Thom Mayne
Thom Maynefounded Morphosis in 1972 as a collective practice engaged in architecture, urban planning, and design. Working globally, his work represents a wide variety of scales and typologies. Mayne cofounded the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in 1972 and continued to play an active role in architectural education. He has held teaching positions at UCLA, Yale, Harvard GSD, Columbia, the Bartlett School of Architecture, and the University of Pennsylvania. He co-directed the NOW Institute, a division of Morphosis that collaborates with communities, cities, and academic institutions to research and enhance urban environments. Mayne was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2005 and the AIA Gold Medal in 2013. From 2009 to 2016, he served on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities under President Barack Obama.
In addition to built work, Mayne maintains active art and research practice. His recent publications include Strange Networks (Rizzoli, 2020), a monograph of his recent studies of combinatory systems, and M3: modeled works [archive] 1972-2022 (Rizzoli, 2023), a survey of 50 years of Morphosis models. These investigations continue at Stray Dog Café, his personal studio, where he leads a team of emerging designers and students. His work is held in the permanent collections of MoMA, SFMOMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, and other institutions.
Mayne’s practice reflects a sustained commitment to advancing architectural discourse through built form, speculative research, and civic engagement.
Photos: Thom Mayne © Kurtlswarienko.
In collaboration with the Helms Design District and the Cal Poly SLO LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design:
Please join us Thursday, April 2nd for a reception, lecture, and discussion with Thom Mayne.
Introduced and moderated by Stephen Phillips, FAIA, PhD, Principal of Stephen Phillips Architects (SPARCHS) and professor, director, Cal Poly LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo).
