Edgar Tafel
Encyclopedia
Edgar A. Tafel was an American
architect
, best known as a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright
.
to Russian Jewish immigrants, and moved to New Jersey with his
dressmaking parents. He was educated at the Ferrer Colony and Ferrer Modern School, the Walden School
in Manhattan
and New York University
.
Tafel began his career as an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright
at Taliesin
along with Wesley Peters
, John Howe and Abram Dombar, among others. Tafel was considered the "unofficial guardian of the Frank Lloyd Wright School", despite the rift that had developed between Tafel and his late mentor when Tafel left Taliesin to pursue his own work and family. Tafel worked on several of Wright's most famous projects including Fallingwater
, Wingspread
, and the Johnson Wax Headquarters
.
, afterwards opening his own architectural office in New York City. One of his best known works as a solo practitioner is the Mellin Macnab Building for the First Presbyterian Church
on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. Tafel's design combined Prairie School
influences with the Gothic style of the sanctuary, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
called it "a fine example of contemporary design ... used intelligently, to bring a much needed contemporary building into harmony with a neighborhood." The building received a design award from the Fifth Avenue Association.
Tafel's other designs included the Protestant Chapel at Kennedy International Airport, which is no longer extant, and St. John's in the Village Episcopal Church in Greenwich Village
, built in 1972-1974, replacing a sanctuary which burned down in 1971 with a new Greek Revival-influenced
modern design. He was also responsible for the 1964 master plan for the campus of SUNY Geneseo and its "design gem" Brodie Hall, as well as the college's South Village residential complex,, the 1947 Silver House in Racine, Wisconsin
and the North Wing expansion to the Allentown Art Museum
in Allentown, Pennsylvania
. He was also the master designer for community college
s in Johnstown and Hudson
, New York. Overall, Tafel designed 80 houses, 35 churches and other religious buildings and three college campuses.
In 2006, Tafel gave $3.2 million to Cornell University
's Department of Architecture. to endow the Edgar A. Tafel Professorship in Architecture and the Tafel Architecture Lecture Series.
Tafel died at the age of 98 in New York City
on January 18, 2011. He was the last member of the original Taliesin Fellows to die. Tafel had been married twice, ending respectively in divorce and the death of his second wife in 1951. He had no children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, best known as a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
.
Early life and career
Tafel was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Russian Jewish immigrants, and moved to New Jersey with his
dressmaking parents. He was educated at the Ferrer Colony and Ferrer Modern School, the Walden School
Walden School (New York City)
__notoc__Walden School was a private day school in Manhattan, New York City that operated from 1914 until 1988, when it merged with the New Lincoln School; the merged school closed in 1991. Walden was known as an innovator in progressive education. The Walden School was founded in 1914 by Margaret...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Tafel began his career as an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
at Taliesin
Taliesin (studio)
Taliesin , near Spring Green, Wisconsin, was the summer home of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright began the building in 1911 after leaving his first wife, Catherine Tobin, and his Oak Park, Illinois, home and studio in 1909. The impetus behind Wright's departure was his affair with...
along with Wesley Peters
William Wesley Peters
William Wesley Peters was a noted architect and engineer, apprentice to and protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright.Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Peters was educated at Evansville College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
, John Howe and Abram Dombar, among others. Tafel was considered the "unofficial guardian of the Frank Lloyd Wright School", despite the rift that had developed between Tafel and his late mentor when Tafel left Taliesin to pursue his own work and family. Tafel worked on several of Wright's most famous projects including Fallingwater
Fallingwater
Fallingwater or Kaufmann Residence is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh...
, Wingspread
Wingspread
Wingspread, also known as the Herbert F. Johnson House, is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr. and built in 1938-1939 in the village of Wind Point near Racine, Wisconsin. Its construction was overseen by a young John Lautner...
, and the Johnson Wax Headquarters
Johnson Wax Headquarters
Johnson Wax Headquarters is the world headquarters and administration building of S. C. Johnson & Son in Racine, Wisconsin. Designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the company's president, Herbert F. "Hib" Johnson, the building was constructed from 1936 to 1939...
.
Solo career
Tafel served in a photographic analysis unit during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, afterwards opening his own architectural office in New York City. One of his best known works as a solo practitioner is the Mellin Macnab Building for the First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)
The First Presbyterian Church, known as "Old First", located at 48 Fifth Avenue between West 11th and 12th Streets in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City was built in 1844-6, and designed by Joseph C. Wells in the Gothic Revival style. The south transept of the building...
on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. Tafel's design combined Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
influences with the Gothic style of the sanctuary, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
called it "a fine example of contemporary design ... used intelligently, to bring a much needed contemporary building into harmony with a neighborhood." The building received a design award from the Fifth Avenue Association.
Tafel's other designs included the Protestant Chapel at Kennedy International Airport, which is no longer extant, and St. John's in the Village Episcopal Church in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, built in 1972-1974, replacing a sanctuary which burned down in 1971 with a new Greek Revival-influenced
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
modern design. He was also responsible for the 1964 master plan for the campus of SUNY Geneseo and its "design gem" Brodie Hall, as well as the college's South Village residential complex,, the 1947 Silver House in Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
and the North Wing expansion to the Allentown Art Museum
Allentown Art Museum
The Allentown Art Museum is an art museum located in the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was founded in 1934 by a group organized by noted Pennsylvania impressionist painter, Walter Emerson Baum. With its collection of over 13,000 works of art, the Allentown Art Museum...
in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. He was also the master designer for community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s in Johnstown and Hudson
Hudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
, New York. Overall, Tafel designed 80 houses, 35 churches and other religious buildings and three college campuses.
Later life
Tafel also wrote books, including Apprentice to Genius: Years with Frank Lloyd Wright (1979) and About Wright: An Album of Recollections by Those Who Knew Frank Lloyd Wright (1993), which he also edited, as well as producing The Frank Lloyd Wright Way, a film which won first prize at the 1995 Houston International Film Festival.In 2006, Tafel gave $3.2 million to Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
's Department of Architecture. to endow the Edgar A. Tafel Professorship in Architecture and the Tafel Architecture Lecture Series.
Tafel died at the age of 98 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on January 18, 2011. He was the last member of the original Taliesin Fellows to die. Tafel had been married twice, ending respectively in divorce and the death of his second wife in 1951. He had no children.
Awards and honors
- Doctor of Fine Arts, Honoris Causa - SUNY Geneseo, 2001
- Edgar Tafel Distinguished Chair in the School of Architecture at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign