Crystal Bridges Architect Moshe Safdie Adds Informal Talk on June 25

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Moshe Safdie, the architect for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, has added a morning outdoor talk to his schedule for Wednesday, June 25. (Photograph by Timothy Hursley)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Due to popular demand, the architect for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville has added a morning outdoor talk to his itinerary on Wednesday, June 25. In this informal talk plus question-and-answer session, Moshe Safdie will discuss his design of the museum and welcome questions from participants.

This event, held from 10-11 a.m. on Walker Landing, is specially geared for students and those interested in architecture and engineering. His lecture later that same evening is already sold out. So, if you missed the chance to sign up for the evening lecture, this morning talk is your best bet. The event is free, and no registration is required.

Over the past 50 years of his career, Safdie has realized large-scale projects all over the world, including Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem; the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; the United States Institute of Peace Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; and Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort in Singapore.

In addition, an exhibition titled Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie is on display through Sept. 1 at the museum. Located in several areas of the museum, this exhibition explores the renowned architect’s structures and the philosophy that shapes them. Featured in the exhibition are more than 100 objects, including drawings, sketches, videos, photographs and scale models. The exhibition surveys Safdie’s career from his formative period in the 1960s and early 1970s to his more recent projects around the world, exploring his masterful use of light and geometry and his inspired architectural conversation with the history and landscape of each site.

Global Citizen examines Safdie’s architecture not only as visual art but as a medium for advancing social, political and cultural goals. Safdie’s designs exemplify “progressive contextualism” – a way of thinking globally about building. His works combine the social activism and advanced technologies of modernism with a profound respect for historical and regional context.

For more information, contact Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art at 479-418-5700.