Malcolm Wells: One Man’s Crusade To Save The Environment Through Architecture
Malcolm Wells, designer of the former Moorestown Municipal Complex, championed environmentally responsible design and was considered the father of modern earth-sheltered architecture. The exhibit will focus on Wells’ early conventional architecture, his innovative period, and his futuristic ambitions.
“In 1959, at Taliesin West [near Phoenix, Arizona], I stepped out of the hot desert sunlight into this little open-to-the-air theatre, and marveled for a moment or two at Mr. [Frank Lloyd] Wright’s genius, his ability to carry a design through into the tiniest of details, before it struck me that I was suddenly cool and comfortable there under a mantle of earth. It took me only five more years to get the message. In 1964, I suddenly had a brilliant and original idea: buildings should be underground!” -Malcolm Wells
To read the recent Philadelphia Inquirer article, “Rediscovering N.J. architect Malcolm Wells, green building pioneer and mid-century modern master,” click here.
“Malcolm Wells, a bold and forward-thinking architect during the postwar suburban boom in South Jersey, did a mid-career pivot and became a green building pioneer. New exhibits celebrate his work.” -Kevin Riordan, Philadelphia Inquirer
![](/images/AgendaItem/13/23/90/131dce8130e24faaaaf5ea4960ae4728/131dce8130e24faaaaf5ea4960ae4728.6e7b65d0.jpg?1699473034)
Malcolm Wells in his sunlit NJ earth shelter office. Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright on the wall. (Photo courtesy of Sam Wells)
- When
- 29 September 2023 to 14 May 2024
- Where
-
The Historical Society of Moorestown
Smith-Cadbury Mansion
08057 Moorestown, NJ, USA - Organizer
- The Historical Society of Moorestown
- Link
- More information
Magazine
-
Digital Aids with Risks and Side Effects
1 day ago
-
Leave a Mark on Barcelona
2 days ago
-
Welcome to 2050
3 days ago
-
Fumihiko Maki, 1928–2024
3 days ago