17th Annual McKim Lecture with Norman Davenport Askins

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 | Cocktail Reception at 6:15 PM, Lecture at 6:45 PM, Optional Dinner to Follow

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) is proud to partner with the University Club and the One West 54^th Street Foundation to present the Annual McKim Lecture – named in honor of renowned architect, Charles McKim. Norman Davenport Askins will deliver the 2018 lecture, entitled “Midcentury Classicism to Modern Traditionalism in Southern Architecture” on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at the University Club.

Classicism has always had a home in the Southern imagination. Despite the nationwide decline in popularity during the mid 20^th Century, a handful of Southern designers maintained the practice of classical architecture, and bridged the divide between the high style of the 1920s and the traditional style of today. Askins will discuss these midcentury Southern architects, as well as their influence on both his forty years of practice and modern traditional architecture of today.

With nearly 50 years of work in the field of architecture, Norman Davenport Askins has maintained a crucial role in shaping the custom residential landscape of Atlanta’s finest neighborhoods. Askins has produced stunning architectural works across the country, designing homes and renovations that are meticulously researched for period accuracy and authenticity down to the last detail. A master of period architecture and interiors, period detailing, color, and the decorative arts, Askins holds a profound passion and enthusiasm for classicism.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Askins holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Architectural History from the University of Virginia. During his studies, Askins also attended a summer session at Parsons School of Design and the Attingham Park Summer School in England, where he studied architecture and the decorative arts of Great Britain.

Following graduate school, Askins served four years as an architecture and architectural historian at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where he received in-depth training in early building technology and the philosophy of restoration. While at Williamsburg, Askins was fortunate to be assigned to a yearlong special project to redesign much of the interior of the Executive Office Wing of the White House. Askins’s professional experience also includes three years as Director of Restoration at John Milner Associates in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the nation’s largest and foremost preservation and restoration firm.

In addition to his substantial body of built work, Askins prides himself on the success of his former employees. Twenty former employees from his firm, Norman Davenport Askins, P.C., have started their own successful design studios promoting the practice of classical and traditional design and maintaining Askin’s legacy as a mentor and master of his craft.

The McKim Lecture will be held in College Hall at the University Club, One West 54^th Street, New York, NY 10019. The cost of attendance is $85 per person for the cocktail reception and lecture only, and $175 for the cocktail reception, lecture, and dinner. To make a reservation, call (212) 730-9646 ext. 105, or register online. 

The Annual McKim Lecture is a collaboration between the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) and the One West 54^th Street Foundation. The One West 54^th Street Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to preserve the architectural integrity and design of the University Club, a New York Historic Landmark building. The Foundation also provides scholarships to students, including those at the ICAA enrolled in its full array of programmatic offerings. The ICAA’s mission is to advance the appreciation and practice of the principles of traditional architecture and its allied arts by engaging educators, professionals, students, and enthusiasts.  

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