Originally recorded on 8 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 14 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hrs., 10 min.
Summary:
An interview of Pietro Belluschi conducted 1983 August 22-September 4, by Meredith Clausen, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Belluschi speaks of his family background, his military service, his education, the beginning of his interest and experience in architecture, his gradual transition into modernism and his experiences as a dean at M.I.T. He discusses his design philosophy and the roles of style versus problem solving, shopping center design, church design, the stylistic differences between architects, and historic preservation. He comments on the influence of Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto on his work and talks about some of his major designs, including the Portland Art Museum, the Equitable Building, the Seattle Convention Center, and others.
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Pietro Belluschi, 1983 August 22-September 4. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Location of Originals:
Transcript also available at the University of Washington, Manuscripts Collection, and at the Oregon Historical Society.
Funding:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Biography Note:
Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994) was an architect from Portland, Oregon.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
