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The Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania preserves the works of more than 400 designers from the 17th century to the present. Major collections include the comprehensive archives of a number of the twentieth century's most significant designers, including: Robert Venturi & Denise Scott Brown; Lawrence Halprin; Ian L. McHarg; Edmund N. Bacon; Anne Griswold Tyng; and Louis I. Kahn.
Established in the fall of 1978, the Architectural Archives gained its international reputation initially through the Louis I. Kahn Collection whose resources include all drawings, models, photographs, correspondence, and project files from Kahn's office. Purchased by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from the Kahn estate in 1975, the Collection was placed on permanent loan to the University by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and opened to the public in September 1979. The Kahn Collection attracts a steady stream of international visitors and has served as the basis for innumerable publications and exhibitions.
The research collections in the Archives are available to faculty, students, and scholars for independent study as well as to support teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. The archives facility in the lower level of the Fisher Fine Arts Building houses the Harvey & Irwin Kroiz Gallery, a specialized library, study room, and seminar room, as well as storage and processing facilities.
Research & Inquiries
Works from the Archives' collections are available for study by appointment only. We strongly recommend contacting the staff to discuss your research and schedule prior to making travel plans.
Study Room Hours
Open by appointment only
To make an appointment, reference inquiries, or publication and copyright requests, please contact Heather Isbell Schumacher, Archivist, at hisbell@design.upenn.edu.
The Architectural Archives welcomes the use of its collections by all researchers; University of Pennsylvania affiliation is not required.
Staff
William Whitaker, Curator and Collections Manager
Heather Isbell Schumacher, Archivist