Paul Revere William , who died in 1980, is well known for his grand transformation of Western towns into thriving cities. Williams created and designed several homes for the rich and famous. Which were both glamorous and unique. He was responsible for the Saks Fifth Avenue building and his grand masterpiece , a nine level French Renaissance complex which took 11 years to build and cost over $ 3 million dollars.
The various other projects he worked on was the YMCA building and the Los Angeles Airport of which he was a board member. Williams became the first Black American member of the American Institute of Architects, after starting his own business in 192. This was no ordinary accomplishment in those times. He also later became a education member of the American Institute of Architects The university of Memphis Tennessee, as a commemoration of his February 18th birthday, established the Paul Revere Williams project The Memphis chapter of the AIA ,Along with the Memphis chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects., the initiative was to bring to light the great pioneers of architecture. It is extremely important for the youth of today to recognize greatness in all facets of art and design. Many pioneers have gone unnoticed or have not been given due recognition for the struggle to excel at reshaping America with the simplest of things.
If the world can see the greatness in building , then perhaps they can embrace other works of art that might otherwise be seen as a basic skill such as building a school. There is already a large collection started in 2006 by AIA, encompassing 150 exhibits. This has expanded to K-12 curriculum and a URL paulrwilliamsproject.org. On this website there are numerous galleries, news, resources and educational information This site gives you a glimpse into the genius of a driven black American in the 40′s. On September 25th 2010 a new exhibit will be displayed entitled, "The Power of Example" It will open at the University of Memphis Art Museum. It will continue to be displayed until the end of 2014.
Williams is seen as a man of ever changing concepts. He has a long list of celebrity houses of which he designed including actress Luise Rainer. Some of the houses he built, including his own are of a modern design. He designed several hotels in Beverly Hills and Las Vegas. He was responsible for creating the St Jude Children’s Hospital where his parents lived in Memphis Tennessee. This is one of his eternal legacies. His projects include all building in all communities. He designed buildings for middle and poor neighborhoods.
The Las Vegas Neon Museum understood the importance of Williams work and saved part of an old La Concha Motel as an exhibit and visitor center. Paul Revere Williams Project was funded by several establishments such as the national Endowment of Arts and the Graham foundation for Advance Studies in the Fine Arts.
