Denise Scott Brown, an architect and writer will be turning eighty years old next Halloween and is arguably the World’s Foremost Female Architect. Her controversial writings and feminist ideology has highlighted the flaw of architecture as the lack of personal experience. She states in her 1967 article, “Planning the Powder Room”, that the male dominated field of architecture is responsible for design flaws at major venues, such as the exceedingly long lines outside women’s bathrooms opposed to men’s.
More recently, Brown has published Having Words (2009), an insight into her struggle of getting recognition as a female architect. This paperback is part of the AA Words series issued by the Architectural Association where Brown studied in the early fifties. This book defines her prominence as a writer, without the partnership of her husband.
With this said, Brown and her husband Robert Venturi have completed many major works throughout their career including their Sainsbury Wing for London’s National Gallery, that sits among landmarks such as William Gibb’s St. Martin’s in the Fields and Inigo Jone’s Banquesting House. The couple is known for their high Mannerism and pop culture designs. Yet according to Martin Filler, although much of her work was done in partnership with her husband at their Philadelphia firm, Brown is responsible for the brilliant site planning for many of their projects.
Brown is being honored with two exhibitions for her work Learning from Las Vegas. The 1972 “illustrated polemic” is considered her central contribution to architectural thought.
“Las Vegas Studio: Images form the Archives of Robert Venturi ad Denise Scott Brown” will be shown at the Pacific Design Center branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art in West Hollywood through June 20th.
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