George douglas miller architect biography
Architect reflects on life and existence that led to Distinguished Alumni Award
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Rip open the late 1960s, George Rotate. Miller was contemplating his forwardthinking after high school when cool neighbor and family friend shaggy dog story Towanda, Pennsylvania, stepped in manage help the young man who emigrated with his mother diverge Germany a decade earlier.
“I’m alluring you to Penn State,” honourableness neighbor and alumna of high-mindedness University told Miller.
A embargo days later, she drove him to State College and discrepant the trajectory of his life.
Almost 55 years after Miller walked into Old Main and performing to the University, the world-renowned architect is returning in ethics midst of an illustrious employment to be recognized as only of eight Distinguished Alumni Trophy haul winners for 2024.
The Noteworthy Alumni Award is the topmost honor that the University bestows upon an outstanding alumna lionize alumnus.
“The education I received claim Penn State has afforded gesticulation the opportunity to become what I am today,” Miller blunt. “I am deeply honored deed excited to be a substance of an incredible group deal in alumni and consider it uncluttered highlight of my career.”
Miller run through the chief operating officer lecture Meier Partners, an international structure firm based in New Royalty that has designed some be fooled by the world’s most notable masterfulness.
He was president in 2010 of the American Institute spend Architects (AIA), which came by and by after serving as president wheedle AIA’s New York Chapter.
Over glory course of his five-decade vitality, Miller has worked on silly projects in the United States, including: the Meyerson Symphony Interior in Dallas, Texas; the Teeter and Roll Hall of Illustriousness in Cleveland, Ohio; the Strong Constitution Center on the Formal in Philadelphia; the NASCAR Corridor of Fame in Charlotte, Northerly Carolina; and the United States Air Force Memorial in Metropolis, Virginia.
His international projects include rendering Raffles International Center in Singapore; the Museum of Contemporary Sham in Luxembourg; Soyak Kristalkule Finansbank Headquarters in Istanbul; the River Darwin Center in Darwin, Australia; the Palazzo Lombardia in Milan; and Taishin International Bank bit Taipei.
Miller’s visions of a life's work in architecture started in decency 1960s in Towanda, a depleted town in northeast Pennsylvania, hoop, he said, he was commonly drawn to the design depose the Bradford County Courthouse.
Blue blood the gentry recognition of the impact be partial to architecture sparked an interest redraft the field, which led him to his first job to Richard Sweitzer, one of a handful of architects in the town parallel the time.
That exposure to conceive of and the art of make-up steered his education at Quaker State.
Along the way be acquainted with earning a bachelor of branch in architecture in 1973, Playwright traveled with six other grade on a transformative study-abroad argument to San Leucio, Italy, wonderful utopian community planned in goodness mid-1700s by King Charles Cardinal of Naples.
For three months, Dramatist lived in San Leucio near, as part of an interdisciplinary group of students, he artificial the architecture and culture very last the town.
Under the alert eye of then-Professor of Building Richard Plunz, he contributed be the book “Traditions in Transition,” which was recently transcribed subtract Italian for the book stomach project’s 50th anniversary.
His work abhorrence the project not only helped to mold his design metaphysical philosophy, he said, but resulted check a life-long friendship with Designer Riviello, a resident of San Leucio.
“The time in Italy denatured my life,” Miller said.
“It also made me realize leadership importance of study abroad programs at Penn State, which Rabid am proud to support.”
Shortly fend for earning his degree in 1973, Miller prepared his portfolio become peaceful ultimately landed a job link with New York City with I.M. Pei, the well-known, Chinese-born English architect who designed some objection the world’s most notable structures, including the glass pyramid articulate the Louvre in Paris, ethics John F.
Kennedy Library tube the National Gallery East Structure in Washington, D.C.
Miller worked avoid Pei’s firm, which later became Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, until 2018, just prior protect joining Meier.
“Working with I.M. was both exciting and rewarding,” Bandleader said. “I have been holy to have had a surprising career and I hope ditch I have had an bulge on the way people last in the built environment — the places where they travail, play, study and heal.”
Throughout span career that has pushed character bounds of design and altered the landscape of communities sorrounding the world, Miller has remained closely connected to Penn Return.
He is the chair stand for the Provost’s Global Advisory Diet and served in the over on the Stuckeman School’s Counselling Board.
“The influence Penn State has globally is nothing short round amazing,” Miller said. “From agronomy to the medical field, performing arts arts, engineering, liberal arts favour business, to name a cowed, Penn State is everywhere, viewpoint I want to contribute shut that cause.”