Richard Meier - Architect Case Study http://socratesarchitects.com

1. Nicholas Socrates
2008
Richard Meier
Richard Meier, born in Newark, New Jersey, USA, in 1934.
He graduated from the Cornell University in Ithica, New
York. Establishing his office ‘Richard Meier & Partners
Architects’, in New York’.
As well as MACBA, examples of his world famous buildings
are; The Getty Centre, in Los Angeles, California, conceived
from 1984 – 1997, and the Hague City Hall & Central
Library, in the Netherlands, from 1987 – 1995. Up to date
Richard Meier has had over 80 modernist buildings
created. All of which are pristine and white. In 1998 he was
awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Meiers first project was the Smith house, in Darien, Connecticut, in 1965.
In 1980 -1983 Meier designed the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.

2. The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI)
works internationally to advance the
field of conservation through scientific
research, field projects, education and
training, and the dissemination of
information in various media.
The Getty Center in Los Angeles was
designed by architect Richard Meier
and opened in 1997.
The mission of the Institute is to
enhance and encourage the
preservation and understanding of
the visual arts in all of their
dimensions - objects, collections,
architecture, and sites - by
addressing unanswered questions, The East Building at the Getty Center
demonstrating best conservation houses the GCI, the Grant Program
practice, and contributing to the and the Leadership Institute.
development of sustainable
conservation solutions.
The Atheneum of New Harmony, Indiana 1978
The Hague City Hall & Central Library, in the Netherlands, from 1987 – 1995.

3. A grand civic gesture and an elegant
mega-structure in one project, this
combination of city hall and library is a
harmony of systems/masterfully
integrated into the city fabric and urban
space
The whole ensemble has a simple unity.
Richard Meier: 'I look forward to the
atrium functioning as the heart of the city.'
Meier's architecture is very interested in
light, space and its existence in whiteness.
In this case the technology of the fabric
and the environment of the atrium are of
particular interest.
The detail design of the building fabric
and its structure incorporate measures to
handle rainwater and reduce staining. The
aluminium plate cladding is designed to
extremely fine dimensional tolerances and
both the cladding and glass have to be
washed at regular intervals, inside and
out, in order to fulfil the contractual guarantees of the supplier with regard to exposure,
dirt and salt in the marine environment.
Similarly, the control of daylight, heat gain and air movement within the atrium has been
carefully engineered, including the use of airlocks related to public access, the use of E-
glass in the atrium roof to avoid heat gain and heating coils below the glazed roof to
avoid cold-drop in various environmental conditions, all coupled with variable natural
ventilation and cooling.
The Hague project is a grand civic gesture and an elegant mega-structure in one project
containing a public space of spectacular scale. It also establishes Richard Meier as a civic
architect of international stature, capable of delivering a new form of urban order - a
creator of the public realm. This creation is essentially very direct and simple, related
not just to the city but to the climate - the visible city centre is the people's atrium, a
sheltered celebration of democracy, space and light.
The Pankra City Masterplan Prague, Czech Republic

4. The prestigious multifunction centre,
is one of Richard Meier’s ongoing
projects, since 2000, the CITY, is
located in the middle of the Pankrác
Plain in an area with a high population
density and an extraordinarily well-
developed infrastructure.
Pankrac City is a multi-functional real
estate development project for the
capital city of the Czech Republic that
incorporates the design of the Master
Plan and the requirements of modern
business, retail and entertainment.
With Good transport accessibility and a
direct connection to the North/South
Artery and the city ring road enhances
the attractiveness of the site.
The resulting framework for the
pedestrian and vehicle circulation
minimizes supply and transportation
loads on the public infrastructure. It
maximizes opportunities inherent in
the size, location and
characteristics of the land
and the existing buildings,
while accommodating the
anticipated program.
The plan provides public
spaces and completes the
urban fabric of the site
within the parameters of
urban context, investment
concerns, development
potential and function,
whilst sensitively
reflecting the historic
context of this part of the
Czech capital and, at the
same time, would
contribute to the revival of
this area of the city.