Sam Lubell, author of Life Meets Art

Who is Sam Lubell giving his book to this Christmas?

The architectural writer and curator tells us about his highs and lows of 2018 and who’ll be getting a great gift

Sam Lubell’s book, Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA, might look back at the beautiful, Modernist edifices built along the Eastern Seaboard around half-a- century ago, but the writer’s day-to-day life remains utterly contemporary.

This US architectural journalist and author has spent 2018 improving our collective understanding of architecture, both through this perfectly formed travel guide – co-authored with photographer Darren Bradley – but also through his writing for the New York Times, Wired and Wallpaper*, among other titles, and via his curation of exhibitions, such as Never Built New York, which ran at the Queens Museum earlier this year.

Read on to discover what thrilled him (and what really didn’t) as well as who he plans to give his book to this Christmas.

What inspired you most this year? Not surprisingly my most inspiring moment this year was related to architecture. I was lucky enough to conduct research for an upcoming book at Henri Labrouste’s Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. I still can’t get over the feeling of uplift and awe I experienced every time I walked inside. It was a reminder of the greatness man can achieve, and a reassuring symbol that intellectual pursuits are still glorified in some places. 

 

Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA
Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA

What annoyed you most? Like every New Yorker, my two biggest annoyances this year were Donald Trump and the New York City Subway, in that order. 

What was your personal highlight? My personal highlight was getting engaged to my beautiful fiancée Barbara Chen. 

What can we expect from you in 2019? 2019 is shaping up to be a very busy year. In addition to working on several books, exhibitions, and articles, I’m hoping to travel to Hawaii with my fiancé, Palm Springs with Phaidon, Iceland with my oldest friends, Barcelona with family, and, perhaps, China for a lengthy piece. Oh, and I plan to get married! Not sure when and where yet, but very excited! 

Who will you give your Phaidon book to for Xmas? I’ve already shared my books with immediate family and friends. But the holidays are a chance to share them with everyone else. Those on the east coast, and the architecture fanatics, will have first dibs! 

 

Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA
Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA

To get a copy of Sam's book for yourself, order Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA here. You can also get the West Coast version here.