Vincent Scully

Vincent Joseph Scully Jr. (August 21, 1920 – November 30, 2017) was an American art historian who was a Sterling Professor of the History of Art in Architecture at Yale University, and the author of several books on the subject. Architect Philip Johnson once described Scully as "the most influential architectural teacher ever." His lectures at Yale were known to attract casual visitors and packed houses, and regularly received standing ovations. He was also the Distinguished Visiting Professor in Architecture at the University of Miami. wikipedia

I remember sitting in the lecture hall at the Law School when I was a student at Yale. There, on the stage, Scully bounced around, telling stories of building that were alive with feeling, bringing those building to life, opening doors for us in the audience so that we might begine to Feel Space.

When I was researching Christopher Alexander and found that he had won the Vincent Scully Award, I sensed that I needed to go back and better understand what had inspired Scully's story, wondering if it might relate to pattern languages.

It was in his doctoral dissertation that I found what I was looking for. This dissertation explored the foundational work of Andrew Jackson Downing, the visionary who inspired Frederick Law Olmsted. It was while reading the words of Olmsted that came to understand the original meaning of 'genius' – an insight the had a profound impact on me.