Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Rudolph’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.
Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some are owned by others, including the Paul Rudolph Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.
In his will, Paul Rudolph gave his Architectural Archives (including drawings, plans, renderings, blueprints, models and other materials prepared in connection with his professional practice of architecture) to the Library of Congress Trust Fund following his death in 1997. A Stipulation of Settlement, signed on June 6, 2001 between the Paul Rudolph Estate and the Library of Congress Trust Fund, resulted in the transfer of those items to the Library of Congress among the Architectural Archives, that the Library of Congress determined suitable for its collections. The intellectual property rights of items transferred to the Library of Congress are in the public domain. The usage of the Paul M. Rudolph Archive at the Library of Congress and any intellectual property rights are governed by the Library of Congress Rights and Permissions.
However, the Library of Congress has not received the entirety of the Paul Rudolph architectural works, and therefore ownership and intellectual property rights of any materials that were not selected by the Library of Congress may not be in the public domain and may belong to the Paul Rudolph Estate.
LOCATION
Address: 555 South State Street
City: Syracuse
State: New York
Zip Code: 13202
Nation: United States
STATUS
Type: Government
Status: Project
TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1964
Site Area: 3.5 acres
Floor Area:
Height:
Floors (Above Ground):
Building Cost:
PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client:
Architect: Paul Rudolph
Associate Architect: Ketcham, Miller & Arnold
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:
SUPPLIERS
Contractor:
Subcontractor(s):
City Hall for Syracuse, New York
In 1963 a $35 million Community Plaza plan is issued, calling for a new city hall to be constructed by 1965. The city hall building is to be a major feature of the project located in the Near East Side Urban Renewal Area.
The city hall project’s budget is $5-5.5 million.
The Community Facilities Administration of the federal Housing and Urban Development Department loans the city $183,600 to hire Paul Rudolph to design a new city hall on the 3.5 acre site.
Rudolph’s preliminary work is finished but associate architects Ketcham, Miller and Arnold take several more years to finish construction drawings, releasing them on March 08, 1967.
Construction bids are due April, 1967.
In 1992 the Onondaga County Justice Center - also known as the Patrick J. Corbett Justice Center - a correctional facility owned by Onondaga County, is constructed on the site. The architect of the 9 story building is Quinlivan, Pierik and Krause.
“The intention of the Syracuse City Hall is to define a sense of place. The U-shaped building obscures the city jail on one side and the power plant on the other, thereby creating a plaza. The building is placed on aces with a mall leading to the principal shopping area of Syracuse. A series of bridges, ramps and walkways invites the people of Syracuse to walk from adjacent residential areas through the great porch of the building and the plaza to the town center. The building is so arranged that it forms an amphitheater for public celebrations and ceremonies. Thus is has been formed as much by external considerations as by internal ones. ”
DRAWINGS - Design Drawings / Renderings
DRAWINGS - Construction Drawings
DRAWINGS - Shop Drawings
PHOTOS - Project Model
PHOTOS - During Construction
PHOTOS - Completed Project
PHOTOS - Current Conditions
LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
Patrick J. Corbett Justice Center on Emporis
RELATED DOWNLOADS
PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
“New City Hall Well-Planned Structure.” Syracuse Post Standard, December 24, 1964. p. 11
“Centre administratif d’etat de Massachusetts a Boston: Hotel de ville, Syracuse, N.Y., etc.” Architecture D’Aujourd’hui 35 (September 1965): 32-35.
“Stacks Keeps Steaming.” Syracuse Herald American, October 25, 1965. p. 54
Case, R. G. (1966, January 16). Steam Station Stack May Vanish Soon. Syracuse Herald American, p. 38
“Bowl-shaped civic plaza.” il., sec. Architectural Forum 125 (November 1966): 84-85.
Case, R. G. (1967, February 14). Today’s ‘New’ City Hall Chapter. Syracuse Herald Journal, p. 20
“Cheers, Not Jeer City Hall.” Syracuse Herald Journal, February 20, 1967. p. 23
“New City Hall Decision Near.” Syracuse Herald Journal, March 9, 1967. p. 33
“A City Hall For Play?.” Syracuse Herald Journal, March 31, 1967. p. 19
“Hotel de ville, Syracuse, U.S.A.” il., plan, sec. Architecture D’Aujourd’hui 39 (December 1967): 30-31.
“Thanks Mr. Searles, But-.” Syracuse Post Standard, February 20, 1969. p. 6
“It Lifts The Souls Of Citizens.” Syracuse Post Standard, March 6, 1969. p. 6
Rudolph, P. and Moholy-Nagy, S. (1970). The Architecture of Paul Rudolph. New York: Praeger, pp. 108-113.
“Big Dreams, No Money.” Syracuse Post Standard, January 31, 1970. p. 4
“Civic Center Is Rare Opportunity.” Syracuse Post Standard, March 17, 1970. p. 4
Kemper, Alfred M. Drawings by American Architects. New York: Wiley, 1973. il. p. 487.
Paul Rudolph, Dessins D’Architecture. Fribourg: Office du Livre, 1974. il., plan, sec. pp. 142-155.
“Chronological list of works by Paul Rudolph, 1946-1974.” il., plan. Architecture and Urbanism 49 (January 1975): 160.
Jacobs, David. “Rudolph style: unpredictable.” il. New York Times Magazine (26 March 1976): 47.
“Syracuse new city hall.” il., plan. Architecture and Urbanism 80 (July 1977): 170-173.