Paul Rudolph’s works, including unrealised ones, in a major exhibition at the MET

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will host a major exhibition from September 30, 2024, to March 16, 2025, dedicated to the work of Paul Rudolph, one of the most significant architects of the 20th century. Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph will showcase Rudolph’s works from the 1950s to the 1970s, with more than 80 items, including architectural drawings, furniture, material samples, models, and photographs. Spanning the entirety of his career, it will demonstrate his influence on modern and contemporary architecture.

Known for his bold and expressive use of space and materials, unlike his modernist peers, Rudolph was famous for his use of complex volumes and textures. A highlight of the exhibition will be the designs for the Lower Manhattan Expressway / City Corridor, a visionary master plan conceived between 1967 and 1972 to address New York’s traffic congestion but never realized: a massive elevated structure that integrated residential, public, and commercial spaces. Also featured will be materials for the Art and Architecture Building on the Yale University campus, completed in 1958. This building, with its solid concrete facade, is considered a masterpiece of Brutalist architecture. The intricate interior spaces are a perfect example of Rudolph’s compositional mastery in assembling dynamic and engaging spaces.