Origins & Early Life

Richard Meier (born October 12, 1934) is an American abstract artist and architect, whose geometric designs make prominent use of the color white. A winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1984, Meier has designed several iconic buildings including the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and San Jose City Hall. In 2018, some of Meier's employees accused him of sexual assault, which led to him resigning from his firm in 2021. Meier was born to a Jewish family, the oldest of three sons of Carolyn (Kaltenbacher) and Jerome Meier, a wholesale wine and liquor salesman, in Newark, New Jersey.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He grew up in nearby Maplewood, where he attended Columbia High School. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University in 1957. After graduating from Cornell, Meier traveled to Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, and Italy, among other places, to network with architects. Meier is a second cousin of Peter Eisenman, an architect, theorist, and fellow member of The New York Five. In New York City, Meier worked briefly in 1959 for Skidmore, Owings and...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Arkin — Contemporary (Born in 1934) (1934): Esteemed American actor, filmmaker, and musician with a seven-decade career.
• Bill Russell — Contemporary (Born in 1934) (1934): Center for the Boston Celtics, a 12-time champion and basketball legend.
• Brigitte Bardot — Contemporary (Born in 1934) (1934): Iconic French actress, singer, and passionate animal rights activist.
• Aleister Crowley — Shared historical date (10-12 · Born) (1875): Founder of Thelema, a major occultist, poet, and ceremonial magician.
• Anatole France — Shared historical date (10-12 · Died) (1924): Master French writer, poet, and journalist celebrated for irony and style.
• Carl Sagan — Historical peer (Born in 1934) (1934): Pioneering astronomer and celebrated science communicator of the cosmos.
• Carlo Rubbia — Historical peer (Born in 1934) (1934): Pioneering particle physicist known for the discovery of W and Z bosons at CERN.
• AB de Villiers — Historical peer (Born in 1984) (1984): Legendary South African cricketer, celebrated for his all-around batting genius.
• Alfred Kastler — Historical peer (Died in 1984) (1984): Pioneering physicist known for developing the technique of optical pumping.
• Aretha Franklin — Historical peer (Died in 2018) (2018): The "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin defined American music with unparalleled vocal power.
• 1934 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1934
• October 12 (10-12) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 12