The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building, completed in 1932, stands as a primary milestone in American construction, serving as the first International Style skyscraper in the United States. Designed by William Lescaze, the structure introduced full air conditioning and a radical modernist aesthetic that departed from the classicist traditions prevalent in early twentieth-century urban banking architecture.
Early Training and Migration
Born in Onex, Switzerland, in 1896, Lescaze pursued a formal education at the Collège Calvin and the École des Beaux-Arts. He eventually completed his degree at ETH Zurich in 1919 under the instruction of Karl Moser. Following a period contributing to reconstruction efforts in Arras after World War I, he immigrated to the United States in 1920. His initial professional experiences in America included a tenure with Hubbell & Benes in Cleveland and teaching assignments at local YMCA night classes.
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In 1929, the Philadelphia architect George Howe invited Lescaze to form a partnership. Their collaboration on the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building established their reputation, with Howe explicitly attributing the design to Lescaze. This project signaled a departure from the 1897 classicist headquarters previously occupied by the institution. Beyond this high-profile commission, the firm explored modernist concepts for institutional and public structures, including a notable 1930 design submission for the Museum of Modern Art.
Independent Practice and Innovation
After establishing Lescaze & Associates in 1935, the architect expanded his reach into residential and social housing. His 1937 project in Tuxedo Park for Alfred Loomis served as a research site for double-skin facade construction, while the 1937 Williamsburg Houses in Brooklyn implemented European-modeled housing concepts across twenty buildings. In his own residence at 211 East 48th Street, completed in 1934, he became the first in New York City to incorporate glass blocks as a primary building material.
Late Career and Civic Contributions
Lescaze continued his practice by balancing commercial work, such as the CBS Columbia Square Studios in Los Angeles, with civic infrastructure. During the 1940s, he taught industrial design at the Pratt Institute and later served on the State Building Code Commission from 1949 to 1959. His later institutional works included the Manhattan Civil Court, the High School of Art and Design, and the Church Center for the United Nations, maintaining a consistent focus on modern architectural solutions for urban density.
Fast facts
- Born: 1896, Onex, Switzerland
- Died: 9 February 1969, New York City
- Education: ETH Zurich
- Key Project: Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building
- Professional Recognition: Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (1951)
- Teaching Positions: Pratt Institute (1943–1945)
- Citizenship: United States
- Notable Innovations: Double-skin facade construction and early glass block implementation
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building?
It is widely regarded as the first International Modernist skyscraper in the United States and the first building to utilize full air conditioning.
Did Lescaze have an interest in industrial design?
Yes, he worked as an industrial designer and taught the subject at the Pratt Institute between 1943 and 1945.
Achievements
- Trained at ETH Zurich
