“When curators at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art were preparing the current exhibit of the work of Steven Holl, the architect did not just settle back and wallow in the flattery of the high Establishment. Instead, Holl — who is opinionated, uncompromising and, concerning architectural details, fussy to the point of fanaticism — turned opinionated, uncompromising and fussy.
He demanded that MOMA mount only black-and-white photographs of his work because he believes color photos encourage an appreciation of the merely picturesque in architecture. He insisted that some of the walls of the gallery be covered with rough plaster, like many of Holl’s own interiors. And he demanded that certain salient details — a basswood-and-airplane silk screen from a Manhattan apartment, for instance — be built right into the exhibit’s walls. Fortunately, the museum indulged him: the result (on display together with a handsome exhibit of Emilio Ambasz buildings) is the liveliest MOMA architectural show in years and palpable evidence that Holl, at 41, is one of the most influential younger architects in America today.”
Excerpt from TIME “Design: A Dreamer Who Is Fussy About the Details” review by Kurt Anderson. Link to read the full March 20, 1989 article.