The architect and co-founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro was widely credited with helping to shape a multidisciplinary approach to architecture that integrated art and urban design. His work included major cultural and public projects such as New York’s High Line and The Shed, as well as the expansion of the Museum of Modern Art and the redevelopment of the Lincoln Center
Ricardo Scofidio died on 6 March 2025, with his death announced by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), the practice he co-founded with Elizabeth Diller in 1981.
In a statement, the studio said: “Ric had a profound impact on our architectural practice, establishing the studio with a mission to make space on his own terms. The firm’s partners and principals, many of whom have collaborated with him for decades, will extend his architectural legacy in the work we will continue to perform every day.”
Born in New York in 1935, Scofidio studied architecture at Cooper Union before completing his education at Columbia University. He began teaching at Cooper Union in 1965 and remained a professor there for more than 40 years. His partnership with Diller, initially focused on installation art and conceptual projects, evolved into a practice that has been widely recognised for its work in cultural and public architecture.
One of the firm’s most well-known projects is the High Line in New York, designed in collaboration with James Corner Field Operations and Piet Oudolf. The elevated park, built on a disused freight rail line, has been credited with influencing a wave of similar projects in cities worldwide. The practice was also responsible for The Shed, a cultural venue at Hudson Yards, designed with Rockwell Group. The £364 million structure includes a telescoping outer shell that allows the building to adapt for different performances and exhibitions.
Other significant projects include the expansion of the Museum of Modern Art, completed in 2019, and the redevelopment of Lincoln Center, which included renovations to Alice Tully Hall and the Juilliard School. The firm also designed The Broad, a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, and Zaryadye Park in Moscow, a 32-acre public space near the Kremlin.
DS+R was also involved in the early stages of the proposed London Centre for Music, a planned concert hall at the Barbican. The project was cancelled in 2021 after the City of London Corporation withdrew funding. The firm is also working on V&A East Storehouse, a new collections facility for the Victoria & Albert Museum, set to open in 2025.
In 2009 Scofidio and Diller were named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. In 2019, they were awarded the Royal Academy Architecture Prize.
Scofidio was married to Allana Jeanne Deserio, with whom he had four children, before divorcing in 1979. He later married his professional partner, Diller.
A memorial service is being planned, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
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