In Memoriam: Bill Menking (1947–2020)

William Menking, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Architect’s Newspaper, passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2020. Menking was also an architectural historian, a writer, a critic, a curator of architecture and urbanism, and a tenured professor and trustee at Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment.

With a particular interest in the radical architecture of the 1960s and 700s, Menking curated exhibitions on Archigram and Superstudio. He also served as Commissioner of the US pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennale.

Menking grew up in California’s Central Valley. He studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. In the 1990s, he studied in London at the Bartlett School of Architecture, where he also wrote for publications like The Architects’ Journal and Building Design. This inspired him to start The Architect’s Newspaper, which he founded with his wife, Diana Darling, at their Tribeca loft in 2003.

Menking was a longtime friend of AIA New York, serving as a juror for the New Practices New York (NPNY competition and participating on the Chapter’s popular Cocktails and Conversations series. The Architect’s Newspaper has frequently served as a media sponsor for AIANY initiatives, including the NPNY competition and Archtober. In 2007, Bill Menking and Diana Darling were conferred the AIANY Stephen A. Kliment Oculus Award.

Below, we’ve gathered tributes from members of our community.

Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director, AIANY | Center for Architecture

Bill Menking was a friend and a mentor, to me and to countless others whom he taught and convened, and to those who read him on a regular basis. Along with a team of dedicated contributors, Bill created and nourished The Architect’s Newspaper, a vital source of design news and criticism founded in New York City, which went on to span the country. Whether in conversation or through written word, Bill’s candor and curiosity were palpably indefatigable. A fearless critic and instigator, Bill kept us all informed and on our toes. Bill will be dearly missed by the architectural community and by me personally.

Abby Suckle, FAIA, LEED AP, President, CultureNOW

Bill Menking was an extraordinary person. I met him probably a year or two after he launched The Architect’s Newspaper. It was lively, the writing was good, and he seemed to have a close finger on the pulse of what was happening in the profession. I signed on immediately as a subscriber and was later honored to be invited to contribute some pieces (mainly reviews) to it. At the time, I wondered how anyone could hope to sustain a free journal about architecture aimed at an architectural audience. This is such a slow moving profession and I worried about how he could keep it up because it was so good and filled a void. He proved me wrong. Bill became a great friend, colleague, and supporter.

Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder, Grace Farms Foundation

Bill contributed to many ethical architectural movements in his lifetime. This was predicated by his well-tested observation that ‘architects are really well meaning and are taught in schools to make the world a better place,’ and his willingness to inspire folks to step up.