The 22nd Annual McKim Lecture with Melissa DelVecchio

Community and Place: New Projects at Yale University

At the 22nd Annual McKim Lecture, presented on March 8, 2023, the ICAA was honored to welcome Melissa DelVecchio, partner and director of research at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, as distinguished speaker, to speak about the architectural significance—past, present, and future—of Yale University.

Yale University is notable among American campuses for its bold mix of contemporary and traditional architecture—individualistic buildings by leading modernist architects are at once framed and complemented by an impressive array of traditional buildings, old and new.

Discussing her work on Pauli Murray and Benjamin Franklin Colleges, and the recently completed Yale Schwarzman Center, Melissa highlighted Yale’s architectural history and the institution’s dedication to creating a campus that responds to changing times and yet retains an unmistakable and well-defined sense of place—a strategy that enhances the staying power of modernist icons and traditionally inspired buildings alike.

The Annual McKim Lecture, named in honor of renowned architect Charles McKim, is one of the most important events on the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s calendar and features distinguished speakers from within the ICAA community. This annual lecture is a collaborative effort between the ICAA and the One West 54th Street Foundation.

Melissa DelVecchio is a partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects and is on the Board of the ICAA. She is the design lead for many of the firm’s most complex academic and institutional projects, and directs the Research Department. Building upon her education that included an intensive study of classical architecture and a subsequent immersion into contemporary design, her work synthesizes tradition and invention, reinforcing the many visual, social, environmental, and cultural influences that give places identity and meaning. Melissa’s projects include two new residential colleges at Yale University, the first LEED Gold-certified academic building in China, and the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Schwarzman Center at Yale, a historic Carrère & Hastings’ building that was transformed into a social hub for the university’s students. She is currently working on the design and construction of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, the anchor for the University of Notre Dame’s new arts district.

Melissa is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. She is a member of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize jury and the Rafael Manzano Martos Prize jury and chaired the RAMSA Fellowship jury for ten years. Melissa recently served as the Robert A.M. Stern Visiting Professor of Classical Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture and as the Visiting Critic in Classical Architecture and Urbanism at Catholic University of America. For more information follow @ramsarchitects, @melissadelvecchio, #RAMSAdesignsforlearning.

Sponsors

Thank you to our Partner Sponsors:
John B. Murray Architect
Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation

Supporter Sponsor:
Dimeo Construction Company

Lead Annual Public Programs Sponsor:
RINCK

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor:
Dell Mitchell Architects

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor:
Hyde Park Moulding

Special thanks to the One West 54th Street Foundation

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