Joseph Urban

Joseph Urban, circa 1900

Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872 – July 10, 1933) Born in Vienna, Austria, died in New York City, trained as an architect, known also for his theatrical design and his early illustrations of children's books.

Urban's early work with illustrated books arose from his collaboration with his brother-in-law, Heinrich Lefler (1863–1919) and the pair contributed to what are considered seminal works in children's illustrated books, including:

• Grimm's Marchen (1905);
• Kling-Klang Gloria (1907);
• Andersen Kalender (1911); and
• Marienkind (1914).

Urban immigrated to the United States in 1912 to become the art director of the Boston Opera Company. Two years later he moved to New York where he designed productions for the Ziegfeld Follies and the Metropolitan Opera. William Randolph Hearst was an important client and supporter. Most of Urban's architectural work in the United States has been demolished, with the exceptions of Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida and The New School and the base of The Hearst Tower in New York City. The color gel Urban Blue (Roscolux #81) is named for him.

European Architecture

• 1900 Wohn- und Bürohaus Wien 8, Buchfeldgasse 6 (mit Hermann Stierlin)
• 1902 Villa Goltz, Wien 19, Grinzinger Straße 87 (Eingang und Anbau)
• 1903 Villa Wiener, Wien 13, Veitingergasse 21
• 1907 Villa Redlich, Wien 19, Kreindlgasse 11
• 1907 Wohnhaus, Wien 19, Krottenbachstraße 11
• 1907 Villa Max Landau, Semmering, Südbahnstraße 83
• 1910 Villa Dr. Mair, Scheiblingkirchen, Kreuzackergasse 43, NÖ

U.S. Architecture and Interior Design

The monument of Joseph Urban in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

This partial list omits unbuilt projects.

• Austrian Pavilion, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904
• Sherman Hotel Tiger Room, Chicago, 1920
• Wiener Werkstätte Showroom, NYC, 1922
• Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, 1925–1926
• Demarest Little Castle, Palm Beach, Florida, 1926
• Paramount Theater, Sunrise Building, Palm Beach, Florida, 1926
• Biddle House, Palm Beach,1926
• Bath and Tennis Club, Palm Beach, Florida, July 1926
• Ziegfeld Theatre, 1926–27
• St. Regis Hotel Roof Garden, 1927–1928
• Hotel Gibson Roof Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1928
• Bossert Hotel, Grill Room, Brooklyn, 1928
• Bedell Department Store, New York City, 1928
• William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, 1928, 1932
• (Hearst) International Magazine Building, 1928–1929
• Central Park Casino, 1929
• Metropolitan Museum of Art 11th annual exhibition of American Industrial Art, 1929
• The Gingerbread Castle Hamburg NJ, 1929
• New School for Social Research NYC, 1929–1931
• Atlantic Beach Club, Long Island, NY, 1930–1931
• Park Avenue Restaurant, 1931
• Congress Hotel, Joseph Urban Room, Chicago, Illinois, 1932
• Omni William Penn Hotel, Urban Room Pittsburgh, PA, 1929
• Katherine Brush Apartment, 1933

External links

• Joseph Urban Archive at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University
• Joseph Urban's Stage Design Models and Documents Project Columbia University
• Cinema Treasures on Urban
• Hearst Tower Photographs
• New School for Social Research

References

• Randolph, Carter; and Cole, Robert Reed (1992). Joseph Urban: Architecture, Theater, Opera, Film. Abbeville Publishing Group (Abbeville Press, Inc.). ISBN 0-89659-912-4. 
• Aronson, Arnold; and Ostergard, Derek E. and Smith, Matthew Wilson (2000). Architect of Dreams: The Theatrical Vision of Joseph Urban. NY NY: Columbia University. ISBN 1884919081. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/archives/rbml/urban/architectOfDreams/origPub.html. 
• Goldberger, Paul (20 December 1987). "At the Cooper-Hewitt, Designs of Joseph Urban". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/20/arts/at-the-cooper-hewitt-designs-of-joseph-urban.html?scp=1&sq=At%20the%20Cooper-Hewitt,%20Designs%20of%20Joseph%20Urban&st=cse. Retrieved 2009-06-22. 
• "Joseph Urban". Architecture LXIX (5): pp. 251–290. May 1934.