Architect and Trustee Robert H. Siegel Shares Career Challenges and Accomplishments

Guggenheim ExtensionRenowned architect Robert H. Siegel, FAIA, discussed key projects, experiences, and challenges during the five decades he spent at his award-winning firm, Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman & Associates Architects. The talk was part of the Arnold Syrop (B. Arch. ’61) and Joanne Syrop Annual Lecture Series endowed by the Selz Foundation. The series features outstanding individuals in architecture.

Siegel discussed commissions that spanned his career including the exhibition conference center for Walt Disney World and residences for celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Faye Dunaway, and Dell Inc. CEO Michael Dell, for whom Siegel designed a 33,000-square-foot complex in Austin, TX.

At the beginning of the talk, Siegel said the event signified that his career had come “full circle”: while studying at Pratt in the 1950s, he had developed a passion for architecture and he was happy to share his enthusiasm with budding young architects on campus today. 

“Be passionate, compulsive, driven,” he told the crowd. “Create design solutions that transcend mere accommodation. The art of architecture is what is fulfilling. I promise you’ll love it.”

Text: Bay Brown
Photo: Jeff Goldberg/Esto