Event | Memoir Launch Events

Conversations With Moshe Safdie on His Professional Life

In tandem with the recent release of Moshe Safdie’s memoir If Walls Could Speak, Grove Atlantic will be hosting a series of launch events across North America in the upcoming months. Architecture lovers are invited to join conversations on Moshe Safdie's 50+ years of practice with Mr. Safdie and a respected design critic of the location. See below for the full list of event time and location.

Memoir Launch Event Dates:
Click individual events for more details.

COOPER UNION
In conversation with Samuel Lubell
The Great Hall - New York, NY - Friday, September 21, 6:30 PM ET


BOSTON BOOK FESTIVAL
In conversation with Anda French
Copley Square - Boston, MA - Saturday, October 29, 1:30 PM ET


HARVARD BOOK STORE
In conversation with Yo-Yo Ma
Brattle Theater - Cambridge, MA - Saturday, November 2, 6:00 PM ET


BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY
In conversation with Michael Kimmelman
Central Library, Dweck Center - Brooklyn, NY - Wednesday, November 16, 7:00 PM ET

MIAMI BOOK FAIR
In conversation with Victor Deupi
Chapman Conference Center - Miami, FL - Sunday, November 20, 12:00 PM ET


TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY - Salon Series
In conversation with Alex Bozikovic
Toronto Reference Library, Bram & Bluma Appel Salon - Toronto, Canada
Monday, November 28, 7:00 PM ET


NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA
In conversation with Adele Weder
The Great Hall - Ottawa, Canada - Tuesday, November 29, 6:00pm ET (livestream on Zoom)

SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER
In conversation with Frances Anderton
Skirball Cultural Center - Los Angeles, CA - Tuesday, December 11, 6:00pm PT


PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
In conversation with Lynda Hartigan
Peabody Essex Museum - Salem, MA - Wednesday, January 11, 1:00pm ET


BOSTON ATHENAEUM
In conversation with Cullen Murphy
The Bayard Henry Long Room - Boston, MA - Monday, April 3, 6pm ET


About If Walls Could Speak:


If Walls Could Speak takes readers behind the veil of an essential yet mysterious profession to explain through Moshe Safdie's own experiences how an architect thinks and works—from the spark of imagination through the design process, the model-making, the politics, the engineering, the materials. Relating memorable stories about what has inspired him—from childhoods in Haifa and Montreal to the projects and personalities worldwide that have captured his imagination—Safdie reveals the complex interplay that underpins every project and his vision for the role architecture can and should play in society at large. The Memoir is illustrated throughout with drawings, sketches, photographs, and documents from Safdie Architects' voluminous archives that illuminate Safdie's stories. 

A book like no other, If Walls Could Speak will forever change the way you look at and appreciate any built structure.


Praise for If Walls Could Speak: 

The renowned architect reflects on his life designing famous structures such as Montreal’s Habitat ’67 and Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and argues for an architectural philosophy that focuses not only on truth and beauty but also on social engagement.”

—New York Times Book Review


“As this warmly reflective memoir shows, ideas around human rights, socialization and access to nature have continued to underpin the urban and architectural philosophy of Safdie, now in his 80s.”

—Globe and Mail


“If Walls Could Speak is not just about architecture; it is about a man in search of beauty, truth, and service to people through examining ‘nature, the nature of the universe, and the nature of man.’ In his autobiography, Moshe Safdie succeeds in making the walls speak, revealing not only the depth, curiosity, and drive of a man with a mission, but also the challenges he faced creating extraordinary work for over six decades. Perhaps he says it best: ‘If we seek truth, we shall find beauty.’ I was profoundly moved reading this book.”

—Yo-Yo Ma


To read more about Moshe Safdie’s professional life, the memoir is now available in Amazon US, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store or at your local bookstore.

Published in Events on October 4, 2022

Tags: Press