from the asphalt, a cabin in the woods and perfectly rounded windows, much like those of Wright’s on the Guggenheim, or the archway in the Chinese Scholar’s garden at Snug Harbor.
I was searching for lighting for our apartment in tandem and began contemplating the form of a lamp and the structure of a building, the way they speak to each other. Sometimes I see them as tiny buildings. It is no wonder, many elegant lamps were designed by architects. It seems every canon architect forayed into furniture design at some point. A month ago, I decided to see the dream through. My friends- prop stylist Adrian Ababovic, Jordan Hundelt and I packed up my Subaru with lamps and drove around New York, determined to photograph some of our favorite lamps outside of our favorite buildings before the security guards could have a real go at us.
We drove to the upper east side (hey, upper east siders), where we swerved over to catch a haphazard spot between the sidewalk ramp and a hydrant. We had pulled up in front of the Guggenheim, a fan favorite of Organic Modernism design. Here, the Creme T lamps sits in a porthole on the building’s south facade. Regards to the guard who laughed at us sprawled across the museum sidewalk.
These small reading Lytegem lamps are featured in MOMA’s collection, and were designed in 1965 by Michael Lax and produced by Lightolier- a New Jersey based company. We placed it in a patch of early morning sun in front of a newly built building in Dumbo (admittedly not modernist, womp womp). These images though are my favorite from the series.
We fastened these two 70’s clip-on lamps to the Joseph Curran Maritime Annex on 17th St., designed in 1966 by Bronx born architect Albert C Ledner. One of my favorite circular motif buildings- the top half is covered in large porthole windows and the street level on the back end of the building is covered in this smaller circular grate. The white lamp is borrowed from my friends at Collection Agency. As we drove away, I mused on how sad it is that many of these buildings aren’t landmarked yet, perhaps that would have stopped the sad renovation and removal of the glass brick accented entrance a few years ago on the building’s west facade.
The Lennox Health building, formally the headquarters for the National Maritime union, was built in 1964 by Albert Lerdner, who also designed the building above with the clip on lamps. I adore this buildings and it’s glass brick. The best part though is the upper half of the building, which has a scalloped overhang.
We made a quick pitstop on 3rd Ave and E 50th to get this German gooseneck lamp in front of a chrome pillar.
The Breuer Building is one of NYCs most recognizable brutalist / modernist buildings, having housed The Whitney, the Met’s collection, and most recently The Frick. We photographed this 1950’s standing lamp on the wall on the building’s north facade, and against the detail of a hexagonal iron gate along the same wall.
Our last stop was the Church of the Holy Family, which was designed by architect George J. Sole in 1965 and tucked into the United Nations neighborhood. It is one of my favorite churches in the city, with a beautifully maintained rose filled courtyard.
Going down this mental path the last month or so has reminded me of my travels the last few years, where our vacations have turned into mostly architectural tours personalized by my partner, Parker. Every time we go somewhere new, we mostly just start going down our list of buildings we want to see. Below are a few favorites.
Excavation and preservation machinery on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece
The view from our Airbnb in Athens in January 2023.
Inside a monastery outside Athens, Greece sits this wheel, originally turned via donkey to make olive oil.
The Lloyd building in London, which is built in the Bowellism style by Richard Rogers & Partners. The buildings is built with its guts on the outside, including ductwork, and elevators. Inside sits a law firm.
A riverboat architectural tour of my parent’s hometown, Chicago.
A few of our favorite spots we found in Milos, Greece last summer.
Architectural Digest Editors for AD Shopping
I recently got to photograph many of the NYC based Arch Digest team for the launch of AD Shopping. We went to 11 homes in three days and it was so beautiful to see their spaces. I photograph tome tours and interiors often, and its always striking how it can be such a reflection of the person who lives there. Below are a few of my favorite portraits I took with the AD team.
I also had the pleasure of photographing my own home for Arch Digest’s Clever, which I thought I would share here.
🫶 lovely read