Kelly, Richard, 1910-1977

Richard Kelly, architectural lighting designer, was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on September 22, 1910. After graduating from Columbia University in 1932, he opened an office in New York to design and sell architectural lighting. He enrolled in the architecture program at Yale University, where he also studied with theatrical lighting designer, Stanley McCandless, graduating with a B.F.A. in 1942. After working for several architectural offices, he opened his own lighting design firm in New York about 1947. Kelly developed a new vocabulary using natural imagery and life experiences, identifying the concepts of focal glow, ambient luminescence, and the play of brilliants. During his career, Kelly worked with many noted architects, including Louis Kahn, Mies van der Rohe, Harrison & Abramovitz, Eero Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Philip Johnson. Among his notable projects are: the Seagram Building and Lincoln Center in New York, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Yale Center for British Art. In addition to his own practice, Kelly lectured on lighting design at Yale, Harvard University, Cooper Union, Columbia, and other architectural schools and organizations. He died in 1977.

Richard Kelly, architectural lighting designer, was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on September 22, 1910. After graduating from Columbia University in 1932, he opened an office in New York to design and sell architectural lighting. He enrolled in the architecture program at Yale University, where he also studied with theatrical lighting designer, Stanley McCandless, graduating with a B.F.A. in 1942. After working for several architectural offices, he opened his own lighting design firm in New York in or around 1947. Kelly developed a new vocabulary using natural imagery and life experiences, identifying the concepts of focal glow, ambient luminescence, and the play of brilliants. During his career, Kelly worked with many noted architects, including Louis Kahn, Mies van der Rohe, Harrison & Abramovitz, Eero Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Philip Johnson. Among his notable projects are: the Seagram Building and Lincoln Center in New York, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Yale Center for British Art. In addition to his own practice, Kelly lectured on lighting design at Yale, Harvard University, Cooper Union, Columbia, and other architectural schools and organizations. He died in 1977.