Columbia University officials recently announced that the papers, architectural records, and drawings of Michael Sorkin will have a permanent home in the department of Drawings & Archives at Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library.
The announcement comes nearly four years after Sorkin—the legendary architect, CUNY professor, community activist, and Village Voice architecture critic—died from complications related to COVID-19. AN collected heartfelt writings from Sorkin’s friends, colleagues, and comrades after his death; and the Spitzker School of Architecture dedicated a reading room named after him in 2022.
The collection consists of nearly 40 linear feet of records related to his architectural projects, including articles, films, exhibitions, over 2,000 drawings (mostly conceptual sketches and site plans), and other works like his papers, photographs, lecture notes, writings, and prospective projects.
Michael Sorkin’s wife, Joan Copjec, Brown University professor of modern culture and media, donated the collection to Avery, and helped facilitate the process. In a statement, Copjec said: “Michael was described by a friend as ‘everywhere at home.’ This is true. He was admired for the ease with which he was able to roam about not only geographically but also across boundaries of genre, language, and skill sets. But he was also greatly admired for his groundedness. If he felt everywhere at home, it was because he carried ‘home’ along with him.”
Copjec continued: “[Michael] remained riveted to certain values, causes, a sensibility, and desires that were beyond choice, fundamental. Among the cities he loved, it was New York that captured his heart and imagination. I never considered any archive other than the Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library for Michael’s drawings and writings, knowing that he would consider it the proper place for his work. I am very grateful to Avery for agreeing to become its permanent home.”
Dr. Michelle Jackson-Beckett, curator of Avery Drawings & Archives, added: “I am especially excited by the opportunity to build on a new direction to focus on targeted acquisitions that speak to issues of social justice in the built environment in the coming years. Michael Sorkin’s influence on the field as an internationally renowned voice in architecture represents an historic step in this direction, especially considering Sorkin’s fearlessness in questioning many established structural biases and elitism in the field of architecture.”
Columbia University noted that the Michael Sorkin collection is currently closed for processing, but Avery Drawings & Archives will organize a program to celebrate the gift, sometime in the coming year.
