Serge Ivan Chermayeff (born Sergei Ivanovich Issakovich;
Early life
He was born into a wealthy Jewish family
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).
Continuing education and early career
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.
In 1928, he became a British citizen.
Early career as an architect
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.
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.
During the 1930s, Chermayeff designed bakelite radio cabinets for the Southend-on-Sea based company EKCO.
Architect in the U.S.
In 1940, Chermayeff emigrated to the United States where he joined Clarence W. W. Mayhew as associate architect, helping Mayhew design his own residence.
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.
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.
Books and awards
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.
Descendants
His son
Ivan Chermayeff was a prominent graphic designer and a founding partner of New York-based design studio Chermayeff & Geismar.
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.
His granddaughter, Maro Chermayeff is a documentary producer based in New York City. She is a president and partner at Show Of Force.
See also
-
Cape Cod Modern House Trust
Further reading
External links
