Ada Louise Huxtable Remembered at Metropolitan Museum of Art Tribute

Architects and architecture critics from across the nation gathered in New York last week to remember the first lady of architecture criticism, Ada Louise Huxtable, who died in January.

1 minute read

June 13, 2013, 9:00 AM PDT

By Anna Bergren Miller @abergrenmiller


Among the speakers at the memorial were Robert Shapiro of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts; Garrison Keillor; Paul Goldberger, of the New York Times; Christopher Hawthorne, of the Los Angeles Times; and Frank Gehry.

Gehry, the only architect to speak, recalled, “Even though I think I wished for her attention, I was scared of it. When she finally poked her nose into my world, she was a tough critic, as everybody explained, [but] wonderful, the words were beautiful. She was positive, critical, encouraging.”

Also on display at the gathering was the New York-Los Angeles rivalry over Huxtable's legacy. Huxtable was born in and wrote mostly about New York, but L.A.'s J. Paul Getty Museum owns her papers. The tribute, which was co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Getty Trust was “a revealing memorial that pried Ada Louise from her native New York to give her to the nation via Los Angeles,” writes Joseph Giovannini.

Thursday, June 6, 2013 in Architect

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A view straight down LaSalle Street, lined by high-rise buildings with an El line running horizontally over the street.

Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing

Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.

April 10, 2024 - Chicago Construction News

Officials cutting a ceremonial red ribbon at Skyline Ranch Park in Santa Clarita, California.

New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley

The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.

1 hour ago - The Signal

Workers putting down asphalt on road.

U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause

A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.

2 hours ago - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of Barcelona, Spain with Sagrada Familia church in middle among dense buildings.

How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability

The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.

3 hours ago - The Conversation

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.