Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown were not only bonded by their marriage but also their love for architecture and planning, collaboratively contributing to one of the most significant shifts in realms of design and urban design. It’s undeniable that their partnership was equally and mutually supportive and empowering- a truth that was not reflected by the Pritzker Prize committee’s decision against honouring Scott Brown alongside Venturi in 1991. Venturi himself had signed the petition, writing “Denise Scott Brown is my inspiring and equal partner.” Thus, I believed that it would also potentially be in Venturi’s own interest for this iconic structure from his career to share an element that honours his partner.
To further, given the fact that the Vanna Venturi House represents a revolt against mid-20th-century modernism, I likewise thought that it would be powerful for a sign that represents it to be an effort of revolution in itself. Finally, Robert had built this house for his mother. His mother, a woman, was literally the purpose and reason for the existence of this house. I wish for this sign to be grounded by similar fundamental motivations.
I sequenced audio clips of Denise Scott Brown’s words (collated from online-sourced interviews) and developed a geometry that features a layered sound wave generated from her voice- creating the aesthetic of an expansive landscape (alluding to her work within urban planning). I have used clear acrylic with unique properties of a green-illuminated edge, a visual reference to the green colour of the house and Scott Brown’s love of neon.
Not only does this piece highlight the brilliance of Scott Brown, but it also acts as a statement in honour of all the female architects who have been subjugated to the shadows of their male counterparts under systematic oppressions of women within the field of Architecture. As a sign that is the very first thing that people would come to interact with upon visiting the Vanna Venturi House, it subverts these historical instances and notions of censure and literally puts the voice of a woman at the forefront.
