Lecture
Location
Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium
Milstein Hall
Contact
Department of Architecture
Abstract
Believing architecture should actively empower its users and communities, not simply be a representational art, Joshua Ramus, FAIA, is known for advancing architectural typologies, aspiring to produce inventive designs so functionally specific—and often so surprisingly adaptable—they yield new and inspiring aesthetic experiences. In this lecture, Ramus will reflect on the evolution of ideas and predilections underlying his work, including architectural agency, new perspectives on flexibility, and the effectiveness of phenomena over form.
This lecture is part of the Preston H. Thomas Memorial Lecture Series.
Biography
Joshua Ramus, FAIA
Joshua Ramus, FAIA, is the founding principal of New York-based architecture firm REX. He has led the design of projects celebrated worldwide, such as the Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center (“Lower Manhattan could have hardly asked for a more spectacular work of public architecture,” Michael Kimmelman, The New York Times (NYT)), The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University (“Takes theater architecture into new territory, pushing the notion of flexibility to its limits; to the point where you wonder if the whole idea of a theater—or any building for that matter—might be changing with it,” Sam Lubell, NYT), and the Seattle Central Library (“The most exciting new building it has been my honor to review in more than 30 years of writing about architecture,” Herbert Muschamp, NYT). Joshua was the first American recipient of the international Marcus Prize. He has also been credited as one of “The 5 Greatest Architects Under 50” by HuffPost; “The World’s Most Influential Young Architects” by Wallpaper*; “The Twenty Most Influential Players in Design” by Fast Company; “The 20 Essential Young Architects” by ICON; and “The Best and Brightest” by Esquire. In 2024, Fast Company named REX on its World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies list.
