Orientalism and New York

Barry Lewis, architectural historian

In the nineteenth century, Europeans and Americans saw the Middle East as a veritable Shangri-la where they could find refreshingly different cultural ideals. This was the beginning of “Orientalism,” a century-long infatuation with everything Middle Eastern. In terms of architecture, the new vogue provided Westerners in the field with a way of freeing themselves from rigid, established formulas. Middle East–inspired designs opened up cluttered interiors and created a new “metallic style” to better suit emerging iron and glass structures. Perusing the New York area, this talk uncovers a fine collection of buildings with roots in Oriental design.

Tickets to this event include Museum admission.

Photo courtesy of City Center New York