Serge Chermayeff

He was born into a wealthy Jewish family{{cite web|last=Glancey|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/strangers-in-the-house-1349546.html|title=Strangers in the house|website=Independent.co.uk |date=27 May 1996 |publisher=|accessdate=15 September 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1331_modernism/artist_97_357.html|title= Mapping Modernism|first=|website=Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media|archive-date=20 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120042136/http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1331_modernism/artist_97_357.html |url-status=dead|accessdate=12 November 2023}}{{cite thesis|url=http://dcg.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/rocha_emergenceOfComputationalPerspective.pdf|author=Altino Joao Magalhaes Rocha|title=Architecture Theory 1960—1980. Emergence of a Computational Perspective|publisher=MIT|date=February 2004| page= 42|degree= Architecture: Design and Computation|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216004327/http://dcg.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/rocha_emergenceOfComputationalPerspective.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2013 }} in Grozny, Russian Empire (today in the Chechen Republic in the Russian Federation), but moved to England at an early age where he received his education at Peterborough Lodge Preparatory School (1910–1913), the Royal Drawing Society School (1910–1913) and Harrow School (1914–1917).

From 1922 to 1925, he received training at various schools in Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands. During this period, he supported himself as a journalist for the Amalgamated Press (1918–23) before becoming chief designer (1924–27) at E. Williams, a decorating firm.{{cite web|url=http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/person/4411/|title=PCAD – Serge Ivan Chermayeff|website=pcad.lib.washington.edu|accessdate=15 September 2018}}

In 1928, he became a British citizen.{{London Gazette |issue=33373 |date=6 April 1928 |page=2550}} That year, he and the French designer Paul Follot were placed in charge of the decorative arts department of Waring & Gillow.{{cite book|last=Nadelhoffer|first=Hans|title=Cartier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xnKpjh1gkqgC&pg=PA337|date=2007-10-18|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-0-8118-6099-4|pages=337}}

After practicing architecture for three years, he and the German architect Erich Mendelsohn briefly partnered in 1933 to form their own architectural firm. They created important works in the British modernist movement, notably the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, East Sussex, Cohen House, London, and Shrubs Wood (formerly Nimmo House) in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. He was also responsible for Shann House in Rugby, Warwickshire, and Gilbey House, an office and factory complex in Camden for gin distillers Gilbey's. These are all now Listed Buildings, being designated Grade I (De La Warr), Grade II* (Cohen House, Shann House, and Shrubs Wood) and Grade II (Gilbey House) respectively.{{NHLE|num=1352840 |desc=|accessdate=15 December 2013}}{{NHLE|num=1225772 |desc=|accessdate=15 December 2013}}{{NHLE|num=1263517 |desc=|accessdate=15 December 2013}}{{NHLE|num=1113236 |desc=|accessdate=16 December 2013}} Both Mendelsohn and Chermayeff were members of the MARS Group.

He also designed Bentley Wood, a Modernist house in a rural location in the Low Weald in Sussex, completed in 1938. Bentley Wood was Chermayeff's personal residence, designed for himself and his family, although he was forced to sell it only a few years later.{{Cite web |last=Hopkirk2020-07-03T06:00:00+01:00 |first=Elizabeth |title=Chermayeff’s Bentley Wood listed at second attempt |url=https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/chermayeffs-bentley-wood-listed-at-second-attempt/5106204.article |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Building Design |language=en}} The house quickly reached a wide acclaim within architecture circles, with Charles Herbert Reilly calling it ‘a regular ‘Rolls-Royce of a house’ in the Architects’ Journal, and James Maude Richards featuring it in his 1940 book An Introduction to Modern Architecture.{{Cite web |title=Bentley Wood, East Hoathly with Halland - 1468363 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1468363?section=official-list-entry |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}}

During the 1930s, Chermayeff designed bakelite radio cabinets for the Southend-on-Sea based company EKCO.{{cite web|url=http://www.antique-marks.com/art-deco-artists.html|title=1920s & 30s Art Deco Artists and Designers – Antique Marks|publisher=antique-marks.com|accessdate=29 April 2014}}

In 1940, Chermayeff emigrated to the United States where he joined Clarence W. W. Mayhew as associate architect, helping Mayhew design his own residence.{{Cite web|url=https://digital.lib.washington.edu/php/architect/record.phtml?type=structure&structureid=10242|title=ArchitectDB – structure record id 10242: Mayhew, Clarence W.W., House, Piedmont}} Chermayeff taught in 1940 and 1941 at the California School of Fine Arts before moving to Brooklyn College, where he served as chair of the department of design until 1946. From 1941 until his death, he maintained his principal residence on Cape Cod at Wellfleet, Massachusetts.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/05/12/architect-serge-chermayeff-95-taught-at-iit-yale-and-harvard/|title=Architect Serge Chermayeff, 95; taught at IIT, Yale and Harvard|agency=New York Times News Service|date=12 May 1996 |publisher=|access-date=15 September 2018}}{{cite book |title=Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940–1970 |last=Hess |first=Alan |year=2007 |publisher=Gibbs Smith |isbn=978-1-58685-858-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7jPzUoT2ssUC }} In 1946, he was recommended by Walter Gropius to become the president of the Institute of Design in Chicago; there, he was a close friend and mentor to Robert Brownjohn. Beginning in 1949, he oversaw the Institute's merger with the Illinois Institute of Technology before ultimately stepping down in 1951. After teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a year, he served as a professor and chair of the architecture department at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (1953–1962) and the Yale University School of Architecture (1962–1971). Following his retirement, he briefly taught at Harvard again in 1974.

He wrote several books, including Community and Privacy with Christopher Alexander in 1964 and The Shape of Community with Alexander Tzonis in 1971. He died in 1996 in Wellfleet. Chermayeff's architectural drawings, project records, photographs, correspondence, teaching and writing papers, and research files are held by the Dept. of Drawings & Archives at Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University.

In 1980 he was awarded the Sir Misha Black award and was added to the College of Medallists.{{cite web|url=http://www.mishablackawards.org.uk/the-medal|title=The Sir Misha Black Medal | Misha Black Awards|publisher=mishablackawards.org.uk|accessdate=29 April 2014}}

His son Ivan Chermayeff was a prominent graphic designer and a founding partner of New York-based design studio Chermayeff & Geismar.{{cite web|url=http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/medalist-ivanchermayeffandtomgeismar|title=1979 AIGA Medalist: Ivan Chermayeff and Thomas Geismar|publisher=|accessdate=15 September 2018}}

Another son Peter Chermayeff is a prominent architect best known for his design of aquariums, with colleagues, while a founding partner at Cambridge Seven Associates, from 1962 to 1998, at Chermayeff, Sollogub and Poole, 1998–2005, at Chermayeff & Poole, 2005–2009 and currently at Peter Chermayeff LLC.

His grandson Sam Chermayeff is an architect and furniture designer in Berlin.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Rindon |title= It's Obvious, I Think: Choice Words with Architect Sam Chermayeff |url= https://www.culturedmag.com/its-obvious-i-think-choice-words-with-architect-sam-chermayeff/ |accessdate=29 April 2021 |work=Cultured |date=1 March 2020}}

His granddaughter, Maro Chermayeff is a documentary producer based in New York City. She is a president and partner at Show Of Force.

• Cape Cod Modern House Trust

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last1=Blum|first1=Betty J|title=Oral history of Serge Chermayeff|date=2001|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|location=Chicago|url=http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/caohp/id/1952|accessdate=12 August 2016}}
• Chan, Carson (2017). [https://032c.com/the-chermayeff-century/ The Chermayeff Century]. 032c. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
• {{cite book|title=Design of the 20th Century|first1=Charlotte|last1=Fiell|first2=Peter|last2=Fiell|publisher=Taschen|location=Köln|edition=25th anniversary|year=2005|page=158|isbn=9783822840788|oclc=809539744}}
• {{cite book|last1=Powers|first1=Alan|title=Serge Chermayeff: Designer, Architect, Teacher|date=2001|publisher=RIBA Publications|location=London|isbn=1-85946-075-5}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060516122752/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/caohp/chermayeff.html Chicago Architects Oral History Project, The Art Institute of Chicago. Serge Chermayeff oral history]
• [http://findingaids.cul.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-a/ldpd_3464750/ Serge Chermayeff architectural records and papers, 1909–1980].[http://library.columbia.edu/locations/avery/da.html/ Held by the Department of Drawings & Archives], [http://library.columbia.edu/locations/avery.html/ Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York City].
• [https://archive.today/20130114025238/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/4814961/Master-builders-Serge-Chermayeff-1900---1996.html Master builders: Serge Chermayeff (1900–1996)]
• Serge Chermayeff Papers. Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.

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Category:1900 births

Category:1996 deaths

Category:Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom

Category:Modernist architects

Category:People from Grozny

Category:People educated at Harrow School

Category:People educated at Downsend School

Category:Illinois Institute of Technology faculty

Category:Harvard Graduate School of Design faculty

Category:Yale University faculty

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty

Category:Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States

Category:20th-century British architects

Category:Brooklyn College faculty