The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture mourns the loss of Ricardo Scofidio, Cooper Union alumnus and beloved member of our community, who passed away on March 6, 2025, at the age of 89. His departure leaves an extraordinary legacy of architectural ingenuity, educational dedication, and profound generosity.
 
Ric, as he was known, was a visionary architect, an influential thinker, and a transformative educator. His tenure at The Cooper Union, from 1965 to 2007, spanned every facet of the curriculum, shaping generations of architects. He began his teaching career with "Graphics, Working Drawings and Specifications," and for two decades his impact was most deeply felt in Design II, where his insightful guidance fostered critical thinking and innovative design approaches. With studio prompts ranging from the analysis of architecture and domestic objects to the reimagination of the Levittown House and the design of instruments of measurement, he taught students how to see, draw, interrogate conventions, and push the boundaries of the discipline.
 
At The Cooper Union, he met Elizabeth Diller, initially as her professor, and together they forged a life and work partnership that redefined art and architecture. For many years, their work blurred the lines between disciplines. They lived as artists, fixtures in the East Village, working and residing in a loft in the Village Voice building on Cooper Square. During this time, they both taught at Cooper and undertook a few small building commissions.

For the first two decades of their collaboration, Diller + Scofidio operated on the avant-garde fringe, interrogating the field's fundamental parameters by producing art installations and designing sets for dance performances, pushing the boundaries of creative expression. Their intertwined practice and identities were evident in Flesh, the 1990 monograph detailing their inseparable creative practice.
 
Renamed Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in 2004, the firm expanded its portfolio to include celebrated cultural, institutional, and urban spaces, reflecting a radical transformation in both their practice and the field. Their work activates the spatial and experiential potentials of buildings and cities, blending architecture, visual arts, and performing arts while embracing new technologies.
 
The studio became renowned for installations, exhibitions, and some of the most celebrated architectural projects in recent history. As New Yorkers, Ric and Liz have profoundly impacted the city through projects like Lincoln Center (2007–2012), the High Line (2009–2019), MoMA’s renovation and expansion (2019), The Shed at Hudson Yards (2019), and Columbia’s Business School (2022).
 
Acting Dean Hayley Eber worked at Diller Scofidio + Renfro for six years and recalls Scofidio as “a true original, combining a brilliant mind with a gentle spirit. Known for his distinctive soul patch, love of jazz, and racing vintage sports cars, he was a creative force in design and architecture. With his calm wisdom, he was the person everyone turned to for solving complex design challenges; he had a remarkable ability to home in on the critical issues and was always willing to share invaluable Photoshop tips. At Cooper, he redefined pedagogical boundaries, mentored generations of architects, and continued to generously support our programs long after his retirement.”

Ric's tall, quiet presence, coupled with his soft-spoken wisdom, resonated deeply. His thoughtful insights and gentle demeanor left an indelible impression on the architectural community. He will be remembered not only for his groundbreaking work, but also for his generosity and profound impact as a mentor and dear colleague.

School of Architecture Faculty Remembrances 

Nader Tehrani—A graduate, a professor, and a friend of the Cooper Union, Ric returned again and again long after his retirement from teaching, and his visual literacy continued to amaze students as they advanced their work. I only came to know Ric after I joined the Cooper community some ten years ago, and his willingness to share his experiences and wisdom helped pave a path for my deanship—for that, I am eternally grateful. Both he and Liz reached out to me annually, giving—with their time, intelligence, and significant support of our programs—something that persists today. Inconspicuous in his demeanor, Ric was nonetheless a presence when he stood in the room, and his silence spoke volumes. But his gentle manner served as an apt veil for the contained intelligence and wit he would unleash every so often, reminding us constantly that we do not need to overstep to allow our voices to speak with power. When he spoke, without exception it was with thoughtful words and an empathy that communicated as deeply to the students as it did to the discipline.

Sue Ferguson Gussow—Ricardo Scofidio AR’55, was one year ahead of me. To my freshman eyes, tall, handsome Ric was unbelievably cool. In those early to mid-fifties days Cooper was rigidly scheduled. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon a bell would ring to announce a fifteen-minute break, ringing again at its close. Out to the sixth-floor lobby we would troop, lighting up cigarettes. Somehow, Ric and two classmates, Tom Aidala and Nat Silver, were already there, standing on benches that lined the walls of the room. They stood in three corners of the room, their backs to us, making weird electronic sounds, signaling to one another, moving in odd, robotic ways. Their theater was surreal and wickedly funny, their “language” signaling sounds that our devices would be filling our ears with, decades later. These pop-up happenings were only minutes long, but memorable and predictive of the wit, daring, and genius that the practice of Diller, Scofidio + Renfro has embodied.
 
Michael Young—I remember Ric’s last lecture before he retired. It was in the small lecture hall, just for the school. He began by saying that the most difficult talks are those you present to your family. It was deeply heartfelt and touching, capturing all that he meant to the school and what the school meant for him.