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: 353 Dune Rd
City: Westhampton Beach
State: New York
Zip Code: 11978
Nation: United States

STATUS
Type: Residence
Status: Built

TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1978
Site Area:
Floor Area:
Height: 36’-7” (11.15 m)
Floors (Above Ground): 2
Building Cost:

PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: Dani Siegel
Architect: Paul Rudolph
Rudolph Staff: Donald Luckenbill, Project Architect (1978-1980); Eric Cummings, Project Manager (1978-1980)
Associate Architect:
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:

SUPPLIERS
Contractor:
Subcontractor(s): Mitrani Plasterers Co Inc. (plasterwork)

Siegel Residence

The project scope is to design a new residence for Dani Siegel (1931-2020), a graphic-display artist who collects art & folk objects and wants a design that will allow him to host parties for his friends to enjoy the beach.
The project concept is to build the residence around a grid of poles which eventually become 30 14” (36 cm) diameter hand selected telephone poles.
According to Donald Luckenbill, the forms of the project’s interior are inspired by conversations he had with Rudolph about the vernacular architecture on Ibiza.
Mr. Siegel receives a set of construction drawings on January 11, 1980.
The custom seating arrangement in the living room is created by Mitrani Plasterers Company, Inc. who is also installing the plasterwork throughout the project.
The residence is featured in ‘Long Island Modernism: 1930-1980” by Caroline Rob Zaleski published on September 10, 2012.
Mr. Siegel passes away on April 04, 2020.

“Danny Siegel came to the studio to have Rudolph design a fairly modest organic house in the Hamptons. I was the Project Manager. There were no official titles or job descriptions other than we did what it took to get the job done. Don Luckenbill was the office manager and go to person to help interpret instructions and provide technical assistance.

The property was a flat beachfront lot. All sand, no trees. The concept was to build the house around a grid of poles which ended up being thirty 14” diameter hand selected telephone poles. Unlike common belief, every phone pole is not created equal. The two story design progressed with rectangular exterior walls on the ground floor with a series of curving interior walls snaking through the upper level forest of rough wood columns.

A local builder worked with Danny to keep track of pricing and scheduling for construction. He was not too familiar with building round forms on a non-traditional foundation and noted at one meeting that the house was going to be over budget. When asked why, he cited the poles, round walls and floors among several other unique custom features. Danny agreed and expressed concern. Rudolph had a strong reaction and asked what was custom about a phone pole? The builder - caught off guard - didn’t know. “What else?” was Rudolph’s reply. The builder, now humiliated, suggested the curved walls. Rudolph acquiesced and loudly suggested all the walls would be squared off and the meeting ended abruptly.

A few days later, with the increased budget being accepted, the design continued with round walls.

The pole lengths varied but were about 25 to 30 feet and would not be sufficient to span the full height of the house. The engineer designed a splice at the ground level that would allow them to extend to the roof. All seemed very simple and straight forward … until they were randomly selected and pounded deep into the sand. I got a call from the builder who noted they shifted and weren’t all on the grid as designed. Several had moved a few inches, some up to a foot. This would not work with the upper floors resting on laminated beams bolted into notched connections that required a bit more accuracy.

Each pole location was noted on the plans: 6” north / 4” south, 3” north / 10” south. Only a few were in the right location. I looked over at the pile of remaining poles of varying length and diameters, some bent, some straight. Each remaining pole was assigned to one already set in the sand. Each marked with a north orientation such that when cut an placed on top of its mate would result in a vertical alignment conforming to the designed grid. Armed with a chain saw, drill, bolts, reinforcing and concrete, the builder cut each piece and successfully aligned them to receive the beams. Impressive for the first and perhaps the only, time he had done this.

My time at the studio expired at this point during construction before framing had started.
”

— Eric Cummings, in a statement to the Paul Rudolph Institute in 2022.

“It is a house of great artifice. Extremely intricate drawings were part of the process, along with the trial-and-error approach, as with all of Rudolph’s architecture.”

— Donald Luckenbill, interviewed by Caroline Rob Zaleski in 2007, in Long Island Modernism: 1930-1980. W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.