Architecture

Interior of Fisher Fine Arts building, looking out the window to Locust Walk at the landing of the indoor staircase

A virtual tour of architectural masterpieces

David Brownlee, Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of 19th Century European Art in the School of Arts and Sciences, leads a virtual tour of some of Penn’s best-known historic buildings.

From The Power of Penn ・

abele and magaziner at the art museum

A friendship born through marginalization

At the turn of the 20th century, Julian Abele and Louis Magaziner—a Black man and an immigrant Jew—were standouts in Penn’s School of Fine Arts about to launch distinguished careers in architecture. They were also beginning what would be a lifelong friendship. A Magaziner descendant and Abele admirer investigates what brought them together.

Amy Cohen ・

View of white garments hanging at the Designs for Different Futures exhibit, with a white shirt on a stand and a futuristic wheelchair and mechanical upright walking device on display.

Designs for what the future can be

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Designs for Different Futures” exhibition includes contributions and installations from several Penn faculty and alumni who seek to answer questions about what the not-so-distant future may look like.

Two construction workers attach a crane to wires around a beam covered in signatures at the topping-off ceremony for New College House West

New College House West milestone marked

As part of a long-standing tradition in construction, members of the construction, project, and architectural teams were given the opportunity to sign the last beam before it was hoisted via crane to the top of Penn's newest residence hall.

Amanda Mott ・

Two people pulling cloth off of bronze bust next to a podium with third person looking on

‘Power of design’

In a ceremony Thursday afternoon, President Amy Gutmann celebrated the naming of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and Stuart Weitzman Plaza. Weitzman, the designer and footwear industry icon, graduated from the Wharton School in 1963.

Louisa Shepard ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia’s Market Street East searches for growth and renewal — with or without a new Sixers arena

Akira Drake Rodriguez, Rashida Ng, and Dominic Vitiello of the Weitzman School of Design say there should be a more robust and inclusive conversation about the future of Philadelphia’s Market Street East.

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6ABC.com

Chinatown residents brainstorm different ideas for Fashion District instead of proposed 76ers arena

Rashida Ng of the Weitzman School of Design and colleagues attended the Save Chinatown Coalition to propose different ideas besides the 76ers arena for Philadelphia’s Fashion District.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Emergency stabilization work finally begins at the historic Henry Ossawa Tanner House

The Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights at the Weitzman School of Design has partnered with the Friends of the Tanner House to stabilize the historic building in North Philadelphia.

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Interesting Engineering

Dragonfly wings used to design lighter, stronger and ‘greener’ Boeing 777 wings

Masoud Akbarzadeh of the Weitzman School of Design and Weitzman alum Hao Zheng are studying dragonfly wings to redesign the wings of a Boeing 777.

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The Architect’s Newspaper

Penn moves forward with performing arts center designed by Steven Holl Architects

President Liz Magill comments on the new Student Performing Arts Center that will maximize visibility of creative life on campus.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

‘We deserve much better’: Critics oppose Philly’s plan for evaluating Sixers arena proposal

At a Philadelphia City Hall panel, Domenic Vitiello of the Weitzman School of Design decried the level of seriousness for impact studies requested by the city to evaluate the impact of a Sixers arena in Chinatown.

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