Business
& Labor
Beyer Blinder Belle Founding Partner Richard L. Blinder Dies
at 71
(archrecord.construction.com - 09/29/2006)
By John
Gendall
Richard L. Blinder, FAIA, founding partner
of Beyer Blinder Belle and a champion of historic preservation,
died on September 7 in Shanghai. He was 71.
As design director of the firm’s
Beijing office, Blinder was visiting China for the competition
for the Shanghai Cultural Plaza. John H. Beyer, FAIA, says
that Blinder was “dedicated and completely focused on
his work in China. He was just beginning to realize what his
architecture could be—he was at the pinnacle of his career.”
Blinder’s major works include the
renovation of the Grand Central Station terminal, the Rubin
Museum of Art, the Japan Society, and the Hilton Theatre,
all in New York. According to John Belle, FAIA, Blinder’s
work was inspired by social concern, service to the performing
and cultural arts, and his interest in Asian culture.
Blinder was elected to the College of
Fellows in 1979 and received numerous awards, such as the
AIA New York Chapter’s Medal of Honor in 1991 and the
National AIA Firm Award in 1995. A New Yorker, he was closely
involved with many community and non-profit organizations.
In 1989, he founded the James Marston Fitch Charitable Trust,
which gives grants to American historic preservation projects.
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