Belluschi, Pietro, 1899-1994

Architect; Portland, Or. Died Feb. 1994.

From the description of Pietro Belluschi interviews, 1983 Aug. 22 - Sept. 4. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220184885

From the description of Pietro Belluschi interviews, 1983 Aug. 22 - Sept. 4 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 233007028

Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994) was an architect from Portland, Or.

From the description of Oral history interview with Pietro Belluschi, 1983 Aug. 22-Sept. 4. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 646397207

American architect.

From the description of Tape-recorded interview with Pietro Belluschi : in Portland, Oregon, August 22 & 23, September 4, 1983 / Meredith L. Clausen, interviewer. (Oregon Historical Society Research Library). WorldCat record id: 22143044

Pietro Bellsuchi (1899-1994) was an internationally famous American architect whose career spanned more than 65 years. Categorized as a regionalist and modernist architect, Belluschi claimed to have designed more than 1,000 buildings. He also served as Dean of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1951-1965.

In 1972, Belluschi received the American Institute of Architects' Gold Medal. In 1991, he was awarded the National Medal for the Arts in recognition of his impact on 20th century architecture.

From the description of Pietro Belluschi Collection, 1927-1983. (Oregon Historical Society Research Library). WorldCat record id: 54118380

Pietro Bellsuchi (1899-1994) was an internationally famous and prolific American architect whose career spanned more than 65 years. Categorized as a regionalist and modernist architect, Belluschi claimed to have designed more than 1,000 buildings during his lifetime. He was born in Ancona, Italy, to a middle-class family, served in the Italian Army and was decorated for bravery during World War I, attended the University of Rome, and in 1923 immigrated to the United States.

In 1925 Belluschi, impressed by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, settled in Portland, Or., where he took a position with the established architectural firm of A. E. Doyle and Associate and participated in design work on several buildings. In 1931, Belluschi started work on his first major commission, the Portland Art Museum, which was considered to be one of the first examples of modernist architecture and stands as a landmark project of his career.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Belluschi gained increasing fame in architectural circles with his regionalist designs for houses, including the Burkes House (1944-1948) in Portland, Or., one of his most recognized projects. In 1939 and 1940, Belluschi designed his first church, the St. Thomas More Church in Portland, Or., and he eventually gained worldwide recognition for his work on church buildings. His early churches and houses remain a hallmark of the Pacific Northwest regionalist style.

During the mid-1940s Belluschi gained control of A. E. Doyle and Associate and renamed the firm Pietro Belluschi, Architect. Belluschi's most famous project, the Equitable Building (1945-1948) in Portland, Or., represented the high point of his career. This was the first modernist high-rise office building constructed in the United States after World War II, and Belluschi incorporated revolutionary technological advances into its design.

In 1951, Belluschi became Dean of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), and transferred control of his Portland firm to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Architects (SOM). During his tenure at M.I.T., Belluschi continued to design churches, houses, office buildings, and academic buildings. He pioneered the role of architectural design consultant, in which he associated with many other firms, including Jung/Brannen Associates, SOM, and Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca Partnership from the 1950s through the early 1990s.

In 1965, Belluschi retired from his position at M.I.T., but he remained active as a design consultant, a juror for building competitions, and an advisor to city planning commissions. Significant projects of his later career include the Juilliard School for the Performing Arts (1963-1969) in New York City, St. Mary's Cathedral (1963-1970) and Davies Symphony Hall (1973-1980) in San Francisco, and the Miami Center project (1979-1982) in Miami, Fla.

In 1972, Belluschi received the architectural profession's highest award, the American Institute of Architect's Gold Medal. In 1973, he returned to Portland, Or., and remained active nationally as a design consultant and senior advisor on various projects. In 1991, Belluschi was awarded the National Medal for the Arts in recognition of his profound and lasting impact on twentieth century architecture.

From the guide to the Pietro Belluschi Collection, 1927-1983, (Oregon Historical Society Research Library)

Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994) was an Italian-American architect and a prominent figure in the Modernist movement. Over the course of his career he designed more than a thousand buildings in the United States and abroad.

Born in Ancona, Italy, Belluschi was the son of Guido and Canilla (Dogliani) Belluschi. He studied at the University of Rome's School of Engineering, receiving his doctorate in civil engineering in 1922. Belluschi became a United States citizen in 1929 and studied at Cornell University, Reed College, and the University of Rhode Island. In 1923, he served as the inspector of housing development in Rome in his native country; from 1927 to 1942 he was with A.E. Doyle and Associates; and from 1951 to 1965 he was Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Belluschi won numerous awards for his work, including the American Institute of Architects' Gold Medal in 1972 and a National Medal of Arts for lifetime achievement in 1991. Among the buildings he designed are the Pan Am Building in midtown Manhattan (1963), the Equitable Building in Portland (1948), the Bennington College Library (1957-1958), and the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco (1980).

From the guide to the Pietro Belluschi Papers, 1908-1989, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)