Drawing Ambience: The Gallery

This slideshow is part of: Drawing Connections

Drawing Ambience: Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association, an exhibition open at the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery from October 13 to November 25, 2015, includes 43 hand-drawn works from some of the most influential architects of the last fifty years such as Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Bernard Tschumi and John Hejduk. Here are just a few samples of the works. All images are from the Collection of the Alvin Boyarsky Archive, copyright held by the respective artists/studios.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.