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Alexandra Lange

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Alexandra Lange
Alma mater
OccupationJournalist Edit this on Wikidata
Websitehttps://www.alexandralange.net/ Edit this on Wikidata

Alexandra Lange is an American architecture and design critic and author based in New York.[1] The author of a series of critically acclaimed books, Lange is the architecture critic for Curbed. She has bylines published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Metropolis, Architect magazine, Architectural Digest; Architectural Record, The Architect's Newspaper, Cite; Domus; Domino; Dwell; GOOD; Icon, The Nation, New York magazine, Places Journal, Print and Slate. Lange is a Loeb Fellow, and her work has been recognized through a number of awards, including the 2019 Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary.[2][3]

Lange's architectural criticism has a focus on public projects.[1] Her work includes reconceptualising the forms and formats of architectural and design writing and criticism to better engage with the complexities of architectural and design cultures, practices and production, and to write women back into the history of architecture and design.[4][5][6][7] [8]

Education

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Lange graduated with a BA in Architecture and Literature from Yale University in 1994. She gained her MA from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, in 2001, and her PhD from the same institution in 2005 with the thesis “Tower Typewriter and Trademark: Architects, Designers and the Corporate Utopia, 1956–1964.” Lange was a Loeb Fellow at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, 2013–2014.[9]

Awards and recognition

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Lange's work has been recognized through a number of awards and prizes. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Kliment Oculus Award, awarded to architectural journalists by the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter.[10] (This award is named after Stephen A. Kliment—a former editor-in-chief of Architectural Record.)[11] In 2019, Lange won the Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary from the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).[12] In 2018, the New York Press Club presented her with an award for feature reporting for her Curbed/Vox Media article, “No Loitering, No Skateboarding, No Baggy Pants.”[13][14]

Books

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Lange has published five books to date. The latest, Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall, was published by Bloomsbury Books in 2022.[15] This work gives a history of development of the mall from its earliest beginnings just after World War II.[16]

The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids, was published by Bloomsbury Books in 2018 to critical acclaim.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] [25][26] The book charts the design of the toys, spaces and material culture that shape childhood, and the impact of these.[27] One consequence of the approach has been to reveal the work and careers of many women not traditionally recognised within design and architectural history.[8] The impact of the book has extended through essays published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Curbed, The Atlantic and other publications.[28][29][30][27]

Writing About Architecture: Mastering the Language of Buildings and Cities was published in 2012 by Chronicle Books.[31] [32] [33]The Dot-Com City: Silicon Valley Urbanism, was published as en e-book by Strelka Institute in 2012.[34]

Design Research: the store that brought modern living to American homes documents the history of Design Research, a store founded by Ben Thompson using the idea of the lifestyle store.[35] Written with Jane Thompson, the book tells the story of Design Research through the voices of the people involved.[36][37]

Lange has also published a range of chapters in books edited by others. These include:

  • “Foreword” in Michelle Millar Fisher and Amber Winick, Designing Motherhood, MIT Press ( 2021).[38]
  • “Introduction” in Zach Mortice, Midwest Architecture Journeys, Belt Publishing (2019).[39]
  • “Introduction” in Identity: Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, Standards Manual (2018).[40]
  • “Toys as Furniture / Furniture as Toys,” Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America, New Haven: Yale University Press (2018).[41]
  • “Alexander Girard in Columbus,” Alexander Girard: A Designer's Universe, Weil am Rhein: Vitra Design Museum, 2016.[42][43] [44]
  • “Stitching A House,” Listening: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Houses 2009 – 2015, New York: Rizzoli, 2015.[45]
  • “Preface,” Duke University: An Architectural Tour, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2015.[46]
  • “2004 – 2008,” Thirty Years of Emerging Voices: Idea, Form, Resonance, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2015.[47]
  • “The Glamour of Utility,” Formica Forever, New York: Metropolis Books, 2013.[48]
  • “’I Can't Live in a Box’: Artists, activism and lower Manhattan in the 1960s,” in New York Cool: Paintings and Sculptures from the NYU Collection, ed. Pepe Karmel, New York: NYU, 2009.[49]
  • “Corporate Headquarters: Saarinen in Suburbia,” and with Sean Khorsandi, “Houses and Housing: At Home with Saarinen,” in Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future, ed. Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen and Donald Albrecht, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006.[50]

Criticism and journalism

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Lange as written criticism for a wide range of publications, predominantly in the United States. Selected articles include the following:

  • “A Redux for Marguerita Mergentime,” New York Times, March 2019.[51]
  • “Overlooked No More: Julia Morgan, Pioneering Female Architect,” New York Times March 6, 2019.[52]
  • "The Hidden Women of Architecture and Design," The New Yorker, June 4, 2018.[53]
  • "The End of the Architect Profile," Curbed, April 19, 2018.[54]
  • "No loitering, no skateboarding, no baggy pants," Curbed, December 7, 2017.[14]
  • "The A-Frame Effect," Curbed, September 22, 2017.
  • “A Graphic Novel Turns Teens into City Planners,” The New Yorker, August 19, 2017.[24]
  • “Jane Jacobs, Georgia O’Keeffe, and the Power of the Marimekko Dress,” The New Yorker, June 23, 2017.[55]
  • “The forgotten history of Japanese-American designers’ internment,” Curbed, January 31, 2017.[56]
  • “What It Would Take to Set American Kids Free,” The New Yorker, November 18, 2016.[57]
  • “10 Things I Learned at the Vanna Venturi House,” Curbed, November 17, 2016.[58]
  • “Jane Jacobs Was No Upstart,” Architect, October 4, 2016.[59]
  • "Here Comes Hilda," The New Yorker, June 15, 2016.[60]
  • “Play Ground,” The New Yorker, May 16, 2016.[61]
  • “A Buffalo Case Study: Can Architecture Bring a City Back?” Curbed, August 6, 2015.[62]
  • “Women were unwelcome in architecture, but male architects couldn't live without them,” Dezeen Opinion, May 12, 2015.[63]
  • “Pier 55: Pocket Gadget, Meme-tecture, or Something More Nefarious?” Curbed, April 23, 2015.[64]
  • “Philip Johnson's Not Glass Houses,” T Magazine, February 15, 2015.[65]
  • “Why Charles Moore (Still) Matters,” Metropolis, June 2014.[66]
  • “Demolition of Prentice Women's Hospital and Penn Station,” Architect, November 2013.[67]
  • “Architecture's Lean-In Moment, on the status of women in architecture,” Metropolis, July/August 2013.
  • “Dreams Built and Broken: On Ada Louise Huxtable,” The Nation, May 6, 2013.[68]
  • “Founding Mother: Mariana Van Rensselaer and the Rise of Criticism,” Places, February 25, 2013.[69]
  • “Fear of Fun: A History of Modernist Design for Children,” Los Angeles Review of Books, October 6, 2012.[70]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Madame Critic: Alexandra Lange on Building a Foundation and Developing Her Voice". Madame Architect. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  2. ^ "Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary". AIGA | the professional association for design. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  3. ^ "Alexandra Lange". bloomsbury.com. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  4. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2018-04-19). "The end of the architect profile". Curbed. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  5. ^ Walker, Alissa (2018-03-16). "Who should be the next 'Los Angeles Times' architecture critic?". Curbed LA. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  6. ^ "Let's talk about women in architecture". Design Observer. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  7. ^ "Stop asking where all the female architects are; we're right here". The Architect’s Newspaper. 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  8. ^ a b Lange, Alexandra (2018-06-04). "The Hidden Women of Architecture and Design". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  9. ^ "Alexandra Lange: About". alexandralange.net. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  10. ^ "Meet the Honorees of the 15th Annual Honors and Awards Luncheon". AIA New York. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  11. ^ Keegan, Edward. "Stephen Kliment, Architect and Journalist, Dies at 78". Architect Magazine. Hanley Wood. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary". AIGA | the professional association for design. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  13. ^ Caruso, Debra. "New York Press Club: 2018 Awards" (PDF). New York Press Club. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  14. ^ a b Lange, Alexandra (7 December 2017). "No loitering, no skateboarding, no baggy pants". Curbed.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  15. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2022). Meet me by the fountain : an inside history of the mall. New York. ISBN 978-1-63557-602-3. OCLC 1325579853.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ^ Young, Molly (June 15, 2022). "review of Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2018-06-12). The design of childhood : how the material world shapes independent kids. New York. ISBN 9781632866356. OCLC 1038067825.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. ^ West, Allyn (21 June 2018). "Tools for Tots: On Alexandra Lange's "The Design of Childhood"". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  19. ^ "Century-Old Decisions That Impact Children Every Day". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  20. ^ THE DESIGN OF CHILDHOOD by Alexandra Lange | Kirkus Reviews.
  21. ^ "Briefly Noted Book Reviews". 2018-09-10. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  22. ^ "In a New Book, Alexandra Lange Explores the Design of Childhood". Metropolis. 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  23. ^ Hurley, Amanda Kolson (13 August 2018). "Designing for Children Is Anything But Childish". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  24. ^ a b Lange, Alexandra (2017-08-19). "A Graphic Novel to Transform Teens Into City Planners". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  25. ^ "Froebel's Gifts". 99% Invisible. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  26. ^ Miranda, Carolina (29 August 2018). "Q&A: From schools to sand piles: Critic Alexandra Lange tracks how design has shaped kids and kids have shaped design". Los Angeles Times.
  27. ^ a b Keith, Kelsey (2018-06-11). "Q&A: Alexandra Lange on 'The Design of Childhood'". Curbed. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  28. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2018-08-28). "The Summer Idyll of Free-Range Children Should Last All Year". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  29. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2018-06-07). "Opinion | The Magic of a Cardboard Box". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  30. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2018-11-09). "Every City Should Have a Toy Library". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  31. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2012). Writing about architecture : mastering the language of buildings and cities. Lange, Jeremy M. (1st ed.). New York: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 9781616890537. OCLC 747018933.
  32. ^ Ruthen, Sean (2012-09-18). ""Book review: Writing About Architecture - Mastering the Language of Buildings and Cities"". Spacing Vancouver. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  33. ^ Crain, Brendan (22 April 2012). "Talking About "Writing About Architecture": A Conversation With Alexandra Lange". www.pps.org. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  34. ^ Lange, Alexandra (May 2015). The dot-com city : silicon valley urbanism (First ed.). [London]. ISBN 9780992914653. OCLC 917227738.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  35. ^ Thompson, Jane; Lange, Alexandra (2010). Design Research : the store that brought modern living to American homes. Lange, Alexandra., Peltason, Ruth A. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780811868181. OCLC 646309291.
  36. ^ Campbell, Robert (2010-08-22). "We lived it here first". Boston.com. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  37. ^ "Ben Thompson's Retail Love Affair". Archpaper.com. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  38. ^ "Designing Motherhood". mitpress.mit.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  39. ^ "Midwest Architecture Journeys". Belt Publishing. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  40. ^ Lange, Alexandra; Glaser, Milton; Geismar, Thomas H.; Haviv, Sagi; Mars, Roman (2018-07-05). Identity. New York. ISBN 9780692955239. OCLC 1032588288.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  41. ^ Serious play : design in midcentury America. Obniski, Monica,, Alfred, Darrin,, Milwaukee Art Museum,, Denver Art Museum. New Haven. ISBN 9780300234220. OCLC 1028880197.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  42. ^ Alexander Girard A Designer's Universe ARTBOOK | D.A.P. 2016 Catalog Vitra Design Museum Books Exhibition Catalogues 9783945852057.
  43. ^ Alexander, Girard (2016). Alexander Girard : a designer's universe. Kries, Mateo, 1974-, Eisenbrand, Jochen,, Vitra Design Museum. [Weil am Rhein, Germany]. ISBN 9783945852057. OCLC 946010436.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  44. ^ Alexander Girard A Designer's Universe ARTBOOK | D.A.P. 2016 Catalog Vitra Design Museum Books Exhibition Catalogues 9783945852057.
  45. ^ Bohlin, Peter Q.; Lange, Alexandra; Cadwell, Mike; Joy, Rick. Listening : Bohlin Cywinski Jackson : houses 2009-2015. New York, NY. ISBN 9780847846320. OCLC 905518262.
  46. ^ Morrill, Bryan, John (2000). Duke University : an architectural tour. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 1568982283. OCLC 44414082.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  47. ^ Thirty Years of Emerging Voices : Form, Idea, Resonance. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press. 2015. ISBN 9781616891978. OCLC 951221611.
  48. ^ Formica forever. Cincinnati, Ohio. ISBN 9781938922152. OCLC 845516599.
  49. ^ New York cool : painting and sculpture from the NYU Art Collection. New York, N.Y.: Grey Art Gallery, New York University. 2008. ISBN 9780615181059. OCLC 261224396.
  50. ^ Saarinen, Eero (2006). Eero Saarinen : shaping the future. Pelkonen, Eeva-Liisa., Albrecht, Donald., Taidehalli (Helsinki, Finland). New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300112823. OCLC 70207967.
  51. ^ "Finding Art Beyond Darkness". The New York Times. 2019-03-07. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  52. ^ "Overlooked No More: Julia Morgan, Pioneering Female Architect". The New York Times. 2019-03-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  53. ^ Lange, Alexandra (4 June 2018). "The Hidden Women of Architecture and Design". The New Yorker. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  54. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2018-04-19). "The end of the architect profile". Curbed. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  55. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2017-06-23). "Jane Jacobs, Georgia O'Keeffe, and the Power of the Marimekko Dress". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  56. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2017-01-31). "The forgotten history of Japanese-American designers' World War II internment". Curbed. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  57. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2016-11-18). "What It Would Take to Set American Kids Free". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  58. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2016-11-17). "10 things I learned on a pilgrimage to the iconic Vanna Venturi House". Curbed. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  59. ^ "Jane Jacobs Was No Upstart". architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  60. ^ Lange, Alexandra (15 June 2016). "Here Comes Hilda". The New Yorker. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  61. ^ Lange, Alexandra (9 May 2016). "Play Ground". The New Yorker. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  62. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2015-08-06). "A Buffalo Case Study: Can Architecture Bring a City Back?". Curbed. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  63. ^ "Alexandra Lange on craft, making and gender". Dezeen. 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  64. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2015-04-23). "Barry Diller-Funded Pier55 Plan: Pocket Gadget, Meme-tecture, or Something More Nefarious?". Curbed. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  65. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2015-02-13). "Philip Johnson's Not Glass Houses". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  66. ^ "Why Charles Moore (Still) Matters". Metropolis. 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  67. ^ Lange, Alexandra (October 2013). "Demolition of Prentice Womens [sic] Hospital by Bertrand Goldberg and Penn Station". architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  68. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2013-04-15). "Dreams Built and Broken: On Ada Louise Huxtable". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  69. ^ Lange, Alexandra (2013-02-25). "Founding Mother". Places Journal (2013). doi:10.22269/130225.
  70. ^ Alexandra Lange (6 October 2012). "Fear of Fun: A History of Modernist Design for Children". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
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