Portrait of a Working Marriage

November 29, 2009 11:09 AM

"I don't distinguish the difference between work and play," says Liz Diller. "My husband and I are very obsessed with our work, and it's contiguous with our personal lives." Liz Diller and Ric Scofidio aren't only some of the most visible architects of contemporary urban public space; they're also married to each other. Perhaps the most high profile couple in a profession that seems to be particularly conducive to this kind of working marriage, Diller and Scofidio (and, now, their partner/tie-breaker Charles Renfro) have in recent years collaborated on projects including heavy-use public structures like the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston (review), and Alice Tully Hall (review) and the High Line park (review) in New York, as well as more whimsical projects like the Blur building for Swiss Expo 2002 at Lake Neuchatel, and Arbores Laetae ("Joyful Trees") at the 2008 Liverpool Biennial. The architects talk to FLYP magazine about their marriage and to Charlie Rose about their work.
posted by ocherdraco (6 comments total)

Institute for Contemporary Art, Alice Tully Hall and the High Line? That's creepy -- those are precisely the last three architectural projects that I sought out during travels this year. Thanks ocherdraco!
posted by intermod at 12:06 PM on November 29, 2009

Oh yeah? Let's see 'em design a chair that becomes an icon!

:)
posted by vertigo25 at 1:42 PM on November 29, 2009

a profession that seems to be particularly conducive to this kind of working marriage

A grade-school friend had architect-partner parents; they're actually in the inset in the Times story. They had a sweet loft on top of Carnegie Hall!
posted by grobstein at 3:50 PM on November 29, 2009

"...distinguish the difference"

Uh... that don't sound right.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:09 PM on November 29, 2009

(Go on, ask me how they got there.)
posted by grobstein at 8:32 PM on November 29, 2009

They had a sweet loft on top of Carnegie Hall!

(Go on, ask me how they got there.)

I'd say "they practiced", but it's more likely they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, you know what I'm saying?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:31 PM on November 29, 2009