Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Rudolph’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.

Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some  are owned by others, including the Paul Rudolph Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.

In his will, Paul Rudolph gave his Architectural Archives (including drawings, plans, renderings, blueprints, models and other materials prepared in connection with his professional practice of architecture) to the Library of Congress Trust Fund following his death in 1997. A Stipulation of Settlement, signed on June 6, 2001 between the Paul Rudolph Estate and the Library of Congress Trust Fund, resulted in the transfer of those items to the Library of Congress among the Architectural Archives, that the Library of Congress determined suitable for its collections.  The intellectual property rights of items transferred to the Library of Congress are in the public domain. The usage of the Paul M. Rudolph Archive at the Library of Congress and any intellectual property rights are governed by the Library of Congress Rights and Permissions.

However, the Library of Congress has not received the entirety of the Paul Rudolph architectural works, and therefore ownership and intellectual property rights of any materials that were not selected by the Library of Congress may not be in the public domain and may belong to the Paul Rudolph Estate.

LOCATION
Address: 420 West Broadway
City: New York
State: New York
Zip Code: 10012
Nation: United States

STATUS
Type: Exhibition
Status: Built

TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1983
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Height:
Floors (Above Ground):
Building Cost:

PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: Leo Castelli Gallery
Architect: Paul Rudolph
Associate Architect: 
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QS/PM:

SUPPLIERS
Contractor:
Subcontractor(s):

Urban Landscape Folly

• Paul Rudolph is invited to participate in an exhibition titled, Architectural "Follies": Drawings & Models at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and the James Corcoran Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibit is organized by Barbara Jakobson using the pseudonym B. J. Archer.

• The exhibit runs from October 22 – November 19, 1983 at the Leo Castelli Gallery located at 420 West Broadway in New York City. It is later exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery in Los Angeles from January 01 – February 25, 1984. It also traveled to Madrid and displayed in the exhibition hall at the Ministry of Public Works and Urbanism from May - June, 1984.

• Architects featured in the exhibit include Raimund Abraham, Agrest & Gardelsonas, Emilio Ambasz, Gae Aulenti, Batey & Mack, Richardo Bofill, Peter Cook, Eisenman-Robertson, Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Hans Hollen, Christian Hubert, Arata Isozaki, Machado-Silvetti, Raphael Moneo, Paul Rudolph, Joseph Rykwert, Quinlan Terry, and Bernard Tschumi. The architects are requested to design garden follies for the exhibit to be titled, Architecture III: Follies: Architecture for the Late-Twentieth-Century Landscape. The exhibition brief is minimal and no budget is specified for the proposed projects other than the subject matter.

• Rudolph designs a roof-top garden for his 23 Beekman Place residence as his "folly" for the exhibit.

• At the exhibit, six drawings in frames without mats illustrate Rudolph’s “Rooftop building facing river.”

• The materials are published in an catalogue published by Rizzoli International in conjunction with the exhibition.

• Although not mentioned in the catalogue, the drawings are for sale. One of the larger Rudolph drawings, 28-1/8” x 38-1/2” is listed for sale for $5,000.

From Rudolph’s description prepared for the exhibition:

A Folly

A folly or fantasy must change and evoke different meanings if it is to be dynamic over a period of time. Since nature is constantly changing it is difficult to imagine a Folly that does not depend, to a large degree, on nature, for the two are inevitably intertwined.

It follows that Follies have a special meaning in urban situations, for nature has been supplanted with a man made environment which usually leaves man thirsting for nature. Therefore the Folly in the city is the most important of all, for it brings together man and God uniquely. The Folly is for the subconscious. The great bulk of the human mind.

The Folly in the city inevitably depends on the particular; a river, park, mountain or some other landscape feature, juxtaposed to the man made.

I have chosen a rather typical roof top facing a river embellished with bridges, an existing jet of water, helicopters, jet airplanes in the distance, sea faring vessels of all kinds, marvelous neon signs, islands, derelict buildings, and large open skies. The complexity of this is fascinating, in and of itself, but its parts need to be enjoyed selectively, contemplation encouraged and the imagination touched. Therefore a cube of space defined by eight steel members is to be placed on the roof of an exiting building. The cube is tied to the building by a half cube which grows from the building at a lower level and intersects the complete cube at the point of the golden mean. This half cube, with its whole cube, supports vines thereby redefining the ever changing enclosures. The structure constantly changes with the level of the observer, and the direction of observation, but most importantly it focuses the attention on segments of the environment beyond.

It is the intention of the Folly to also define a space, serve as a medium of measure, and be a “place”. This “place” has a life of its own, and is purposely detached from its surrounding in so far as possible. Consequently, the terrace will be white marble and seemingly floats above the river, moored to its building only by its half cube. The structure is the minimum required and the planning is small scaled supported on nearly invisible stainless steel wires. The whole is dematerialized.

The floating floor is embellished with its series of geometric canals outlined with tiny lights. These canals are fed with a network of waterfalls varying in height from one foot eight inches to 3/4” of an inch. The speed of the water flow varies and small rocks, and semi precious stones will impede the passage of water. This miniature landscape forms a floating watery word of its own some hundred and thirty feet above the river. The delights of scale are tasted by arranging the waterfalls so that from certain vantage points, they seem larger that the hundred foot jet in the river below.

Two stones mark the alignment of the rising sun with the entrance to the Folly on June 21st and December 21st, thereby reminding the occupant of his relationship to the universe.

Paul M. Rudolph
27 June, 1983

DRAWINGS - Design Drawings / Renderings

DRAWINGS - Construction Drawings

DRAWINGS - Shop Drawings

PHOTOS - Project Model

PHOTOS - During Construction

PHOTOS - Completed Project

PHOTOS - Current Conditions

LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
Architectural "Follies": Drawings & Models installation page on the Castelli Gallery website

RELATED DOWNLOADS

PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
B. J. Archer and Anthony Vidler. Follies: Architecture for the Late-Twentieth-Century Landscape. Rizzoli International, 1983.

Fulvio Irace. “Storie Di Ordinaria Follia/Follies.” Domus, no. 844, Nov. 1983, p. 29.

Paul Goldberger. “Design Notebook.” New York Times, 3 Nov. 1983.