Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier has been facing several claims of sexual harassment after which he decided to take leave of absence from his firm Richard Meier & Partners Architects.Five women have claimed to have faced sexual harassment and advances, either verbal or otherwise, from Meier.Meier has become the subject of the latest discussion regarding the art-world power play where the architect faces allegations of several sexual misconduct incidents from five women that was first covered in the New York Times. The report elaborates on Meier’s inappropriate touch or exposing himself to the accusers. After these allegations surfaced, the architect formally announced that he will be taking a six-month leave of absence from his firm. [Artnet]Dezeen Quotes Richard Meier:“I am deeply troubled and embarrassed by the accounts of several women who were offended by my words and actions…While our recollections may differ, I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my behavior. Effective today, I am taking a six-month leave of absence as Founder and Managing Partner. I am leaving the company in the hands of a dedicated and outstanding senior management team, which has spent the past three decades serving our clients and building our firm’s success.”Four of the accusers have worked for Meier before and one of them met Meier at a social event. Many of the discussed incidents of sexual misconduct took place once the architect invited the accusers to his home. One of the accusers claimed that he had offered her wine while also asking her to pose nude for a photograph. One of the other accusers has also stated that he had once touched her underwear through her dress while they were at an office holiday party. One of the most disturbing allegations have stated that back in the 1980s, Meier had dragged one of the accusers to his bedroom and laid down on top of her. She was not an employee. The accuser escaped from the house and allegedly the architect had chased her to her car. [Artnet]After Meier goes on the leave of absence, the four associate partners will overtake the responsibilities of the architectural firm, including Vivian Lee, Reynolds Logan, Bernhard Karpf, and Dukho Yeon. They will manage operations of the firm’s headquarters in New York. Michael Palladino will overtake the responsibility and supervise the projects of the Los Angeles office being a partner and head of the Los Angeles office. [Architectural Digest]Dezeen quotes, Michael Palladino, a partner and head of the company’s Los Angeles office:“Richard has built a world-class design practice and we will continue the strong collaboration between our two offices, as we continue to build on that legacy. We believe that women should feel comfortable and empowered in all workplaces – including ours.”
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