1912-
Architect of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center

Keeping Art in Architecture.

The work of architect Minoru Yamasaki was the focus of a larger controversy concerning the place of art in architecture. Detractors of Yamasaki's designs complained his buildings were too artistic and ornamental, that they existed solely as decoration. His followers, on the other hand, agreed with Yamasaki when he said that the social function of an architect is to create a work of art. Despite the controversy, Yamasaki had a considerable influence on American architecture. At a time when many modern buildings were designed as plain, sterile-looking products of the industrial age, Yamasaki designed buildings as sculpture, richly ornamental and playful or serene as the occasion demanded.

Life.

Minoru Yamasaki was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1912, the son of an immigrant Japanese farmer. His uncle, an architect, fueled his interest in...