Edward Durrell Stone’s Romantic Modernism

Edward Durrell Stone designed some of the most famous buildings in the US, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as iconic buildings around the world, such as the Parliament House of Pakistan in Islamabad. He is known for the unique blend of modernism and romanticism he brought to International Style architecture.

Early Life and Training

Dr. Albert J. Kelley, Deputy Director; Edward Durell Stone, and Dr. Winston E. Kock, Director. — Edward Durrell Stone, pictured in the center, united history and modernity in his buildings. Kelley, Stone and Kock view the ERCs First Phase of Construction by NASA/ERC, unknown date. Public domain.

Edward Durrell Stone was born on March 9^th, 1902, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He went to college, but didn’t graduate. He did, however, win the Rotch Travelling Scholarship. This let him visit Europe for two years, where he studied International Style architecture.

Upon his return home, Stone worked for architectural firm of Schultze and Weaver, where he contributed to the interiors of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC. This was the start of an illustrious career that would include commissions for libraries, museums, houses and more.

Mid Century Modern Meets Romanticism

exterior shot of US Embassy in New Delhi — The Empress pattern breeze blocks on the façade of the 1959 US Embassy in New Delhi illustrate Stone’s commitment to ornamentation in modernist architecture. US Embassy New Delhi by Soumya S Das, 27 April 2011. CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Stone admired the International Style, but felt it was too cold and utilitarian. He wanted to bring warmth and cultural and historical grounding to his buildings. His buildings include design features from the International Style, like glass, concrete, and flat roofs. But he took a more romantic approach to the style, incorporating patterns and ornamentation.

In short, he aimed for a balance, maintaining simplicity in form, but decorating surfaces. His belief was that this approach made for more timeless designs.

Career and Famous Works

exterior of Kennedy Center — The Kennedy Center is one of Stone’s most well-known works. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. by Carol M. Highsmith, between 1980 and 2006. No known restrictions on publication.

Here are some of Stone’s most famous buildings:

Radio City Music Hall: Stone designed this music hall with Donald Deskey. It opened in 1932. It is one of the best-known examples of art deco architecture in the US, and shows off Stone’s incredible versatility with style.
Richard H. Mandel House: This 1933 home in Mount Kisco, NY, was Stone’s first independent commission, and exemplifies the International Style.
Museum of Modern Art: Stone worked with Phillip L. Goodwin to design this downtown museum.
The US Embassy in New Delhi: This building showcases Stone’s romantic approach to modernism with its decorative breeze blocks and simple, clean lines. Frank Lloyd Wright was so impressed with the AIA award-winning building he said it was among the most beautiful he’d ever seen.
The 1962 JFK Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C. shows some stylistic similarities to the US Embassy, with a similar formal shape, flat roof, and slender columns.

Stone’s career spanned all the way up to 1974. He died four years later. The buildings above are just a few of the numerous remarkable designs he created during a career that spanned around four decades.

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