Collection: King-Lui Wu papers | Archives at Yale (original) (raw)

Abstract

The papers comprise project records documenting architectural work undertaken by King-Lui Wu from 1942 to 1991, professional materials generated and compiled during his practice as an architect and tenure as a faculty member at Yale University's School of Architecture (1945-1988), and a small amount of personal correspondence. Project records, documenting both built and unbuilt work, consist mostly of sketches and include such drawing types as plans, elevations, sections, and perspective renderings; few working drawings exist. Project records also include a small amount of other materials, such as correspondence with clients and contractors, contracts, specifications, and receipts. Represented in the collection are such projects as the National Museum of Modern Art (Seoul, Korea) Yale student Manuscript Club (New Haven, CT), Mount Bethel Baptist Church (New Haven, CT), the Bank of Memphis, Yali Middle School (Changsha, China), and numerous private residences and offices. Professional papers include correspondence generated and collected while at Yale University, research materials, information pertaining to professional engagements and activities, and lecture notes for teaching.

Biographical / Historical

King-Lui Wu was born on March 25, 1918, in Guangzhou, China. He studied at Yale, and then earned both his bachelor's (1944) and master's (1945) degrees in architecture at Harvard. He returned to Yale to teach in 1945, where he remained on the faculty until 1988. During his tenure at Yale, Wu taught several celebrated architects, including the current dean of the Yale School of Architecture, Robert A.M. Stern. Wu used sabbaticals from Yale to teach at the University of Cambridge in England and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His writing was published in numerous periodicals, including Architectural Record, The Architectural Review, and Werk. Although much of his work was concentrated in New Haven, Connecticut, Wu designed buildings in various locations throughout the world, such as Seoul, Korea, Changsha, China, and Hong Kong. Some of his most notable projects include the Yali Middle School, the Museum for Modern Art in Seoul, Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, and the Yale student Manuscript Club. His designs include residences, offices, churches, museums, restaurants, and schools.

Wu placed great emphasis on natural light as a governing principle in design. He explored the use of this, the "most noble of natural phenomena," in what was perhaps his most popular course at Yale: "Daylight and Architecture." He applied this principle to residential design when he collaborated with artist Josef Albers on the home of Benjamin Dupont in Woodbridge, Connecticut. This house had sealed windows with hinged panels beneath them to enable ventilation. Because ventilation occurred through the panels, Wu was able focus on the windows as sources of light, which gave him greater freedom of size and placement.

Other Finding Aids

For a list of projects and the boxes in which project materials are located, please consult theProject Index.

List of projects in collection

Art Gallery, Korea

Artist's Products Center

Artist's Studio

Atwood, Ada W. residence, Bethany, CT

Bank of Memphis

Barbaresi and Son art house, Bronxville, NY

Barbaresi, Peter residence

Barr, Browne residence, Bethany, CT

Bergen, Robert residence

Borge, Viktor residence: addition, Southbury, CT

Borge, Viktor: music pavilion, Southbury, CT

Borge, Viktor: studio, Southbury, CT

Butler garage addition

Chaet, Bernard R.: workroom addition, Orange, CT

Chang, H. C. residence, Cape May, NJ

Chang, H. C.: shop, Cape May, NJ

Chao, Y. R. residence

Cheung residence

China land use/study diagrams

China maps and studies

Common School, Amherst, MA

Concord Hospital, Concord, MA

Creative Arts Workshop: addition/alteration/terrace, New Haven, CT

CPS School, Dahong Wang, China

Delgado, J. residence, New Haven, CT

Dormitory, China

DuPont, Benjamin residence and furniture details, Woodbridge, CT

Downey, John: bathroom addition, New Haven, CT

Far East Restaurant, New Haven, CT

Friedman, Molumphy and Olson: doctors' office, New Haven, CT

Friedman, Irving: summer residence

Gate Lodge

Gifford residence: alteration, Woods Hole, MA

Gimbet, Richard residence: addition, New Haven, CT

Gerald Hill Estates, Old Westbury, NY

Fan, George residence, Ossining, NY

Guttentag residence: addition, Long Island, NY

Gymnase

Harvard Athletic/Fitness Center

Highland Arms Restaurant, Winsted, CT

Hole, Frank residence, New Haven, CT

Hole, Frank: kitchen renovation

Hostel, G.

Hsiang Ya Medical Center

Hsu, T.C.: penthouse addition, New York, NY

Johnson, Paul H. residence, Old Lyme, CT

Kenzer residence, Southampton, NY

Kobak, S.J. residence, Old Westbury, NY

Leader Federal Bank Building, Lamar Branch

Leader Federal Bank Building, Memphis, TN

Mark Levinson Audio Systems, Hamden, CT

Loree, Mrs. Dean residence, Ann Arbor, MI

Morefar: Bath house, Brewster, NY

Morefar: Daylighted indoor tennis court, Brewster, NY

Morefar: Hsu, T.C. residence and furniture, Brewster, NY

Morefar: Starr, C.V. proposed golf house, pool house, and staff house

Mount Bethel Baptist Church, New Haven

Mueller, Adolph II, guest house

Museum, Taiwan

Nagata residence

National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea

New China Restaurant alterations, New Haven, CT

New Haven City Hall, New Haven, CT

Nims, Ellen residence, Woodbridge, CT

Norwood Estates, Norwood, MA

Oldrin residence

Pencil Points, Pittsburgh

Pian, Ted residence, addition, Cambridge, MA

Plunkett, John residence, Hamden, CT

Police Headquarters on Parkway

Richeimer residence: addition, Orange, CT

Rickers, Maria residence, Storrs, CT

Rodetsky, Jack and Sue residence, MA

Roth, Herbert G., Fairfield, CT

Rouse, Irving and Mary residence and garage, North Haven, CT

Rouse: summer cottage

Rudnick, Dorothea residence, addition, alteration, New Haven, CT

S.C.D. competiton

Self-service market

Shangri-La, a home for the aged, Ann Arbor, MI

Stephenson, Frank residence, garage, workshop, Lyme, CT

Stoddard, C.F. Jr. residence

Suddard, Adrienne ("Vicky") residence, Killingworth, CT

Systems of Living Complex

Tang, S.C. residence, Hong Kong

Taylor, C.F. residence, Winchester, MA

Tse, Stephen residence, Brewster, NY

Tung, David residence, Rye, NY

Tung, H.H. residence, Rye, NY

Urban Housing Unit

Villa K.K.: addition

Wang Laboratories, Redding, MA

Wang, An: addition and alteration, Lincoln, MA

Webb, Dwight residence: addition, Westport, CT

Wheaton College Art Center

Wong, Andrew residence and furniture, Hamden, CT

Wrexham Foundation (Manuscript Society), Yale University, New Haven, CT

Wu, King-Lui and Vivian residence, Hamden, CT

Wu, Lundo residence: alterations

Yali Middle School, Changsha, China

Yu, Ling: garage addition, dressing and pool filter rooms, Kwanyin Temple

Archaeological Research Center, Copan, Honduras

Boston Museum of Fine Arts furniture exhibit

Carlyle residence

Clarke residence

Druid Hills Country Club

Fan, George residence, Ossining, NY

Hayden residence, Milford, CT

Hill, Gerald estates, Old Westbury, CT