Harrison and Abramovitz

American architectural partnership formed in New York in 1945 by Wallace K(irkman) Harrison (b Worcester, MA, 28 Sept 1895; d New York, 2 Dec 1981) and Max Abramovitz (b Chicago, 23 May 1908). After early office training in Worcester, Harrison worked intermittently with McKim, Mead and White in New York while studying with Harvey W. Corbett at Columbia University (1916-17) and after a year at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1919). He then won a travelling scholarship and visited Europe. Although he considered himself a modernist, his training had a lasting effect that included a deep interest in historic architecture. Back in New York, he worked for Bertram Goodhue before joining Corbett's firm and becoming a partner in Helmle, Corbett and Harrison (1927-9), then Corbett, Harrison and MacMurray (1929-35). This firm was one of three known as The Associated Architects that worked on Rockefeller Center (1931-40; for illustration see ROCKEFELLER), New York. Rockefeller Center was acclaimed as a pioneering concept of commercial, multilevel, superblock planning; its Art Deco skyscrapers, including the RCA Building, are grouped around a sunken plaza. Many are embellished with landscaped terraces. Here Harrison first displayed his characteristic support for a programme of modern art for the large complex. Here he also began a lifelong association with the Rockefeller family. Harrison and Abramovitz were later responsible for the more mundane towers (1959-74) on the Sixth Avenue side of the complex.

See the Abbreviations for further details.