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Pietro Belluschi Collection, 1927-1983

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Belluschi, Pietro, 1899-
Title
Pietro Belluschi Collection
Dates
1927-1983 (inclusive)
Quantity
Approximately 23,300 architectural drawings, ((186.5 linear ft.))
360 photographic prints, ((25.5 linear ft.))  :  b&w and col.
1 negative  :  col.
14 works of art , ((5 linear ft.))
14 boxes of records , ((5.5 linear ft.))
Collection Number
Coll 2 (collection)
Summary
The collection is a comprehensive representation of the work of Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994), an important twentieth century American regionalist and modernist architect. The collection consists of architectural drawings (1931-1983) including details, elevations, perspectives, plans, sections, sketches, tracings, blueprints, and photostats, as well as photographs, works of art , and records (1927-1983).
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public. Special arrangements must be made in advance to view this collection (except photographs) because the materials other than photographs are stored off site.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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Biographical Note

Pietro Bellsuchi (1899-1994) was an internationally famous and prolific American architect whose career spanned more than 65 years. Categorized as a regionalist and modernist architect, Belluschi claimed to have designed more than 1,000 buildings during his lifetime. He was born in Ancona, Italy, to a middle-class family, served in the Italian Army and was decorated for bravery during World War I, attended the University of Rome, and in 1923 immigrated to the United States.

In 1925 Belluschi, impressed by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, settled in Portland, Or., where he took a position with the established architectural firm of A. E. Doyle and Associate and participated in design work on several buildings. In 1931, Belluschi started work on his first major commission, the Portland Art Museum, which was considered to be one of the first examples of modernist architecture and stands as a landmark project of his career.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Belluschi gained increasing fame in architectural circles with his regionalist designs for houses, including the Burkes House (1944-1948) in Portland, Or., one of his most recognized projects. In 1939 and 1940, Belluschi designed his first church, the St. Thomas More Church in Portland, Or., and he eventually gained worldwide recognition for his work on church buildings. His early churches and houses remain a hallmark of the Pacific Northwest regionalist style.

During the mid-1940s Belluschi gained control of A. E. Doyle and Associate and renamed the firm Pietro Belluschi, Architect. Belluschi's most famous project, the Equitable Building (1945-1948) in Portland, Or., represented the high point of his career. This was the first modernist high-rise office building constructed in the United States after World War II, and Belluschi incorporated revolutionary technological advances into its design.

In 1951, Belluschi became Dean of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), and transferred control of his Portland firm to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Architects (SOM). During his tenure at M.I.T., Belluschi continued to design churches, houses, office buildings, and academic buildings. He pioneered the role of architectural design consultant, in which he associated with many other firms, including Jung/Brannen Associates, SOM, and Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca Partnership from the 1950s through the early 1990s.

In 1965, Belluschi retired from his position at M.I.T., but he remained active as a design consultant, a juror for building competitions, and an advisor to city planning commissions. Significant projects of his later career include the Juilliard School for the Performing Arts (1963-1969) in New York City, St. Mary's Cathedral (1963-1970) and Davies Symphony Hall (1973-1980) in San Francisco, and the Miami Center project (1979-1982) in Miami, Fla.

In 1972, Belluschi received the architectural profession's highest award, the American Institute of Architect's Gold Medal. In 1973, he returned to Portland, Or., and remained active nationally as a design consultant and senior advisor on various projects. In 1991, Belluschi was awarded the National Medal for the Arts in recognition of his profound and lasting impact on twentieth century architecture.

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Content Description

The collection is a comprehensive representation of the work of Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994), an important twentieth century American regionalist and modernist architect. The collection consists of architectural drawings (1931-1983), including details, elevations, perspectives, plans, sections, sketches, tracings, blueprints, and photostats. The collection also contains photographs and works of art (1927-1982), principally related to projects from Belluschi's early career in Portland, Or., and his tenure as a dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Records (1947-1983), including correspondence, notes, and specifications, are primarily connected with projects after Belluschi's retirement from M.I.T.

The majority of the architectural drawings in the collection are blueprints and photostats. The original materials, mostly by Belluschi, consist of pencil and ink drawings and sketches on tracing paper. Many of the architectural plans in the collection from the early part of Belluschi's career with the firm of A. E. Doyle and Associate consist of original drawings in his own hand. Of particular interest are the drawings that trace the development of the design of the Portland Art Museum (1931), his first major commission. Original drawings by the Belluschi firm detail the design development of the Equitable Building (1946-1947), widely considered the most architecturally groundbreaking project of his career.

Drawings for projects from the early phase of Belluschi's career in Portland contained in the collection include churches, houses, office buildings, and academic buildings. Notable projects include the St. Thomas More Church (1940), First Presbyterian Church (1948-1952), Burkes House (1947-1948), Central Lutheran Church (1949-1950), Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Portland Branch (1948-1949), Oregonian Publishing Company Newspaper Plant (1946-1948), Reed College Science Building (1947-1948), and Zion Lutheran Church (1948-1950).

After Belluschi's departure for M.I.T. in 1951, he continued to design and consult on many projects, including churches, office buildings, academic buildings, and other projects, including a power plant and nuclear reactor. Significant projects in the collection from this phase of his career include the Mondawmin Shopping Center (1951-1955), one of the first enclosed shopping malls; First Lutheran Church of Boston (1954-1957); Temple Israel, Swampscott, Mass. (1953-1956); First Methodist Church, Duluth, Minn. (1962-1969); the University of Rhode Island (1957-1968); and the Bennington (Vt.) College Library (1957-1958).

Belluschi retired from M.I.T. in 1965 but remained active in the architectural profession. Several of the most noteworthy projects of his career were commissioned during this period, including St. Mary's Cathedral (1963-1970), Sacramento Community Center (1968-1974), Davies Symphony Hall (1973-1978), Miami Center project (1979-1982), Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1973-1980), Century 21 Hotel/Kennedy Blvd. project (1968-1969), and alterations to the Portsmouth Abbey School (1976-1982). Architectural drawings and records in the collection for this period reflect Belluschi's work as a design consultant and in association with other architectural firms.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Pietro Belluschi Architectural Collection, Coll 2, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The Pietro Belluschi collection is organized into three series:

  • Series A: Architectural Drawings, 1931-1983
  • Series B: Photographs and Works of Art, 1927-1982
  • Series C: Records, 1947-1983

Acquisition Information

Gift of Pietro Belluschi, 1978 and 1979. Accession Numbers 14642 and 14748.

Related Materials

Equitable Savings and Loan Association, Records (Mss 2353) and Photographs Collection (Org. Lot 233), Oregon Historical Society Research Library. Pietro Belluschi designed three buildings for the Equitable Savings and Loan Association, including the landmark Equitable Building (1946-1947).

Pietro Belluschi Papers, Department of Special Collections, Syracuse University Library, Syracuse, N.Y. The holdings of the Syracuse University Library include architectural drawings, architectural records, and photographs primarily related to Pacific Northwest buildings. A guide is available.

Bibliography

Clausen, Meredith L. Pietro Belluschi: Modern American Architect. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1994. Clausen, Meredith L. Spiritual Space: The Religious Architecture of Pietro Belluschi. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1992.
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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container List

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Architects.
  • Architecture--Designs and plans.
  • Church Architecture.
  • Modern movement (Architecture)

Personal Names

  • Belluschi, Pietro, 1899-
  • Campbell, Richard A.
  • Doyle, A. E.
  • Graves, Michael, 1934-
  • Pei, I. M., 1917-
  • Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961

Corporate Names

  • Bank of Americirca World Headquarters.
  • Belluschi/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (B/SOM)
  • Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • Equitable Savings and Loan Association (Portland, Or.)
  • Juilliard School of Music.
  • Jung/Brannen Associates.
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • Pietro Belluschi and Associates, Inc.
  • Portland Art Museum (Or.)
  • Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca Partnership.
  • Zion Lutheran Church (Portland, Or.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Architectural drawings.
  • Architectural records.
  • Photographic prints.
  • Works of art.

Collection arranged and described by Andrew N. Bryans
2003

CC0

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