paper...dont' laugh...

Alyssa Thrower
November 16th, 2007

Edward Lowenstein was a very

influential architect in

Greensboro during his time.

His work included residential

as well as commercial

buildings. He had a hand in the

very progressive work of the

young women in the interior
The space that has been created really shapes ones experience within the space. It is as if one is being guided through the space.
design program at Women’s College and in

equal opportunities for African Americans.

Lowenstein was a very progressive thinker

especially for his generation, and the exhibit

which pays homage to him shows a progression through time.

The exhibit is very successful because it uses the elements of modern building

such as wood and metal to create a very geometric space which you experience while you

read the materials. The wooden beams are especially interesting because of the different

finishes or lack of a finish that are applied to the wood. The creators of the exhibit also

used a green wood which Lowenstein used in his various projects, this was a nice way to

tie in his work even in the structure. The use of natural light in the exhibit is very

important and the artificial light in the structure serves to light the information. The

effect the lighting creates is a soothing one and it allows the viewer to slow down and

take in the information on Lowenstein. The exhibit does not go all the way to the ceiling
so it is like they have created a space within a space. Another interesting element to this

environment is that it uses one of Lowenstein’s trademark angles in the roof planes of the
exhibit structure. The way that the exhibit structure is done is very nice because it ties

into Lowenstein’s work as a designer and it makes for a much closer experience with this

mans work. So there is a strong relationship between the artifact that is being displayed

and the environment it is being displayed in.

The images and information in the exhibit didn’t seem to be organized in a

particular fashion. In fact it seemed that you could wander through the exhibit however

you pleased. On one end of the exhibit it shows Lowenstein’s work with the Women’s

College and as you move through the space you see the various residential as well as

commercial spaces that he created. The exhibit includes a timeline of his work and

significant events in his life. All the information is very insightful but it is a lot to

process.
This part of the exhibit is a representation of the angles which Lowenstein often used in his work. The ways in which the information is

presented to the viewer varies within the exhibit. While most of the information is

displayed through text and pictures there is also the use of sketch up to create three

dimensional models of the homes. I feel like these are more successful than the floor

plans and text because people do not experience space in the view of a floor plan. People

experience space vertically and therefore sections, elevations and three dimensional

models help to show the space in its true form.

Lowenstein was a very influential member of the Greensboro community. He

brought modernism to a small, southern town and he did his best to be a progressive

thinker who accepted women and African-Americans. In this exhibit you physically

experience the things that were important to him in design. It is an extremely successful

way paying homage to this mans work.

This image exhibits the many ways in which the artifacts were displayed with the computer in the corner. The metals and wood were just so beautiful and really created a space within a space.