Dr. David Gissen

Biography

David Gissen is a historian of architecture and author who focuses on the theory and criticism of architecture. His research investigates the physiological and environmental concepts embedded in modern and late-modern architectural design. He studies how works of architecture shape experiences related to health, stability, and normalcy within built environments, tracing historical processes and responding to alternative and critical formulations used by scholars and designers. Gissen is the author of four books, including 'Architecture Disability: Buildings, Cities, Landscapes Access' (University of Minnesota Press, 2023), which provides a disability-based critique of the discipline and its history. He has also published over one hundred essays covering detailed histories of individual buildings and experiments in alternative forms of writing on architecture and design. His writing has appeared in international anthologies, journals, catalogs, and magazines translated into several languages. Gissen maintains a practice as a curator and designer, with work including curatorial commissions at prestigious venues like the Venice Biennale and workshops at major museums. He has received numerous grants and awards and has held visiting academic positions at Columbia University, MIT, and Yale.

Research Interests

Experience