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Architectural Archives, University of Pennsylvania
Norman N. Rice Collection
Website

102 Meyerson Hall
220 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA
United States

phone: 215-898-8323

 This collection is the only archive of the architectural work of Norman Rice known to the staff of the Architectural Archives. The collection contains drawings for twelve professional projects, 1931-1974, four of which are also documented with photographs. Temple Beth Hillel (Wynnewood, PA) has the fullest documentation: design and presentation drawings, construction drawings, photographs, an office file, and structural calculations by August Komendant. The collection does not contain records for Rice's own house and studio on Fitler Square in Philadelphia nor for several other significant houses Rice designed in and around Philadelphia.

Rice was a lifelong friend of Louis I. Kahn, from their years as fellow students at Central High School and the University of Pennsylvania to their years teaching architectural design together at the University. Rice's student drawings and notebook (1920-1924) and his 1972 retrospective notes listing his (and Kahn's) studio professors offer insight into the training he and Kahn received at the University of Pennsylvania. The collection does not contain records of the Master's studio he co-taught with Kahn.

The collection also contains Rice's travel sketches (1928-1929) and a brief memoir of his time working in the office of Le Corbusier (1929-1930). The collection contains no materials related to Rice's family nor any other materials unrelated to architecture.

To view a detailed description of this collection, see the Finding Aid.
The finding aid is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, and requires the free Acrobat viewer available from Adobe (www.adobe.com).

Individual holding records for this collection are available on the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings website.