Visiting

Harvey & Irwin Kroiz Gallery

Minerva Parker Nichols: The Search for a Forgotten Architect is on view March 21-July 22. Gallery hours are Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-4pm.

Study Room Hours

Appointments are required. To schedule an appointment, please contact: Heather Isbell Schumacher, Archivist, at hisbell@design.upenn.edu.

For 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. 

Holiday and Special Closures for the 2022-2023 Academic Year
Closed: Fourth of July (observed 7/4); Labor Day (9/5); Thanksgiving (11/24-11/25); Winter recess & Collections Control closure (12/24/22-1/10/23); Martin Luther King Jr. Day (1/16); Spring Special closure (6/19-7/4); Memorial Day (5/29); Juneteenth (observed 6/19).

A key use of the Archives' collections is to educate the next generation of architects and landscape architects; to provide insight into creative thinking and process as understood through the examinaion of primary source materials -- the drawings, sketchbooks, models, and other items that an architect like Louis Kahn creates during the course of a commission. The Archives staff offers a wide range of tour options aimed at a diverse range of individuals -- from young kids to experiened architects. We typically customize the tour for your groups needs.

Archives staff are available to consult with educators from any institution on ways to integrate our archival resources into your class.

We are able to engage in-person and through a variety of remote teaching platforms.

Please contact William Whitaker at wwhitake@upenn.edu for further information.

In order to protect works of art and to create an environment suitable for study, please observe the following Archives policies:

• Please do not touch the works of art or archival materials without the permission of the Archives staff.
• Food and drink are not allowed within the Kroiz Gallery without special authorization.
• Possession of dangerous materials, including firearms, is not permitted.
• Please be mindful of others, including our researchers, when using your cell phone.

Photography

• Handheld cameras without flash or tripod may be used in the Kroiz Gallery.
• Photographs cannot be commercially published, sold, reproduced, transferred or distributed without the written consent of the Archives.
• All photography in exhibitions of works of art on loan is prohibited.

Sketching

• The use of pens is prohibited in the Kroiz Gallery and in the Archives’ reading room; only pencils may be used for taking notes or sketching.
• Sketchbooks are not to exceed 18 x 24 inches.

The Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania occupies the lower level of the Fisher Fine Arts Library Building with an independent entrance located just off 34th Street adjacent to a pedestrian crossing at Smith Walk (originally Locust Street). The main entrance is up a short flight of steps and is marked by a plaque that reads “Architectural Archives / Kroiz Gallery.” Once inside the vestibule you’ll need to ring the intercom for entrance.

For barrier free access please call the Archives staff at 215-898-8323.

Street address

220 South 34th Street at Smith Walk
Lower Level of the Fisher Fine Arts Library building
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Mailing address

The Architectural Archives
University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design
102 Meyerson Hall
210 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6311