Architect Pelli to give public lecture

Celebrated architect Cesar Pelli will give a special public lecture, “Recent Designs,” at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the Mitchell Theater, Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave.

The lecture is free and tickets are not required. Attendees can meet Pelli at a gathering immediately following the lecture in the theater lobby.

In addition to his design for Madison’s Overture Center, now under construction, Pelli has created many famous structures, including the world’s tallest building – the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Pelli recently strengthened his Madison ties when staff from his firm, Cesar Pelli & Associates, New Haven, Conn., participated in a UW–Madison course offered during the fall semester. The course, Overture: The Art and Design of a Cultural Arts Center, analyzed the development of the design of the Overture Center from inception to execution.

Tino Balio, executive director of the UW Arts Institute, developed and coordinated the course, and is thrilled to welcome Pelli to campus. “Along with other members of the Madison arts community, we have admired his design for the Overture Center, his sensitivity to the wishes of the donor, the city and the needs of the resident arts organizations. Pelli is one of the most honored architects working in America today, and we look forward to his discussion of his current projects,” Balio says.

The recipient of numerous awards, Pelli believes architecture should be guided by the unique characteristics of each project, such as location, construction technology and purpose. He thinks of buildings as responsible citizens, and emphasizes the social and aesthetic issues that buildings create for a city and the people who use them.

Pelli has written extensively on architectural issues and his work has been widely published and exhibited, with five books and several issues of professional journals dedicated entirely to his designs and theories. His book Observations for Young Architects (Monacelli Press 1999) is a distillation of his thoughts on a profession he loves.

Pelli was born in Tucumán, Argentina. He served as dean of the School of Architecture at Yale University from 1977 to 1984. He is the recipient of the Arnold M. Brunner Memorial Prize, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Academy of Design, the International Academy of Architecture and l’Academied’Architecture de France. He has received seven honorary degrees and is the only architect to receive a Connecticut State Arts Award.

Cesar Pelli & Associates was selected to design the Overture Center in 1999 because of Pelli’s experience with performing and visual arts facilities. Pelli’s personal creativity and passion about the project were key factors in the selection.