Nathaniel A. Owings
| Nathaniel A. Owings | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 5, 1903 Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Died | June 13, 1984 (aged 81) Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | 1983 AIA Gold Medal |
| Practice | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
Nathaniel Alexander Owings (February 5, 1903 – June 13, 1984) was an American architect, a founding partner of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, which became one of the largest architectural firms in the United States and the world. Owings viewed skyscrapers as his firm's specialty. His reputation rested on his ability to be what he called "the catalyst," the person in his firm who ironed out differences among clients, contractors and planning commissions.
Owings was born in 1903 in Indianapolis, Indiana. His sister, Eloise, would become the wife of his business partner, Louis Skidmore. In 1920, he traveled through Europe. The experience inspired him to begin to study architecture at the University of Illinois, but had to quit the school prematurely because of illness. He continued his education at Cornell University, earning a degree in 1927.
Owings first job as an architect was with the New York firm of York and Sawyer. As a young architect, Owings was impressed with Raymond Hood, who designed the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center. More than 50 years later, Owings described his first glimpse of the 70-story skyscraper as a breathtaking "knife edge, presenting its narrow dimension to Fifth Avenue."
Hood's recommendation led to a job Owings worked as an architect on the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago (1929 – 34). He had been hired by his brother-in-law, Louis Skidmore, the chief architect for the exposition. Together they designed the layout and buildings for the entire site. They were told to build pavilions for more than 500 exhibits at minimum cost using lightweight, mass-produced materials; and they devised solutions, using the simplest materials—pavilions built out of beaverboard.
After the exposition was over, the two men worked independently before forming a Chicago-based partnership in 1936 with a small office at 104 South Michigan Avenue. Some smaller projects remain from this period. An architecturally significant residence in Northfield, Illinois still looks and feels contemporary because of its open, inviting interiors and large windows. The partnership developed projects for corporate clients they had met during the Chicago exposition.
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