"Women are doing some of the most prestigious work in New York" but nobody knows who they are, according to architect and filmmaker Beverly Willis, who wants to change this with her new movie about the women who have shaped the city.
Willis' film Unknown New York: The City that Women Built premiered last week, 6 June 2018. Written and directed by the 90-year-old architect, the 17-minute film documents the hundreds of female architects and engineers that have contributed to Manhattan's built environment.
Female architects don't receive the recognition they deserve
Her aim is to raise awareness of women working in the architecture industry, as not enough gain the recognition they deserve, she told Dezeen.
"One of the things that I like to do is ask people can they name five women architects," Willis said. "Usually, people can only name one or possibly two, maybe three because people like Maya Lin, Zaha Hadid and Julia Morgan are well known, but past that hardly anybody can name another woman architect."
Above: American architect Beverly Willis spoke to Dezeen ahead of the premiere of her new film Unknown New York: The City that Women Built. Top image: The High Line by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro and James Corner Field Operations
The American architect says this contradicts the fact that women are making major contributions to architecture, particularly in New York, giving examples like Studio Gang founder Jeanne Gang and Diller, Scofidio + Renfro...