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The Guggenheim celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th birth year kicking off on Thursday, June 8, Wright’s 150th birthday, with a special reduced admission of $1.50. Visitors will be treated to free birthday cupcakes in the Guggenheim’s newly renovated Cafe 3, which will feature large-scale, rarely seen photographs of the museum during its construction. An actor-historian portraying Frank Lloyd Wright will be on-site engaging with visitors between 9 am and 1 pm.

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Moderator: Louise Braverman, FAIA
Panel: Cynthia Davidson, James Biber, FAIA, Max Levy, FAIA

What is the place of the museum in the modern city? What role does architecture play? How can these buildings be effectively interpreted?

Frank Lloyd Wright’s design for the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan broke with all existing conventions, setting a new standard for the postwar art museum and, together with the Museum of Modern Art, firmly establishing the city of New York as the cultural capital of the 20th century. A decade later, the significance of this new architectural genre was not lost on Georges Pompidou when he commissioned the cultural center that would eventually carry his name—and launch the successful careers of its architects, Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers—hoping that it would position Paris as New York’s cultural rival.

Thanks to parametric design and digital fabrication it is now possible to massproduce non-standard, highly differentiated products, from shoes and tableware to furniture and now even houses. Variety no longer compromises the efficiency and economy of production. Furthermore, parametric definitions of products’ geometry are made accessible via interactive websites to anyone, who could then design their own, unique versions of the product. Such “democratization” of design – through mass-customization – raises many interesting questions such as the authorship of design and the functional and esthetic quality of products (shoes, tableware, furniture, houses…) designed by non-designers. This symposium explores social, cultural and design implications of this emerging “design democracy”, including its technological origins.

Dwell on Design brings together the brightest people, latest products, and curated content in modern design under one roof. Held each year at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the exhibition and conference showcase the best in modern design materials, furniture and accessories, home technology, garden and outdoor materials, kitchen & bath, and international design. Dwell on Design features world-class speakers, continuing education classes for interior design professionals, and talks for design-seeking consumers on Saturday and Sunday.

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