Peter Blake, 1920–2006

Peter Blake, New York’s first architecture critic, died this week at the age of 86. An architect himself, Blake was known for his stylish, refined orthodox modernism (even though he hated “modernism” as a term). His writing for the magazine, as a columnist from 1968 to 1976 and then on and off for another twenty years, was similarly polished, a refined voice in an age too often given to unrefined buildings. Here’s his witty conversation with the late Philip Johnson, published on June 9, 1996, shortly before Johnson’s 90th birthday. —Christopher Bonanos

Magic Johnson [PDF]
Peter Blake, Architect, 86, Is Dead; Designed Houses in the Hamptons [NYT]