121. Thom Mayne

Pritzker Prize-winning American architect and educator Thom Mayne is the founder of Morphosis, an innovative architecture, urbanism, and design collective. Named after the Greek term for ‘to form or be in formation’ – Morphosis has gained recognition for its sustainable designs. Notable projects include the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Emerson College in Los Angeles, New York’s Cooper Union building, and the Orange County Museum of Art. Alongside his architectural practice, Mayne has been actively involved in education and academia, as he played a pivotal role in establishing the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

He and Zuckerman spoke about how LA is a midwestern city, the museum as a cultured event, community making, formed architecture, American architects, having a voice, being what you are instead of what you do, license to dream, authentically seeing yourself, being a humanist, and the profound and enduring power of artistic activity!