We’ve heard already about some other female pioneers of architecture in the past. From Zaha Hadid to Norma Merrick Sklarek, women are making themselves known in the architectural industry. Not only are these women making space for the next generation, but they are also redefining what people think of when they hear the word “architect.” The twelve I will be focusing on are by no means an exhaustive list of women’s achievements in architecture, so I do encourage you all to explore the other stories out there!
Jeanne Gang
In 2010, Jeanne Gang designed the Aqua Tower in Chicago. With its 82 stories, it was the tallest building in the city at that time and one of the tallest in the world designed by a woman. She then broke this record, creating the St. Regis Chicago Vista Tower with 101 stories, which is currently the third tallest building on the Chicago skyline. She uses recycled materials to create sustainable designs while increasing ecological and environmental awareness. She calls this practice of environmental friendliness “actionable idealism.” She teaches at Harvard Graduate School of Design and was awarded Architecture Innovator of the Year—unbeknownst to me when I was figuring out what category to put her in—in 2022 by WSJ Magazine.
Eileen Gray
A pioneer of the Modernist movement in architecture, Eileen Gray was born in Ireland in 1878. She trained at the Slade in London where she learned about lacquering and cabinet making. This would start her revolutionary work in furniture design, melting eventually into architectural contributions. She was one of the first to showcase chrome, steel tube, and glass furniture, and her “Dragons” armchair is still the most expensive piece of furniture of the 20th century to be sold at an auction ($28.3 million!). Her two major accomplishments in architecture were the houses in the Alpes Maritimes. While, the French Riviera villa was used as target practice by the Nazis, Cap Moderne has taken it upon themselves to restore the building to its former glory. In 1972, she was appointed as a Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts. You can find her adjustable table from the villa in the Museum of Modern Art in New York!
Neri Oxman
In 2008, Neri Oxman was called a “Revolutionary Mind” by SEED Magazine. On the Oxman website, the words “Nature x Humanity” perfectly sum up her architectural work. “OXMAN is a new kind of company fusing design, technology, and biology toward a future in which human-made and Nature-grown become one, enabling complete synergy between Nature and humanity.” So, what does that mean exactly? Well, Oxman, the pioneer of Material Ecology, is using her background in Design Computation to create materials from Nature itself. Her creations are indescribable and can be viewed here.
