Charles Gwathmey - Triangle Modernist Houses - America's Largest Archive of Residential Modernist Design

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With Richard Meier

CHARLES GWATHMEY, FAIA (1938-2009)

Charles Gwathmey was a native of Charlotte NC. After his family moved to New York City, he attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, graduating in 1956. He studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University, receiving a Master of Architecture degree in 1962 at the latter. At Yale, he won both The William Wirt Winchester Travelling Fellowship as outstanding graduate and a Fulbright Grant. From 1962-1963 he worked for Candilis Josic Woods in Paris, France; from 1963-1964 at George Nemeny Architects in New York City, and from 1964-1966 for Edward Larrabee Barnes in New York City.

In 1966 he rose to fame for a house and studio for his parents in Amagansett, NY. Gwathmey was not a licensed architect at the time. When he did take the professional licensing exam, he was surprised to see a multiple-choice question on the test that asked "Which of these is the organic house?" The choices included the house he designed for his parents. He wanted to answer that the organic house was his, but in order to pass the exam he chose Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater House. He knew that was the answer they wanted. He passed.

Gwathmey went into partnership with Richard Henderson to form Gwathmey and Henderson, Architects. In 1968, the firm became Gwathmey Henderson and Siegel Architects. After Henderson's departure in 1970, the now-iconic Gwathmey Siegel & Associates was established.

In the decades since, Gwathmey has been honored with the Brunner Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1970) and elected to the Academy of Fellows (1976). In 1983, he won the Medal of Honor from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1985, he received the first Yale Alumni Arts Award from the Yale School of Architecture. Three years later, the Guild Hall Academy of Arts awarded Gwathmey its Lifetime Achievement Medal in Visual Arts. In 1990 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York State Society of Architects.

From 1965 through 1991, Gwathmey taught at Pratt Institute, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Princeton University, Columbia University, the University of Texas, and the University of California at Los Angeles. He was Davenport Professor (1983 and 1999) and Bishop Professor (1991) at Yale, and the Eliot Noyes Visiting Professor at Harvard University (1985). In the spring of 2005, he served as the William A. Bernoudy Resident in Architecture at the American Academy in Rome.

Gwathmey was one of the highly lauded "New York Five" included in a Museum of Modern Art exhibition and subsequent book in 1969. His most famous commercial design is the 1992 renovation/addition of Frank Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in New York, left. He has been a partner in Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects since 1968.

Additional Resources: 1980 Interview * 2000 Interview with Charlie Rose

His only North Carolina buildings are the 1994 Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel Center at Duke University, the UNC-Charlotte School of Architecture (with Ferebee Walters), and the 2002 Louise Cameron Wells Museum in Wilmington, shown below.

After Gwathmey's death in 2009, the Cameron Art Museum sponsored a lecture on his life and career.

1964 - His first house commission, The Gerald Miller Residence, on Fire Island NY.

1966 - The Robert and Rosalie Gwathmey Residence and Studio, 122 Bluff Road, Amagansett NY on Long Island. Gwathmey became a sensation doing these house and studio buildings for his parents. Costing $35,000, the Gwathmey houses attracted throngs of visitors and was consistently named one of the most influential buildings of the modern era. Built by John Caramagna. In 2001, Gwathmey inherited the house from his mother and moved in. He began a renovation that included covering the original concrete floor with marble. Stairs and dining room photos by Scott Francis/Esto.

1968 - The Joseph Sedacca Residence, 19 Northwest Landing Road, Northwest Harbor NY. 1100 square feet on three acres. Built by John Caramagna. Won a 1968 AIA NY Honor Award. Sold by Sedacca to current owner Paul A. Amador in 1993. Color photos by Paul Amador.

1968 - The Roger Straus III Residence, 3558 Purchase Street, Purchase NY. 6566 sf. Won a 1968 AIA National Honor Award. An Architectural Record House of 1968. Sold by Nina Straus in October 2007.

1969 - The Jack D. and Barbara Goldberg Residence, 119 Wyneding Hill Road, Manchester CT. 2367 sf. Was an Architectural Record House in 1969. Featured in the New York Times in 1969.

1969 - The Kenneth Cooper House, 35 Bufflehead Lane, Orleans MA. Left photo by Bill Maris. 1263 sf. Commissioned 1968. Sold in 2003.

1971 - The John Steel and Arthur J. and Ruth Steel Residences, aka the Steel Residences I and II, Bridgehampton NY. Two houses - plans similar to that he did for his parents.

1970 - The Faye Dunaway Apartment, New York NY. Photos by Ezra Stoller/Esto.

1970 - The Eskilson Residence, Roxbury CT (unbuilt).

1971 - The Tolan Residence, Amagansett NY.

1973 - The Breslow Apartment, aka the New York Apartment, New York NY. Designed for a writer and his wife. Bottom photo by Tom Yee.

1971 - The Marshall and Maureen Cogan Residence, five acres at East Hampton NY, a rectangular pavilion intersected with three ramps and a living area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Marshall Kogan was the former owner of Knoll. Photos by Ezra Stoller/Esto. Rendering from Archibase.

1973 - The Elia-Bash House, Califon NJ. Strangely, no live photos of this house seem to exist. It was built, however. Featured in Architectural Record July 1974.

1973 - The Maurice and Marilyn Cohn Residence, 54 Sandpiper Lane, Amagansett NY. An ocean dune site with a steep slope to the cul-de-sac access road. Won a AIANY Design Award in 1974. Photos by David Franzen. Commissioned 1972.

1975 - The Sagner House, Orange NJ. Unbuilt. Commissioned 1973.

1973 - The David Geffen Residence, Malibu CA. Unbuilt.

1977 - The Robert Buettner Residence, 67 Johnsontown Road, aka Stony Brook Drive, Sloatsburg NY. Commissioned 1974.

1976 - The Charof House, Montauk NY. Commissioned 1974.

Sold to current owner Ted Stone in 2001. Color photo by James Wilkins.

1975 - The Unger Apartment, New York NY. Featured in Architectural Record 1976.

1977 - The Harry Kislevetz Residence, 10 Lott Avenue, Westhampton NY on Long Island. Left photo by Norman McGrath. Commissioned 1974. Built from within a shell of a Spanish-style house.

1976 - The Melville I. Haupt Residence, 43 Gilberts Path, Amagansett NY. Top right photo by Marvin McGrath. Featured in Architectural Record May 1979.

1976 - The Weitz House in Quogue NY on Long Island. Featured in Architectural Record September 1979.

1977 - The William and Esther Benenson House, Rye NY. Won a AIANY Design Award.
Was a 1980 Architectural Record house.

1977 - The Swid Apartment I, New York NY. Color photo by Norman McGrath. The Swids will commission a second apartment (see below).

1977 - The Crowley Residence, Greenwich CT. Probably unbuilt.

1979 - The David Geffen Apartment, New York NY. Commissioned 1977. Color photos by Norman McGrath.

1980 - The Lloyd Taft House, around 4412 Drake Road in the Indian Hill area of Cincinnati OH. Commissioned 1978. Sold to the Olson family. Minor alterations by Carl Strauss Associates around 1990 and by Stewart Shillito Maxwell, Jr. later in the 1990s.

1979 - The Hines Residence, Martha's Vineyard MA. Unbuilt.

1979 - The François de Menil House, 19 Crestwood Drive, Houston TX.

1979 - The Block Residence, Wilmington NC. Unbuilt.

1979 - The Viereck Residence, Amagansett NY.

1981 - The Arango Apartment, New York NY. Photos by Norman McGrath.

1981 - The deMenil Residence, Santa Monica CA.

1981 - The deMenil Residence, New York NY. Unbuilt.

1982 - The Steinberg Apartment, New York NY.

1983 - The Francois deMenil Residence (aka Toad Hall), 428 Further Lane, East Hampton North NY. 10000 square feet. Commissioned in 1979. Sold for $8M in 1988 to current owner Larry Gagosian. Renovated by Gwathmey in 1990.

1983 - The Steven Spielberg Apartment, located in the San Remo building, New York NY. 2500 square feet.

1983 - The Swid Apartment II renovation, New York NY. Photo by Paul Warchol.

1984 - The Sagner Residence, Essex Fells NJ. Unbuilt.

1986 - The Barry and Patricia Gimelstob Residence, Harding Township, New Vernon NJ.
Bottom two photos by Norman McGrath.

1987 - The John R. and Julia Opel Residence, 297 Adirondack Drive, Shelburne VT. Commissioned 1985. 7000 square feet on 12 acres. Most photos by Richard Bryant/Arcaid. Bottom two photos by Peter Close. The Opels sold it in 2007. Unbelievably, the new owner destroyed it in 2010.

1988 - The Garey House, Kent CT. 4000 square feet on nine acres. Ambrosino, DePinto & Schmieder were the Consulting Engineers. 5000 square feet. Commissioned 1983.

1988 - The Steven Spielberg Residence, East Hampton NY. 5000 square feet on six acres.
Top photo by Richard Bryant. Commissioned 1985.

1988 - The Charles Gwathmey Apartment, his own in New York NY. 2500 sf. Photo by Paul Warchol.

1988 - The Rosen Townhouses, New York NY.

1989 - The Robert Steinberg Residence, Gracie Lane, Apaquogue, East Hampton NY. Bottom photo by Steven Brooke. Commissioned 1986. 8500 square feet on four acres. Sold to Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks.

1990 - The Cary F. Staller Residence, Old Field NY. Unsure if built.

1992 - The Koppelman/Sobel Apartment, New York NY. Photos by Durston Saylor.

1993 - The Jeffrey Katzenberg Residence, aka the Oceanfront Residence, 22350 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Top photo is the view from the Pacific Coast Highway, next photo from the beach. Commissioned 1988. 11000 square feet.

1994 - The Thomas and Christina Bechtler Residence, aka the Zumikon Residence, Rigistrasse and Rigiweg Roads, Zumikon Switzerland. Overlooks Lake Zurich. Commissioned 1990. 10225 square feet.

1994 - The Chen Residence, Taipei Taiwan. Commissioned 1990. A massive 40,000 square feet. Unbuilt.

1995 - The Pomerantz Apartment, New York NY. 2300 sf. Photos by Paul Warchol.

1997 - The Jerry and Ilene Kosberg Residence, aka the San Onofre Residence, 1600 San Onofre Drive, Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles CA. Consulting Electrical Engineers: Athans Enterprises. Commissioned 1993. 18000 square feet on 1.5 acres. Kosberg also owns 1571 Casale down the hill next door.

1997 - The Michael Dell Residence, aka Villa Austin, aka the Hilltop House, 3400 Toro Canyon Road, Austin TX. Overlooks Lake Austin. The complex is 33,000 square feet, has 8 bedrooms and bathrooms, 13 half baths, a conference room, a restaurant quality kitchen, an exercise room, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, cabanas, and a five-level terraced lawn. One of the most expensive homes in Texas. On 85 acres. Commissioned 1993.

1999 - The Winnick Apartment, located in a hotel at the southeast corner fo Central Park, New York NY. 2000 sf/ Photos by Paul Warchol.

2000 - The Ronald Meyer Residence, aka the Malibu Residence, 27600 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Commissioned 1993. The top photo was an early 1990's design that was scaled back for a second, smaller version actually built.

2001 - The Arie and Rebecka Belldegrun Residence, aka the Bel Air Residence, 811 Strada Vecchia Road, Los Angeles CA. 15,000 square feet. Top photo by Scott Francis/Esto.

2001 - The Jerry Seinfeld Apartment, aka the Central Park West Apartment, Beresford Hotel, 19th and 20th floors, 211 Central Park West, New York NY. 3800 sf. Photos by Christopher Wild. Seinfeld bought the unit from Isaac Stern. Planning began in 1998, construction in 1999.

2002 - The Alvin and Joan Einbender Apartment, aka the Gymnasium Apartment, 240 Centre Street 5H, aka the Police Building, New York NY. Located in the 1909 building's former gymnasium. The NY Police Dept. moved out in 1973 and the building was converted to luxury condominiums in 1987. There are 55 apartments on six floors. This unit took four years to completeand was the only apartment Gwathmey designed from the ground up. 6600 square feet. On the market since May 2008. Photos by Paul Warchol.

2002 - The Ron and Ann Pizzuti Apartment, aka the Miranova Apartment, aka House on the Roof, 1 Miranova Place
Columbus OH. A 12000 sf two-story penthouse. Photos by Scott Frances. The owners are the developers of the building. The kitchen, in the center, includes a stainless-steel domed ceiling and a wine cellar. The residence also has a fitness center, book-lined library and guest apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretch across part of the north side and open to a terrace overlooking the Scioto River and much of the Downtown skyline.

2002 - The Steel Loft, Chelsea area of New York NY. Photos by Paul Warchol.

2003 - The Belvedere Residence, aka At the Water's Edge, 445 Belvedere Avenue, Belvedere Tiburon, CA. Photos by Mark Schwartz. Four bedrooms, one elevator. For sale in 2006-2007, $18 million.

2004 - Central Park South Apartment, New York NY. 8000 sf, one complete floor of a hotel.
Photos by Scott Francis/Esto.

2006 - The Mitchell Rales Residence and Museum, aka Glenstone, 12002 Glen Road, Potomac MD. Closed to the public except by special arrangement. The 200+ acres site, top photo, includes the Rales House and Guest house (second ahd third photos), and across the lake is his private art museum (last exterior photo by Scott Francis/Esto). Bottom interior photos of the museum by Zhulong.com. Structural engineering by Severud Associates. Built by Harold Gray of Lifecraft, Inc. Civil Engineering by A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc.

2007 - The 6D Ranch Lake House, aka the 6D Home, Commons Ford Ranch
Park Road on Lake Austin, in Bee Cave TX, northwest of Austin TX. 6380 square feet. Owned by 6D Ranch LTD, controlled by DFI Resources LLC, (the Michael and Susan Dell Family).

2007 - 311 West Broadway, Townhouse TH-2, New York NY.
Private entrance off Wooster Street. On the market in 2010.

2008 - Apartment 51/52 West, New York NY. Merger of two apartments vertically into one, requiring some floor removal. Photos by Paul Warchol.

2009 - Fifth Avenue Penthouse, New York NY.

2007 - Apartment 40/41, Central Park West, New York NY. Horizonal merger of two apartments into a 5000 sf space. Photos by Paul Warchol.

2009 - M-1 Apartment. Built.

2010 - The Three Trees Residence, Aspen CO. Commissioned 2006. Project architect Dirk Kramer. On the side of Shadow Mountain. 15000sf. Built by Hansen Construction. Structural Engineers: KL&A, Inc. Mechanical: Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers. Lighting by HDLC Architectural Lighting Design. 9.4 acres.

2010 - Apartment 15, New York NY.

2010 - Wayward Point, aka Sag Harbor Residence, Sag Harbor NY.

2010 - Ruthy's Way, Peabody Drive, Northeast Harbor ME.

2011 - MS4610 Cabin, Aspen CO.

2011 - East Hampton Residence, East Hampton NY.

Sources include: The New York Times, Virtual Globetrotting, AIANY, Gwathmey Siegel, Blockshopper,
In Search of Clarity: The Architecture of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects.

Jeffrey Katzenburg	Deer Valley UT
Saint Barthélemy Villa	Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies	2009