John Portman: A Life of Building
John Portman: A Life of Building Previous Broadcasts
KQED 9: Sat, Aug 4, 2012 -- 6:00 PM
This program examines the work and legacy of one of the world's most daring and influential architects. Over the last 45 years, John Portman's iconic urban structures and eye-popping interiors steadily rose in 60 cities across four continents, helping redefine cityscapes in the United States and skylines in Asia. Once considered a maverick because he eschewed long-accepted industry standards, critics and leading architecture schools now fully embrace Portman's design approach, which emphasizes function, purpose and sensory experience.
This documentary showcases Portman's buildings using dramatic time-lapse footage. It also features interviews with Portman, architecture critic Paul Goldberg (The New Yorker), Harvard professors Mack Scogin and Michael Hays, business associates Mickey Steinberg and A.J. Robinson, architect Jacque Robertson, art critic Robert Craig and Portman's children.









