Ricardo Scofidio, architect of experimentation and public spaces, has died

Ricardo Scofidio, co-founder of the architectural firm {tag:pracownie}, which has been in business since 1981, passed away on March 6, 2025. He was 89 years old. He died in New York surrounded by loved ones, including Elizabeth Diller - a partner in both his personal and professional life. His death closes an important chapter in the history of modern architecture, which he co-shaped for decades, integrating it with elements of art and experimentation.

Ricardo Scofidio - an architect who asked and changed space

Ricardo Scofidio revolutionized the perception of space, transforming architecture from a purely utilitarian field into a living thought process. His death closes an important chapter, leaving a void not only in the world of design, but also in the broader reflection on what cities are and how they can better serve their inhabitants. As a visionary, he constantly posed provocative questions, seeing architecture as something much deeper than the sum of the buildings. The legacy he left behind is not only inspiring spaces, but also innovative approaches that forever changed the way we think about design and life in urban settings.

Ricardo Scofidio

Photo by Geordie Wood © Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R)

beginnings and education

Ricardo Scofidio was born in 1935 in New York City, a city that played a key role in his life and career. His father, a black jazz musician, convinced him of his Italian roots to protect him from racial prejudice, which, as he recalled in a 2003 interview for the New York Times Magazine, meant that he was taught to remain invisible as a child.

He studied architecture at Cooper Union and then at Columbia University, gaining a solid theoretical foundation. In 1955 he married Allana Jeanne De Serio, with whom he had four sons, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1979. While working as a lecturer at Cooper Union, he met Elizabeth Diller, born in Lodz, Poland, to a Jewish family, who was then his student. After graduation, they began dating, and together in 1981 they founded the architectural firm Diller + Scofidio. In 1997, Charles Renfro joined the team, followed by Ric Furman Gilmartin in 2004, which led to the office becoming Diller Scofidio + Renfro. DS+R's projects, such as the High Line in New York City and the MoMA expansion, expanded the boundaries of architecture, combining it with art and technology, and received wide international recognition.

An official statement from the Diller Scofidio + Renfro studio said:

Ricardo played a key role in the founding and development of our studio, guided by the idea of designing spaces according to his own principles. His vision has shaped the way we operate. The partners and designers who have worked with him over the years will continue his work in their daily work.

High Line in New York

Photo by Wil Fyfordy © CC BY-SA 4.0

projects that changed cities

High Line in New York

Ricardo Scofidio has left a lasting mark on architecture with projects that transform urban spaces. One of them is the High Line in New York City. Work on it began in 1999, and it was inspired by an idea from residents in the 1980s who, as part of an urban planning competition, were looking for a way to revitalize a disused railroad overpass in Manhattan. The DS+R team, working with landscape designers James Corner and Piet Oudolf, transformed the structure into a park suspended 10 meters above the streets. Opened in 2009, it offers a green promenade for walking and a place to relax in the center of the city. Today it is one of the most visited places in New York City.

The High Line in New York City

Photo by Dansnguyen © CC0 1.0 Universal

Zaryadye Park in Moscow

In 2017, the studio completed Zaryadye Park in Moscow, winning an international competition to design the space. After three years of development, the 13-hectare site, previously a wasteland, became a public park, opening in September 2017. Zaryadye includes 760 trees and four green zones referencing Russian landscapes - forest, steppe, tundra and wetlands - combined with infrastructure such as a concert hall with an amphitheater, an interactive museum and a "floating bridge" over the Moscow River.

Zaryadye Park in Moscow

Photo by GAlexandrova © CC BY-SA 4.0

The project was highlighted in Time magazine's list of the 100 most interesting places in the world. Both parks - High Line and Zaryadye - show how Scofidio combined architecture with nature and technology to create spaces that support local communities.

Zaryadye Park in Moscow

Photo: mos.ru © CC BY 4.0

Blur Building - a lakeside experiment

One of Scofidia and DS+R's most distinctive works is the Blur Building, realized in 2002 on Lake Neuchâtel in Yverdon-les-Bains for the Swiss National Expo 2002. The pavilion was based on a tensegrity structure - a system of metal profiles and taut cables - supported by four columns, creating a platform above the water. Water from the lake, pumped through 35,000 high-pressure nozzles, produced a mist controlled by a system that responded to weather conditions such as temperature, humidity and wind. Visitors ascended two footbridges from the shore, entering a space without clear visual or acoustic boundaries, dominated by the fog and the sound of the jets, enhanced by recordings by Christian Marclay. Blur Building was an example of Scofidia's experimental approach that challenged traditional understandings of architecture.

Blur Building, realized in 2002 in Yverdon-les-Bains

Photo by Norbert Aepli, Switzerland © CC BY 2.5

The Broad - a museum in Los Angeles

The studio's next project is The Broad museum in Los Angeles, which opened on September 20, 2015 after construction began in 2012. Founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, it houses a collection of more than 2,000 works of contemporary art, including works by Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

The Broad museum in Los Angeles

Photo by Christopher Chan © CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The building's facade consists of 2,500 prefabricated panels of fiberglass-reinforced concrete, set at 45-degree angles.

Close-up of the facade of The Broad museum in Los Angeles

Photo by Joey Zanotti © CC BY 2.0

Ricardo Scofidia's legacy

The legacy of Ricardo Scofidio and the Diller Scofidio + Renfro office has been a subject of interest for years - including in the pages of our portal, where we have described, among others, the Tianjin Juilliard School, combining architecture with music and nature, and the Vagelos Education Center in New York, designed as a space for future doctors. Projects such as the High Line, Zaryadye Park, Blur Building and The Broad show how Scofidia's vision influenced cities, integrating innovation with social needs and inspiring future generations of architects. His legacy will remain visible in public spaces around the world. The projects he co-created went beyond just creating buildings. They provided a space for innovative ideas, an experimental field of action and a way to challenge established patterns. At a time when the search for easy solutions dominates, Scofidio posed difficult questions. His works show that architecture can act as an intellectual message, a platform for reflecting on the city, human relationships and the impact of space on everyday life.

Elaborated: Anastazja Dżupina