The Latvian National Library Building in Riga, commissioned in 1989 and completed in 2014, represents the culmination of a career that spanned continents and decades. As an architect who fled his native Latvia before the Soviet advance during the Second World War, Gunnar Birkerts established a significant design practice while serving on the faculty at the University of Michigan.
Early Career and Training
Birkerts graduated from the Technische Hochschule in Stuttgart in 1949, the same year he emigrated to the United States. His professional foundation included roles at Perkins and Will in Chicago, followed by key design positions at the firms of Eero Saarinen and Minoru Yamasaki. He eventually formed the partnership Birkerts and Straub before establishing his own office, Gunnar Birkerts and Associates, in Birmingham, Michigan, in 1963.
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His portfolio includes numerous major institutional and cultural structures. Notable projects feature the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, and the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. Additional designs encompass the University of Iowa College of Law and the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. He also maintained an office in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Academic and Institutional Roles
Birkerts taught at the University of Michigan from 1959 until 1990, receiving the ACSA Distinguished Professor Award in 1989–90. He was an honorary professor at the University of Illinois and served as Architect-In-Residence at the American Academy in Rome. His professional standing was reflected in his memberships with the Latvian Academy of Sciences and as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Final Projects and Recognition
The National Library of Latvia, also referred to as the Castle of Light, drew inspiration from Latvian folklore concerning a Glass Mountain. His achievements earned him the Order of the Three Stars in 1995 and the Grand Medal of the Latvian Academy of Sciences in 2000. Birkerts passed away in Needham, Massachusetts, on August 15, 2017, at the age of 92.
Fast facts
- Born: 1925, Riga, Latvia
- Died: 2017, Needham, Massachusetts
- Notable Work: Latvian National Library Building
- Academic Tenure: University of Michigan (1959–1990)
- Professional Fellowship: American Institute of Architects
- Key Award: Rome Prize
- Latvian Honor: Order of the Three Stars
- Education: Riga State Gymnasium No.1
Questions readers ask
Where is the National Library of Latvia located?
It is located in Riga, Latvia.
What was the cause of Gunnar Birkerts' death?
He died of congestive heart failure at the age of 92.
Achievements
- Notable work: Latvian National Library Building
- Affiliated with University of Michigan
- Educated at Riga State Gymnasium No.1
- Worked as architect and university teacher
