Quick Facts
Aries
Biography
Léonie Geisendorf, née Kaplan (8 April 1914 – 17 March 2016), was a Polish-born, Swedish architect. She lived most of her professional life in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time of her death, she was living in Paris, France.
Education and career
Born in Warsaw, Poland, she studied architecture at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich followed by an internship with Le Corbusier, who became a source of inspiration and a mentor. In 1938, after her internship, Geisendorf moved to Sweden and was hired by architects Sven Ivar Lind (1902-1980) and Paul Hedqvist (1895-1977). Counting as her first own work is a proposal for a new office building, drawn together with Ralph Erskine and Curt Laudon (1906-1964).
In 1940, she married Swiss architect Charles-Edouard Geisendorf (1913-1985).In 1950 Geisendorf and her husbandstarted their own architectural firm, L. & C. E. Geisendorf,in Stockholm with a branch in Zurich. Together they designed both private and public work.Notable works include Villa Ranängen at Djursholm (1950-1951),Villa Delin (1966)and St. Görans Gymnasium, (1970).
Images
Geisendorf in her Karman Ghia, 1990
Geisendorf's office mid-1960s (Léonie standing in the middle).
Suggested zoning "Corso" in Stockholm 1965.
ETG-group: Anders Tengbom, Léonie Geisendorf and Ralph Erskine
Images, buildings
Residential area Riksrådsvägen
St. Görans Gymnasium
Villa Delin
Student housing Fyrtalet
Sources
Geisendorf, Léonie; Gullström Charlie (1990). Arkitektur. Stockholm: Byggförlaget. Libris 7678723. ISBN 91-7988-019-3
Daniel A. Walser, Léonie Geisendorf (1914-2016), Nachruf. In: Werk, bauen + wohnen, Nr. 6, 2016, S. 6