Ricardo Scofidio, the pioneering architect who with his wife Elizabeth Diller revolutionized architecture, died on Thursday in a Manhattan hospital, the New York Times reported. He was 89.
His death was confirmed by his sons Gino and Ian Scofidio. No specific cause was given.
As co-founder of the firm now known as Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Scofidio helped reshape New York City’s urban landscape with transformative projects including the High Line, a railroad-viaduct-turned-park that his partner told the outlet Scofidio worked to “save from architecture” with a design focused on the surrounding city.
Born on April 16, 1935, Scofidio grew up in New York City. His father was a jazz musician who played saxophone and clarinet. Scofidio studied at Cooper Union School of Architecture and Columbia University, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1960. He began teaching at Cooper Union in 1965.
His professional and personal trajectory changed dramatically when he met Elizabeth Diller, a student in his design studio he began dating after the course concluded. They founded their firm in 1979, working from an East Village studio. Early work involved theatrical designs and art installations before evolving into architectural commissions.
In 1999, they became the first architects to receive MacArthur Foundation “genius” grants, recognition of their approach that challenged conventional architectural thinking.
The firm’s landmark projects extended beyond the High Line to include the $1 billion renovation of Lincoln Center’s public spaces, The Shed performance venue, the $450 million renovation of the Museum of Modern Art and innovative educational buildings for Columbia University.
Internationally, the firm designed the Broad museum in Los Angeles, a branch of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and Moscow’s 32-acre Zaryadye Park near the Kremlin.
Despite growing to approximately 100 architects and tackling prestigious commissions worldwide, Scofidio maintained his focus on details and admitted to Architectural Digest in 2019 that he was “always a little shocked when people try to make me realize we’re a big firm doing big projects.”
Even in his 80s, Scofidio remained instrumental in the firm’s designs as both conceptual thinker and technical problem-solver.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Diller; sons Marco, Dana, Ian, and Gino; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
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