The first book dedicated to the career of one of New York�� most successful and prolific yet forgotten architects. Ralph Walker shaped New York�� skyline during the Roaring Twenties, from the
iconic Barclay-Vesey Telephone Building at 140 West Street to the luxurious Irving Trust bank tower at 1 Wall Street in the heart of the city�� financial district. Walker was a master of modern
ornament, using his skills as a designer to "humanize" the skyscraper and the city itself.In 1957, a New York Times headline proclaimed Walker "architect of the century," an honor bestowed by
his fellow architects celebrating his "brilliance" as a philosopher and a humanitarian. Walker shaped the Chicago and New York World�� Fairs of the 1930s and became an outspoken advocate for
his vision of a humane American city. Across the fifty years of his practice, Walker remained dedicated to defining a modern architecture from the dramatic towers of the dense city to the
serene landscapes of the suburbs. Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century is the first monograph to present this forgotten vision of twentieth-century architecture.
