The main exhibition space. Photo by Bonnie Burke.
Tuesday night marked the celebratory opening of Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century, the first exhibit honoring the work of the influential architect Ralph Walker, who helped shape New York’s skyline in the 1920’s and ’30s. That name should ring familiar thanks to all the attention surrounding Walker Tower, the conversion of one of Walker’s classic buildings at 212 West 18th Street in Chelsea into 53 luxury condominiums. CORE will launch sales in the building later this spring, and the ground floor of Walker Tower is currently housing the exhibit, which is open to the public, by appointment only, through May 1. Go to the exhibition website for information on making a reservation.
The event also doubled as a book signing to benefit the Museum of the City of New York by Kathryn Holliday, whose book on Walker, also called Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century, will be published by Rizzoli in September. For more on Walker’s contributions and the exhibition, check out the fantastic coverage by Dwell and New York magazine, and to see photos from the event — including notable faces in the crowd, and the impressive model of what Walker Tower will look like when the restoration and conversion is finished — see the gallery on CORE’s Facebook page.