Members of the Carnegie Mellon community and architecture enthusiasts from around Pittsburgh gathered in Hunt Library on May 23 to experience the Architecture Archives, as well as celebrate the opening of the University Libraries’ exhibition: “Here to Stay: Celebrating 40 Years at the Architecture Archives 1984-2024.”
The Architecture Archives is a part of the University Libraries’ Distinctive Collections. For the past forty years, these collections have documented thousands of architectural projects and the work of hundreds of designers. The collections include everything from preliminary sketches, renderings, and specifications to photographs, publications, and architectural models — diverse materials that help to piece together the rich history of Pittsburgh and the region, documenting the past, facilitating building reuse, and informing our understanding of our surroundings.
A brief speaking program featured Martin Aurand, Principal Librarian Emeritus at CMU Libraries, Gerard Damiani, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture, and Lynn Kawaratani, the Arts and Humanities Librarian and curator of the exhibit. The speakers discussed the history of the Architecture Archives, the significance of architectural history in the region, and plans for the collection’s future.
After the speaking program, attendees mingled, enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and viewed items from the Architecture Archives and the exhibit.
“Here to Stay: Celebrating 40 Years at the Architecture Archives 1984-2024” is divided into three phases that represent the development of the built environment in Pittsburgh: exploration, ideas, and building.Matthew Huber and Digital Projects and Publishing Specialist Talia Perry examine architectural drawings in the Fine and Rare Book Room.Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean of the University Libraries Keith Webster moderated a Q&A session with Martin Aurand, Principal Librarian Emeritus at CMU Libraries, Gerard Damiani, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture, and Lynn Kawaratani, the Arts and Humanities Librarian.Head of the School of Architecture Omar Khan explores architectural drawings of the Steinberg house by Peter Berndtson and Cornelia Brierly on display. The Architecture Archives was founded as a collaborative project between the Libraries and the School of Architecture.Curator of Special Collections Sam Lemley shares drawings and sketches of the Kraus Campo (located above the Posner Center on campus) with Henry Posner III, chairman of the Railroad Development Corporation.Khan, Laura Garófalo, associate professor at the School of Architecture, and Raymund Ryan, director of the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art, discuss the exhibit.Aurand and his wife Joanne view a model of a bamboo gateway designed by National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) members from the School of Architecture for the 2023 Spring Carnival.Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections Julia Corrin and Chief Investment Officer Charles Kennedy look at the original drawings of the College of Applied Design (now the College of Fine Arts) designed by Henry Hornsbostel.Attendees connect after the speaking program.
