Two Exhibitions of the Work of Late Architect Myron Goldfinger to Open in New York

Two interrelated exhibitions celebrating the work of the late architect Myron Goldfinger will open later this month at two locations in New York. Circle, Square, Triangle: Houses I Never Lived In. The Residential Work of Myron Goldfinger 1963-2008 will open at The Paul Rudolph Institute For Modern Architecture (PRIMA) on September 19. Circle, Square, Triangle: A World I wanted to Live In. The Public and Unbuilt Work of Myron Goldfinger 1963-2008 will open at the Mitchell Algus Gallery on September 20.

The two locations for these interconnected exhibitions offer complementary studies of Goldfinger’s work, exploring his built residential projects and his unbuilt community architecture. Both exhibitions consist of original material uncovered during the Paul Rudolph Institute’s process of archiving and indexing Goldfinger’s estate, much of which has never been seen. At PRIMA, there will be multimedia studies outlining the designs for several houses, including contemporary and historical models, a range of original drawings, from conception to construction – either graphite on vellum or ink on mylar –  and original photographic prints by Norman McGrath. Projects include the Goldfinger Residence in Waccabuc, NY (1969); the Zack Residence in Sands Point, NY (1977), and Roberta Flack’s apartment at the Dakota building in New York City (1975). The Mitchell Algus Gallery will explore unbuilt projects that Goldfinger designed, including several for New York City, providing a local context for the exhibition. This includes a housing proposal for Roosevelt Island from 1975 and a proposal for the Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza from 1970. Again, a collection of renderings and models outline the evolution of Goldfinger's design process.

The curation of Circle, Square, Triangle sets out to demonstrate Goldfinger’s characteristic and distinctive approach to architecture, which is embedded in the title itself. The phrase “Circle, Square, Triangle” originates from Goldfinger’s own words—he considered these three basic shapes to be the heart of his design, shapes he would transform and assemble into dramatic volumes. His playfulness with geometry led to spectacular interior and exterior architectural features in his work, such as soaring ceilings and gravity-defying cantilevers. Goldfinger insisted that “the fashion of the moment is so temporary. Only the timeless basic geometry repeats in time”. His work was both deeply intuitive while also conveying a clarity of vision. With its clean lines and careful volumetric assemblage, it was honest and direct, described best by Goldfinger himself as “ordered simplicity”. 

Born in 1933, Goldfinger grew up in Atlantic City. He studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, under Louis Kahn and Paul Rudolph, who informed his approach to geometry, spatial hierarchy and material expression. Goldfinger worked for Karl Linn, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Philip Johnson before establishing his own practice in 1966. That same year, he married interior designer June Matkovic, who designed the interiors for his buildings. Goldfinger also began teaching at the Pratt Institute, where he taught from 1966 to 1976. He designed residences around the world, focusing particularly on the North-East, including Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey. These buildings reflect Goldfinger’s sustained interest in stark geometric forms juxtaposed with the exuberance of 1970s and 1980s interiors—expansive mirrored walls, textured carpeting, abstract art, and oversized plants. In his monograph, Myron Goldfinger: Architect (1992), he wrote “I am always building the houses I never lived in as a boy.” Goldfinger was also interested in community architecture, as demonstrated in his first book, Villages in the Sun: Mediterranean Community Architecture (1969, reprinted 1993). Here, he voiced his belief that community architecture “is a place for human experience, a rich variety of forms and spaces in which to live, a structural framework which permits the expression of the individual, and the participation of all.”

“The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture’s collaboration with the Myron Goldfinger Estate began as an effort to digitize the archive of this important Modernist architect,” says Kelvin Dickinson, President of PRIMA. “This show is composed of a fraction of the incredible drawings produced during his lifetime. We hope the preservation of his built work is a direct result of a renewed appreciation brought about by showing it to the public.”

June Goldfinger, Myron’s wife, stated, “there is a joy in his work. The volumes Myron so intuitively created – with just a scribble of graphite on paper – complex, soaring, volumetric spaces with his command and love of the simplicity of juxtaposing geometric forms. He will always be remembered as a monumental Modernist. I worked with Myron on the interiors and was in awe of the beauty of the architecture. He designed a landscape for living, always letting the architecture dictate the interior solutions.”

Exhibition details for Circle, Square, Triangle: Houses I Never Lived In. The Residential Work of Myron Goldfinger 1963-2008
Opening reception: Thursday September 19, 2024, 5-8 PM
Dates: September 19, 2024-March 22, 2025.
Location: The Paul Rudolph Institute For Modern Architecture, The Modulightor Building, 246 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022. The exhibition space is elevator accessible.
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday: 1-4 PM, Thursday: 1-7 PM, Friday-Saturday: 1-4 PM; and by appointment other days/times.

Exhibition details for Circle, Square, Triangle: A World I wanted to Live In. The Public and Unbuilt Work of Myron Goldfinger 1963-2008
Opening reception: Friday September 20, 2024, 5-8 PM
Location: The Mitchell Algus Gallery, 132 Delancey Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10002. 
The exhibition space is not ADA accessible.
Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 2-5 PM and by appointment