Henry Klumb
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Klumb was a German architect
who worked in Puerto Rico. He was one of Puerto Rico's most prominent architects in the mid 20th Century.
, Germany in 1905. An honors graduate of the Staatliche Bauschule School of Architecture in Cologne in 1926, his design education in Germany was influenced by the Deutsche Werkbund school, a plastic arts program developed by German architect Herman Muthesius. Klumb emigrated to the United States in 1927, at the age of 22. He served as one of Frank Lloyd Wright
's first apprentices (1929–1933) at Taliesin
North (Spring Green, Wisconsin). While under Wright's apprentiship, Klumb worked in the design of the construction camp at Ocatillo, Arizona and led the exhibition of Wright's work in Europe in 1931. In August, 1931, while coordinating Frank Lloyd Wright travelling exhibit, Klumb married Else Schmidt, returning to the United States in November of that year. They had two children, Peter (born 1936), and Richard (born 1940). Klumb became a US citizen in 1937.
After leaving Taliesen in 1933, Klumb contributed in the design the New Deal
town of Greenbelt, New Jersey. In 1937 he established along with Louis I. Kahn and Louis Metzinger, the Cooperative Planners firm in Philadelphia concentrating in the design of low-cost pre-fabricated houses. He also designed a major exhibition of Native American Art for the Golden Gate Exhibition of 1939 in San Francisco, where he lived before relocating to Los Angeles
in 1941. In Los Angeles, he helped develop the city's master plan. He's responsible for the design of the Battaglia, Coty and Meador houses in Burbank
, CA, as well as the Plumb house in Los Angeles
during that period.
brain trust
planner Rexford Tugwell
in the late 1930s, he was invited to move to Puerto Rico in 1944 and collaborate in the design of post-war modern Puerto Rico. A nomad for the first four decades of his life, he left Los Angeles on February 24, 1944, his 39th birthday and finally found a "home" in San Juan, Puerto Rico and devoted most of the rest of his life to building up Puerto Rico. Shortly after his arrival in Puerto Rico, Klumb worked in the Public Works Design Committee. As a member of the Design Committee, he was responsible for the design of multiple government structures throughout Puerto Rico.
Shortly after his arrival in Puerto Rico, Klumb founded, along with Taliesen fellow, Stephen Arneson, the ARKLU furniture factory, which produced distinctive tropical furniture utilizing native woods, leather and cord.
His most important work on the island was the campus master plan for the University of Puerto Rico
from 1946 to 1966, as well as the design of many of its buildings. These included the Río Piedras Faculty Residences in 1946, the Río Piedras Agricultural Experimental Station, the UPR Museum of Anthropology, History and Art, the UPR General Library, the UPR Student Center in Río Piedras, the Agricultural Sciences Building in Mayagüez, an expansion of the UPR School of Tropical Medicine building in Puerta de Tierra and the UPR Law School building, among others. His public sector work attracted many private commissions, including private residences, churches and commercial buildings. His private design commissions, include the design of the campus and church of the Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
School, the San Ignacio of Loyola Parish, the La Rada Hotel, and the landmark churches Iglesia del Carmen and San Martin de Porres in Cataño. Later in life, his design work concentrated in work for several emerging pharmaceutical firms, including Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, Baxter, Roche, Searle and Travenol.
In 1968, he established the Klumb Foundation. In 1979, Klumb was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
. On November 20, 1984, he and his wife Else died in an automobile accident in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Throughout his life, Klumb mentored young Puerto Rican architects as well as talented young architects from the US mainland. These include Salvador Soltero, Segundo Cardona FAIA, Beatriz del Cueto FAIA and George McClintock. Many of Klumb's apprentices as well as a new generation of architects continue to incorporate Klumb's principles of design for the tropics. In 1981, the Colegio de Arquitectos de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico College of Architects) established THE HENRY KLUMB AWARD, the College's highest honor.
The Henry Klumb Collection electronic finding aid may be consulted through http://hip.upr.edu:85/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=aac--1#focus
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...
who worked in Puerto Rico. He was one of Puerto Rico's most prominent architects in the mid 20th Century.
Education and Early Life
Klumb was born in CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany in 1905. An honors graduate of the Staatliche Bauschule School of Architecture in Cologne in 1926, his design education in Germany was influenced by the Deutsche Werkbund school, a plastic arts program developed by German architect Herman Muthesius. Klumb emigrated to the United States in 1927, at the age of 22. He served as one 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...
's first apprentices (1929–1933) at Taliesin
Taliesin
Taliesin was an early British poet of the post-Roman period whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin...
North (Spring Green, Wisconsin). While under Wright's apprentiship, Klumb worked in the design of the construction camp at Ocatillo, Arizona and led the exhibition of Wright's work in Europe in 1931. In August, 1931, while coordinating Frank Lloyd Wright travelling exhibit, Klumb married Else Schmidt, returning to the United States in November of that year. They had two children, Peter (born 1936), and Richard (born 1940). Klumb became a US citizen in 1937.
After leaving Taliesen in 1933, Klumb contributed in the design the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
town of Greenbelt, New Jersey. In 1937 he established along with Louis I. Kahn and Louis Metzinger, the Cooperative Planners firm in Philadelphia concentrating in the design of low-cost pre-fabricated houses. He also designed a major exhibition of Native American Art for the Golden Gate Exhibition of 1939 in San Francisco, where he lived before relocating to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1941. In Los Angeles, he helped develop the city's master plan. He's responsible for the design of the Battaglia, Coty and Meador houses in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, CA, as well as the Plumb house in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during that period.
Career and Later Life
Having met New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
brain trust
Brain Trust
Brain trust began as a term for a group of close advisors to a political candidate or incumbent, prized for their expertise in particular fields. The term is most associated with the group of advisors to Franklin Roosevelt during his presidential administration...
planner Rexford Tugwell
Rexford Tugwell
Rexford Guy Tugwell was an agricultural economist who became part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's first "Brain Trust," a group of Columbia academics who helped develop policy recommendations leading up to Roosevelt's 1932 election as President...
in the late 1930s, he was invited to move to Puerto Rico in 1944 and collaborate in the design of post-war modern Puerto Rico. A nomad for the first four decades of his life, he left Los Angeles on February 24, 1944, his 39th birthday and finally found a "home" in San Juan, Puerto Rico and devoted most of the rest of his life to building up Puerto Rico. Shortly after his arrival in Puerto Rico, Klumb worked in the Public Works Design Committee. As a member of the Design Committee, he was responsible for the design of multiple government structures throughout Puerto Rico.
Shortly after his arrival in Puerto Rico, Klumb founded, along with Taliesen fellow, Stephen Arneson, the ARKLU furniture factory, which produced distinctive tropical furniture utilizing native woods, leather and cord.
His most important work on the island was the campus master plan for the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
from 1946 to 1966, as well as the design of many of its buildings. These included the Río Piedras Faculty Residences in 1946, the Río Piedras Agricultural Experimental Station, the UPR Museum of Anthropology, History and Art, the UPR General Library, the UPR Student Center in Río Piedras, the Agricultural Sciences Building in Mayagüez, an expansion of the UPR School of Tropical Medicine building in Puerta de Tierra and the UPR Law School building, among others. His public sector work attracted many private commissions, including private residences, churches and commercial buildings. His private design commissions, include the design of the campus and church of the Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola is a Catholic Jesuit college-preparatory school founded by the Society of Jesus in in 1952. The school was originally located in Santurce, but was moved to its current location by the Jesuit fathers in 1956. Colegio San Ignacio is the only Jesuit school in Puerto Rico...
School, the San Ignacio of Loyola Parish, the La Rada Hotel, and the landmark churches Iglesia del Carmen and San Martin de Porres in Cataño. Later in life, his design work concentrated in work for several emerging pharmaceutical firms, including Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, Baxter, Roche, Searle and Travenol.
In 1968, he established the Klumb Foundation. In 1979, Klumb was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
. On November 20, 1984, he and his wife Else died in an automobile accident in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Throughout his life, Klumb mentored young Puerto Rican architects as well as talented young architects from the US mainland. These include Salvador Soltero, Segundo Cardona FAIA, Beatriz del Cueto FAIA and George McClintock. Many of Klumb's apprentices as well as a new generation of architects continue to incorporate Klumb's principles of design for the tropics. In 1981, the Colegio de Arquitectos de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico College of Architects) established THE HENRY KLUMB AWARD, the College's highest honor.
Chronology
- 1905: Born on February 24 in Cologne, Germany.
- 1918: Decides to become architect.
- 1926: Graduates with honors from the School of Architecture (Staatliche Bauschule) in Cologne.
- 1928: Applies for job with Frank Lloyd Wright.
- 1929: Begins working with Wright in Taliesin. From January to May, works at the Ocatilla camp in Arizona.
- 1931: On March 1, takes an exhibit of Wright's work to Europe. In August, marries Else Schmidt. In November, returns to the United States.
- 1933: Leaves Taliesin and moves to Brainerd, Minnesota. Forms partnership with Stephen Arneson.
- 1934: Moves to Washington, D.C.
- 1936: Son Peter born.
- 1937: In partnership with Louis I. Kahn on several projects. Obtains US citizenship.
- 1939: In August, moves to California.Begins working with the Department of the Interior in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Designs exhibit Indian Arts and Crafts for the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco.
- 1940: Son Richard born.
- 1941: Exhibit Indian Arts and Crafts opens at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
- 1942: Begins work as architectural planner in Los Angeles.
- 1944: On February 24, moves to Puerto Rico. Begins working with the Public Works Design Committee. With Stephen Arneson, establishes the ARKLU furniture factory.
- 1945: Works for the Puerto Rico Housing Authority. Begins private practice; firm known as The Office of Henry Klumb.Takes part in the design competition for the Caribe Hilton.
- 1946: Designs faculty residences at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Designs the New York Department Store in Santurce.
- 1948: Designs the San Martín de Porres sanctuary in Bayview, Cataño.
- 1953: Creates master plan for the Río Piedras and Mayagüez campuses of the University of Puerto Rico.
- 1957: Begins designs for the Parke, Davis pharmaceutical plant in Carolina.
- 1968: Establishes the Klumb Foundation.
- 1979: The American Institute of Architects makes him the first Fellow in Puerto Rico.
- 1981: The Puerto Rico Architects Association awards him the first Henry Klumb Award. Begins designs for the Ciba-Neigy pharmaceutical plant in New Jersey.
- 1984: On November 20, dies with his wife Else in a car crash in Hato Rey.
Projects
- University of Puerto Rico / Rio Piedras Campus Master Plan, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- University of Puerto Rico / Mayaguez Campus Master Plan, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
- Colegio San Ignacio / Campus and buildings, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Buildings
- Centro de Estudiantes, UPR-Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Biblioteca José M. Lázaro, UPR-Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, UPR-Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Escuela de Arquitectura, UPR-Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Escuela de Leyes, UPR-Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Casa Fullana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Iglesia San Martín de Porres, Cataño, Puerto Rico.
- Iglesia San Ignacio, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Hotel La Rada, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- UPRM General Library, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
- Rafael A. Mangual ColiseumRafael A. Mangual ColiseumThe Rafael A. Mangual Coliseum is a sports arena in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. It was inaugurated in 1974 and was designed by Henry Klumb. The Coliseum is managed by the Physical Education Department of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.-Events:...
, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Henry Klumb's Papers
The Architecture and Construction Archives at the University of Puerto Rico (AACUPR) holds the Henry Klumb Collection (1926–1984). Approximately 365 cubic feet (10,335.6 l) in size, the collection contains architectural drawings, photographs, models, artifacts, audiovisual material, and various textual documents. The Architectural Drawing Series holds 578 projects intellectually organized in two sub-groups: work in the United States and in Puerto Rico before 1945 and documents from The Office of Henry Klumb. The University of Puerto Rico acquired the Klumb archives in 1986, following the architect's death in 1984, and then they were transferred to the School of Architecture.See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans - Architects
- German immigration to Puerto RicoGerman immigration to Puerto RicoGerman immigration to Puerto Rico increased when German businessmen immigrated to Puerto Rico during the early part of the 19th century. However, it was the economic and political situation in Europe during the early 19th century plus, the fact that the Spanish Crown issued the Royal Decree of...
External links
- http://www.universia.pr/klumb/index_ingles.html
- http://www.universia.pr/klumb/i_crono.html
The Henry Klumb Collection electronic finding aid may be consulted through http://hip.upr.edu:85/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=aac--1#focus