Paul Hayden Kirk and Midcentury Modern NW Architecture

Discover one of the key figures in Pacific Northwest modernism, who overcame polio as a child and reputational damage during the Red Scare to become the most influential architect our region has yet to produce.

In the mid-20th Century, our state was slow to adopt the modern architectural trends flooding Europe, the East Coast, and California. But smartly, Paul Hayden Kirk blended the clean look of modernism with our region’s tradition of building with wood, and crisp lines with Japanese and Native American influences. This talk explores Kirk’s life, along with examples of his work, to paint a portrait of a true Northwest innovator.