Robert Venturi (1925–2018) fired the opening shot of postmodernism — “Less is a bore” — and, with partner Denise Scott Brown, taught architecture to learn from Main Street and Las Vegas. The 1991 Pritzker Prize laureate’s buildings, from the Vanna Venturi House he designed for his mother to London’s Sainsbury Wing, made complexity and contradiction respectable again. These are the 15 works to know.
Robert Venturi’s Famous Works at a Glance
| Project | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Vanna Venturi House | Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, USA | 1964 |
| Fire Station No. 4 | Columbus, Indiana, USA | 1968 |
| Guild House | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | 1964 |
| Allen Memorial Art Museum addition | Oberlin, Ohio, USA | 1977 |
| Franklin Court | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | 1976 |
| Seattle Art Museum | Seattle, Washington, USA | 1991 |
| Frist Campus Center, Princeton University | Princeton, New Jersey, USA | 2000 |
| Baker-Berry Library, Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire, USA | 2002 |
| Children’s Museum of Houston | Houston, Texas, USA | 1992 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego extension | La Jolla, California, USA | 1996 |
| Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery | London, UK | 1991 |
| Hôtel du Département de la Haute-Garonne | Toulouse, France | 1999 |
| Episcopal Academy Chapel | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA | 2008 |
| Freedom Plaza | Washington, D.C., USA | 1980 |
| Mielparque Nikko Kirifuri Hotel and Spa | Nikko, Japan | 1997 |
1. Vanna Venturi House, USA | Robert Venturi
Year: 1964
Type: Residential
Location: Philadelphia, USA
2. Fire Station 4, Columbus, USA
Year: 1968
Type: Fire Station
Location: Columbus, Indiana, USA
3. Guild House, United States
Year: 1963
Type: Residential Building
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
4. Allen Memorial Art Museum
Year: 1976
Type: Art Museum
Location: Ohio 44074 United States
5. Franklin Court, United States | Robert Venturi
Year: 1976
Type: Biographical museum
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6. Seattle Art Museum, United States
Year: 1991
Type: Art Museum
Location: 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, Washington
7. Frist Campus Center, United States
Year: 2000
Location: Princeton, New Jersey, US
8. Baker-Berry Library, United States
Year: 2002
Type: Academic Library
Location: United States
9. Children’s Museum of Houston, USA
Year: 1992
Type: Museum
Location: Texas, USA
10. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego extension, USA | Robert Venturi
Year: 1996
Type: Museum
Location: La Jolla, California, USA
