Yale School of Architecture

Rounding out the triumvirate of architectural works on the intersection of Chapel and York Sts in New Haven, this is probably one of the most controversial buildings of Paul Rudolph’s career. Considered a landmark of design — in a way, a gesture of defiance and a rejection of gropius and van der rohe’s focus on lightness, thin and airy structures — the A&A is one of the main examples of what has been dubbed a Brutalist style — thick, massive, ridged abrasive concrete columns define monolithic, overpowering vertical planes, amongst which are a multitude of horizontal levels — apparently, legends speak of 36 levels in all, creating an intricate network of interlocking interior spaces. (nyt did a useful lay piece on Rudolph in october:
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The building, because of its strong appearance, is naturally polarizing in opinion — it has drawn both lavish praise and savage criticism towards Rudolph, a landmark figure in modernism and post modernist architecture, and who was responsible for building the Yale School of Architecture into one of the late 20^th century’s main design institutions. Students have tried to burn it down, and various renovations over its 40 year history have radically altered its interior layout. Its current renovation is slated to restore some of Rudolph’s original plans (for better or worse).
It can be said that the core of architecture is how humans delineate the space around them, and the way they define that space. Whether or not the A&A is willing to agree with your aesthetics, it commands its space with a majestic and monumental gesture.