AIALAX-1983-04 - April 1983 - Architecture and Humanism: Robert Marquis - Downtown L.A.: The Urban Revival

Sep 24, 2026

April 1983 issue of LA/AIA Architecture and Humanism focusing on Robert B. Marquis, FAIA, presenting architecture as a humanist, social art driven by the psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs of users and communities. The issue also highlights the Spring ’83 SCI-ARC Design Forum series “Downtown Los Angeles: The Urban Revival,” with lectures, panels, and an exhibition examining downtown’s evolution through housing, community building, cultural identity, and future redevelopment prospects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

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Reading Time12 min

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Architecture and Humanism: Robert Marquis

LA/AIA meeting details and reception

Humanist values in architecture

Downtown L.A.: The Urban Revival

Spring ’83 SCI-ARC Design Forum series

April 6 program on community and housing

April 13 discussion on downtown as a cultural center

April 21 panel on future prospects

April 10 exhibition of models and drawings

M工44 April 1983 LA Architect A publication of the Los Angeles Chapter/American Institute of ArchitectsInside:Freeway Walls,The Real Alison Smithson,Words andPictures,News and Views Volume 9,Number 4 $1.50 # Architecture and Humanism:Robert Marquis Robert B.Marquis,FAIA,president ofMarquis Associates in San Francisco,wilspeak on the theme of"Architecture:AHumanist Art"and take a look at post-mod-ernism and historicism at the Tuesday,April 19,meeting of LA/AIA at the PacificDesign Center inLos Angeles. A wine-and-cheese reception will beheld from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.,followed bythe program in the PDC Conference Center.Admission to the program,which includesthe reception,is$5 per person.No advancereservations are required. Robert Marquis views architecture asahumanist,social art-the“art of providingspaces for society's needs and activities." “Architecture must satisfy not only thefunctional and economic goals of the client,"he says,"but,most importantly,buildingsmust fulfill the psychological,emotionaland spiritual needs of the user and the com-munity in which they exist." Marquis asks for a change in emphasisto an architectural expression that reflectsthe needs of the society and the usersarchitects serve;for a humanist,contextualarchitecture "I believe that while architecturereflects its culture,it need not cater to themediocre or worst aspects of our society,"he says."Architects must choose toexpress the best ideas and aspirations ofour time,and return to a concern for,andcommitment to,people-to humanistvalues." Marquis Associates,Department of Justice Office Building,Sacramento. and the 1981 Owens-Corning Energy Con-servation Award forGovernment Buildings.Recent projects include the Carl F.BraunMusic Center for Stanford University,thePrimate Discovery Center for the San Fran-cisco Zoological Society,rehabilitation ofthe Yerba Buena Plaza Annex to housingfor the San Francisco Housing Authorityand rehabilitation of public housing atHunter's Point in San Francisco.In 1983the joint venture of Marquis/WongBrocchini will start work on the$50 millionrehabilitation of the South Terminal of theSan Francisco Airport. Virginia in 1980,and he was a member ofthe Architectural Advisory Committee of theJefferson Foundation from 1976 to 1979.He received a study grant from the NationalEndowment for the Arts in 1980 and theAlbert John Evers Environmental DesignAward in 1975 for“Concern With Architec-ture asa Social Art." Educated at the Academia di Bella Artein Florence and at the USC School of Archi-tecture,Marquis founded his firm in 1953.Since then,he has participated in everyaspect of its development,from the designof all projects to an overview of office man-agement.The firm has been recognized forits achievement in a wide variety of build-ing types:college and university buildings,public housing,private residences,andgovernment buildings. In addition,Marquis was a member of theNational Board of Directors of the AIA from1974 to 1978.He was a member of theCCAIA Board of Directors from 1964 to1967 and president of the Northern Cali-fornia Chapter of the AIA.He has been amember ofthe AIA Collegeof Fellows since1970. Marquis Associates has received morethan 55 awards for design,including twoawards in the AIA Honor Awards Program Marquis was the Thomas Jefferson Pro-fessor of Architecture at the University of ## Downtown L.A.:The Urban Revival Downtown Los Angeles is a well kept secret.Many people have lived in the city for yearsand have never visited the downtown area,or they have seen it only in passing on thefreeway.The urban center of Los Angelescontains a rich social,cultural and physicalmixture whose past,present and futuredeserve exploration.The Spring'83 SCI-ARCDesign Forum,co-sponsored by LA/AIA,isentitled"Downtown Los Angeles:The UrbanRevival,"and has been involved in thatexploration four times during the pastmonth. On Wednesday,April 6,the series con-tinues with a program entitled“DowntownLos A

FAQs

Who is the featured speaker in the LA/AIA meeting program, and what theme is discussed?

Robert B. Marquis, FAIA, president of Marquis Associates in San Francisco. He speaks on “Architecture: A Humanist Art.”

What does Robert Marquis say buildings must satisfy beyond functional and economic goals?

Buildings must fulfill the psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs of the user and the community where they exist.

What is the Spring ’83 SCI-ARC Design Forum about, and what title is used?

The forum explores downtown Los Angeles through repeated engagement in the community’s development. The series title is “Downtown Los Angeles: The Urban Revival.”

When does the Downtown Los Angeles forum series continue, and what happens on the April 10 date?

The series continues Wednesday, April 6 with a community-and-housing program, and the April 10 date includes an opening exhibit of models, drawings, and photos in SCI-ARC’s Architectural Gallery.

Sep 24, 2026

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