Cornell AAP

Congratulations to the seven graduating M.F.A. in Creative Visual Arts students! The AAP Tjaden and Experimental galleries were filled with their artwork at the end of the semester. 1-2. Carla Rangel García 3-4. Faye Pamintuan 5-6. Onome Olotu 7-8. Michael Morgan 9-10. Yun Hsiang Wang 11-12. Marissa Cote 13-14. Sheila Novak 15-16. Spring 2026 Teiger Mentor in the Arts Mary Mattingly participates in a review with M.F.A. students.

As the semester comes to a close, check out what AAP students in New York City experienced this spring, from site visits to guest lectures to special events. The Gensler Family AAP NYC Center offers immersive, cross-disciplinary, and connective programs. Dynamic by design, the AAP NYC experience is defined by the city’s myriad urban contexts and guided by world-class faculty and facilities. 1–2. Students view the Six Houses / Two Walls exhibition by The Los Angeles Design Group office. 3–4. Site visits with Architecture faculty Jesse LeCavalier to The Borden Complex in Long Island City. 5–6. Site visits with Architecture faculty Florian Idenburg to 144 Vanderbilt Avenue and the under-construction SO–IL office. 7–8. Island Editions: conversations hosted by Cynthia Davidson with Elizabeth Diller, AAP Dean J. Meejin Yoon, and Toshiko Mori; ar·ti·fi·ci·al·i·ty lecture series: presentation by Olalekan Jeyifous (B.Arch. '00). 9. Jaewon Choi (M.Arch. '26) presents during a midterm review; students view the Making Energy Visible exhibition at the launch of SKALA 31 at the Center for Architecture NYC. 10. Gensler Visiting Critic Kim Yao, Susannah Drake, Jacob Kurek, and Gregory Haley discuss architecture magazine SKALA 31. Images by Yicheng Yuan (B.Arch. '27), Boseul Seo (B.Arch. '26), Kaela Godfrey (B.Arch. '27), and Charlie Hill (B.Arch. '27).

The Cornell Journal of Architecture launched its 13th issue, "Missing," with a celebratory reception in Milstein Auditorium and Dome this semester. The journal's newest issue seeks to reflect the present nature of what is forgotten. This collection of essays, interviews, and visual work spanning nearly five years attempts to remember what is missing, to serve as a reminder of the no-longer—from disappearances, to denials, to erasures—and the possibility of recurrence. Emma Silverblatt, Visiting Critic and Judith Kinnard Early Career Design Fellow in Architecture, coedited "Missing" with Associate Professor of Architecture Val Warke, the Michael A. McCarthy Professor of Architectural Theory. Student editors include Lydia Brawley-Magee and Kalven Owen (both B.Arch. ’28). Special thanks to the students in the Architectural Publications course who planned the journal reception. See the link in bio to read more about the journal.

Happy decision day to our newest Cornellians! We are excited to officially welcome you to AAP and look forward to seeing you in the fall!

On April 23, the L. Michael Goldsmith Lecture will feature guest speaker Annabelle Selldorf, founding principal of Selldorf Architects. In advance of the event hosted by the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center at Cornell Tech’s Verizon Executive Education Center, Selldorf reflected on her work in the city, in the art world, and why the job of an architect is to care. Read the full feature and register to attend — see our link in bio. 1. Portrait of Annabelle Selldorf. image / Katharina Poblotzki 2–3. The Frick Collection. image / Nicholas Venezia

Your guide to Fall ’26 classes at AAP! Take a class outside of your major this fall and explore how the interdisciplinary nature of the college expands your primary course of study. Options range from fundamentals to deep dives across architecture, art, city and regional planning, real estate, and design technology. All Cornell students are welcome! Whether you are passionate about sustainable urban development, interested in innovations and generating lasting value in the built environment, or excited about advancing your creative practice or exploring cutting-edge design technology, classes at AAP offer the opportunity to investigate a wide range of topics and expertise across fields and faculty. Explore options for pre-enrollment — see our link in bio.

Join us on April 20 for a deep dive into Saks Global and real estate entrepreneurship with Richard Baker (‘88), renowned business leader and Cornell alumnus. From 4:30–6 p.m. in Milstein Auditorium, a fireside chat with Baker will be led by Gary Esposito (M.Arch. ‘18), Vice President of Real Estate Design + Development, Saks Global. Baker will offer an inside look at leadership, entrepreneurship, and the evolving landscape of retail and real estate. Afterward, a reception will be held in Milstein Hall Dome. Registration is required for this Ithaca campus event and seating is limited — see the link in bio.

This semester’s Preston H. Thomas Memorial Symposium on April 16–17 focuses on three urgent topics central to conversations about construction: affordability, performance, and carbon. The symposium, organized by Architecture Assistant Professor and Director of the Building Construction Lab David Costanza, seeks to examine the meticulous study of the built environment and the creative act of building knowledge through construction. On April 16, attend an opening reception for the accompanying exhibition, showcasing six innovative construction systems that inform different case-study houses. On April 17, hear talks from nine invited speakers, all of whom are architects whose work sits at the intersection of practice and academia, demonstrating that buildings and their making are central to their research agendas. Speakers include: Andrew Holder, The LADG (Los Angeles Design Group) / Pratt Institute J. Roc Jih, Studio J. Jih / MIT Jenny French and Anda French, French 2D / Harvard University; Princeton University Michelle Chang, JaJa Co / University of Southern California Sungwoo Jang, commonmatters / Syracuse University Dan Spiegel and Megumi Aihara, SAW // Spiegel Aihara Workshop, Inc. / University of California, Berkeley Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, HANNAH / Cornell University Kyle Barker, Primary Projects / Harvard University Andrew Colopy and Robert Booth, Cobalt Office / Rice University Events are free and open to the public. Learn more about the symposium in our editorial — see link in bio.

Here is what AAP students in Rome have been up to in the field! Cornell in Rome offers students an opportunity to study architecture, art, and planning in situ as they explore the past, present, and future in the city and its surroundings. Images: 1. CRP faculty Jenni Minner and students attend a tour led by Natale Carapallese, the President of Milan's 5th Municipio in Milan, with the Prada Foundation building in the reflection. 2. CRP students travel to the roof of the Duomo in Milan (top image). Students explore the Porta Romana district (bottom image). 3. Students visit Alberto Burri's artwork at Fondazione Palazzo Albizzini Collection Burri in Città di Castello. 4. As part of Introduction to Drawing, Art faculty Luca Padroni takes students around Rome to sketch. Pictured here is Lorenzo Marini's "Futurpioggia" on display in the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome. 5. Students overlook the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia. 6. Olivia Chou, Chau Trinh, and Molly Dart (all B.Arch. '27) take in the view at Hadrian's Villa. 7–9. Students explore Ostia Antica in Rome. 10. Jeffrey Mui (B.S. URS '27), Isabel Pronto Breslin (B.S. URS '27), and Jade Nichols (B.S. URS '26) admire the ceiling at Santa Maria della Scala. Images by Kerrianne Chiu (B.S. URS '27).

As our students settle into spring break, take a look back at the work they created earlier this semester, from special exhibitions to midterm reviews. Images: 1–2. Exhibition by Lilian Shtereva (M.F.A. ‘27). 3–4. M.Arch. students present their work during reviews in Core Design Studio II: Relational and Ecological Design, led by Architecture faculty Farzin Lotfi-Jam and Ryan Whitby. 5–6. Students present their work during reviews in Special Topics in Visual Representation, taught by Architecture faculty Jennifer Newsom. 7–8. Exhibition by Noah Gear (M.S. AAD ‘25). 9–10. Rui Xie, Mary Proteau, Liz Ferrer, Nina McGranahan (all M.R.P. ‘27) all from the Women’s Planning Forum, organized an exhibition in the Mui Ho Fine Arts Library for Women’s History Month, featuring publications showcasing women’s role in planning and architecture. 11–12. Third-year architecture student work in Milstein Hall Dome as part of the annual Edwin A. Seipp Prize competition.

Join us on April 7 at 5:30 p.m. in Milstein Hall Dome for AAP Launchpad, a special book launch event showcasing recent publications by Cornell AAP faculty. This spring’s participants include Natassia Bravo, Mark Anthony Brown Jr., Thomas J. Campanella, Lily Chi, Milton S. F. Curry, Julianne Hunter, Marirena Kladeftira, Daniel Leithinger, Suzanne Lettieri, Leeza Meksin, Jenny Sabin, Emma Silverblatt, Val K. Warke, and Mildred Warner. Event details — link in bio. Cover image: “Remnants I” by Julianne Hunter in the group exhibition ٦ و ٧ (Sixes and Sevens).

Take a peek at the Sibley Dome renovation as we continue to make progress toward renewed spaces for the entire Cornell AAP community! The project includes a new, centrally located 100-plus-seat auditorium; open, light-filled studios and workspaces for research and exchange; and a collaborative commons with study alcoves and meeting areas, all designed by WORKac. Follow along as the renovation unfolds with stunning new spaces for teaching, learning, and making later this year. Link in bio.