Do Not Try to Remember: The American School of Architecture in the Bay Area, an archival exhibition at San Francisco’s Center for Architecture + Design, celebrates a group of mid-20th-century architects who defied convention to forge a uniquely American design vision. Opening on February 20, 2025, the exhibition showcases the groundbreaking work of architects like Valentino Agnoli, Violeta Autumn, and Mickey Muennig, who Bruce Goff and Herb Greene mentored at the University of Oklahoma. Rejecting European styles, this “American School” embraced originality, pluralism, and contextualism, finding fertile ground in California’s booming postwar economy and dramatic landscapes.

Residence for Donald Barbour. 1964. John Marsh David, Architect.

The exhibition, curated by Marco Piscitelli with support from the University of Oklahoma, explores how these “renegade architects” used California’s cultural and natural landscape as inspiration, resourcefully incorporating materials and structure as expressive elements. It also examines their approach to urbanity and its democratizing potential. The exhibit runs through August 8, 2025, and offers a fresh look at the enduring impact of these quietly radical structures on contemporary design.