Ricardo Scofidio
Ricardo Merrill Scofidio (April 16, 1935 – March 6, 2025) was an American architect. With his wife Elizabeth Diller, he founded interdisciplinary design studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Scofidio was born in New York City on April 16, 1935, to Earle and June (Matthews) Scofidio. His father, a jazz musician who played alto saxophone and clarinet, was Black. His mother, though light-skinned, was of mixed Black heritage. He had a brother, Basilio.[1]
He attended the Cooper Union School of Architecture and then Columbia University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1960. He began teaching at the Cooper Union in 1965.[1]
Career
[edit]In 1979, Scofidio and Diller opened their architecture firm.[2] In 1999, they completed a 100 unit block of apartments in Gifu, Japan.[3] Among Scofidio's most well-known projects were the High Line, a collaboration with architects James Corner and Piet Oudolf,[2] has become one of New York's signature destinations since its opening in 2009. a 2019 renovation of the Museum of Modern Art building, and a $1 billion restoration of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.[4] The firm designed a new business school building for Columbia University's Manhattanville campus, and the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center for Columbia's medical school, as well as The Broad museum in Los Angeles.[1]
Personal life and death
[edit]In 1955, Scofidio married Allana Jeanne Deserio, with whom he had four children. They divorced in 1979. He married Elizabeth Diller in 1989. Scofidio lived in Manhattan.[1] He died on March 6, 2025, at the age of 89. In addition to his sons Ian, Gino, Marco and Dana, he was survived by six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.[1]
Awards and honors
[edit]In 2019, Scofidio and Diller won the Royal Academy architecture prize. In 1999, along with his wife Elizabeth Diller, he became one of the first architects to win a MacArthur Genius grant.[5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Bernstein, Fred A. (March 8, 2025). "Ricardo Scofidio, Boldly Imaginative and Innovative Architect, Dies". The New York Times. Vol. 174, no. 60452. pp. A24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "NYC High Line architect Scofidio dead at 89". France 24. March 7, 2025.
- ^ "Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio: Updating a Brasserie With Pizazz". archive.nytimes.com.
- ^ Hickman, Matt; Minutillo, Josephine (March 7, 2025). "Tribute: Ricardo Scofidio (1935–2025)". www.architecturalrecord.com. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ Brown, Mark (February 8, 2019). "High Line architects Liz Diller and Ricardo Scofidio win RA prize" – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Ricardo Scofidio, architect of Manhattan's High Line park, dies at 89". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2025-03-07. Archived from the original on 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
