Health & Fitness
The Architecture of Mihran Mesrobian
Dr. Hickman presents a gallery talk with powerpoint slides. Reception to follow. Admission is free.
The Architecture of Mihran Mesrobian, a gallery talk by Caroline Mesrobian Hickman, PhD. on Sunday May 18th, 2:00 PM in the Contemporary Art Gallery, 3rd floor of The Armenian Museum of America, 65 Main St Watertown
The Turkish-born Armenian Mihran Mesrobian (1889-1975) began a promising career as a municipal architect in Izmir, then assistant to the palace architect in Istanbul. However, upheavals during the final years of the Ottoman Empire profoundly influenced this trajectory. Surviving 1914-18 as a military engineer in the Turkish army, Mesrobian immigrated with his family to the US in 1921, quickly becoming chief designer for Harry Wardman, the preeminent real estate developer in Washington during the 1920s. Mesrobian’s 40-year career includes signature hotels, office buildings, apartments, and residences constructed for a variety of socio-economic constituencies in diverse neighborhoods, many now landmarked.
Dr. Hickman, art and architectural historian and granddaughter of Mihran Mesrobian, will contextualize Mesrobian’s successful career through his formative years in Turkey. His design principles and artistic development--including assimilation of “Western” architectural vocabulary and forms, cultural transfer, memory, and innovation--provide insight into Mesrobian’s achievements despite great professional and personal challenges.
