Peter Eisenman

A champion of the late-modernist and deconstructivist movements, Peter Eisenman has been an influential contributor to the larger architectural discourse for the last half-century. Educated at Cornell University, Columbia University, and Cambridge University, Eisenman gained recognition as a member of the “New York Five,”together with Charles Gwathmey, Michael Graves, Richard Meier, and John Hejduk, who were all thought to have a style reminiscent of Le Corbusier—highly geometric, and almost always white. The term came from a Museum of Modern Art exhibition of their work curated by Arthur Drexler in 1976.

Regarded as one of the most prominent modern architectural theorists, Eisenman has written extensively on the history and philosophy of architecture. He continues to practice architecture while teaching at Harvard University, Syracuse University, Princeton University and The Cooper Union. He also founded the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, which he directed until 1982.

In 1991 KnollTextiles director of design Hazel Siegel approached Eisenman and suggested that he develop a textiles collection based on his architectural renderings. The “Snakes and Ladders” collection was Knoll’s first textile collection designed by an architect.