A Woman Architect in the Mad Men Era: The Story of Natalie De Blois

A Woman Architect in the Mad Men Era: The Story of Natalie De Blois

On January 21, 1958, three women sat down as contestants for an episode of the popular television show “To Tell the Truth”, a quiz game in which a panel tries to guess which of the three contestants is who they say they are by asking them a series of questions. The announcer reveals the true identity of the person is a registered architect, has so far designed a Hilton hotel, and is a married mother of four. Each of the women, dressed formally in pencil skirts and blouses, introduces themselves as Natalie De Blois. As the panelists reveal their lack of knowledge about architecture, only firing off questions about Frank Lloyd Wright, one asks “What is the name of the building that was torn down to build Union Carbide?” The real Natalie De Blois, at the time a senior designer at SOM, firmly answers, “Hotel Margery.”

Architecture is one of the oldest recorded professions, dating back to ancient eras when builders designed historic huts and constructed some of the great wonders of the world. When we think about women who have been known as trailblazers of the industry, it’s astonishing that we often talk about women who we may interact with in the workplace day to day, or who our mentors may have learned from. Natalie De Blois was a modern-day pioneer of women in the design workforce, and although her legacy began only seventy years ago, it has significantly changed the way that women can participate in the profession today.

From a young age, De Blois knew her destiny was to become an architect. Her father, a civil engineer, encouraged her passion for the built environment, even helping her enroll in mechanical engineering classes during junior high, typically reserved for male students as girls were expected to take homemaking courses. There, she learned drafting skills, but also saw firsthand the gender bias that would continue well into her professional career. After attending Columbia and earning a degree in architecture, she worked in New York City designing storefront components that would be later produced after World War II. Unfortunately, De Blois was let go from her role when a male colleague complained that a woman’s presence was a distraction when she declined his advances. Her boss recommended her to her next job, an office just down the street on Park Avenue, working under Louis Skidmore.

De Blois quickly rose through the ranks at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), eventually going on to design some of their most notable buildings. Her first large project was the Terrace Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati. After its completion in 1948, the hotel was applauded for its luxurious and modernist style. Over the next decade, De Blois was involved in the designs of the Lever House, the Union Carbide headquarters, sometimes known as 270 Park Avenue or the J.P. Morgan Chase headquarters, and the Pepsi-Cola building. The Pepsi-Cola building is still one of the best representations of corporate modernism from its era and is one of De Blois’ best-known works. Designed to be the world headquarters for Pepsi-Cola, the glass and aluminum structure has an airy feeling that makes it seem like it’s floating above its corner lot. From the Park Avenue side, the thin mullions paired with the visible interior columns and the vertical blinds that De Blois herself designed to give the building an additional subtle verticality. At night, the building glows like a luxurious jewel box.

The Union Carbide headquarters was the largest project that De Blois worked on during this time. Standing at 52-stories and over 1.5 million square feet of space, the building had significant structural complexities being located just above subway train tracks. The Union Carbide building was unfortunately torn down, to make way for a taller, shinier tower being designed by Foster + Partners, but not without a fight. Preservationists claimed that not only was the Union Carbide building a symbol of post-war modern importance, but it would be the tallest building voluntarily demolished in history. It had also just been renovated to achieve LEED Platinum status only a few years prior, already proving that it was energy efficient. Additionally, many pointed out that such a significant role of its oversight was completed by a woman, of which so few existed in the industry at the time, and must play a key factor in why it shouldn’t meet its wrecking ball fate. Women designers are still struggling to find their seats at the table, so why discredit the ones where women have played such a key part?

De Blois eventually transferred to SOM’s Chicago office, where she was a founding member of Chicago Women in Architecture and was subsequently appointed to the AIA Taskforce on Women in Architecture in 1974. She became well known in feminist architecture circles, admired for her success at such a firm that was dominated by men, even even though she was never made a full partner. Upon retirement, she spent a year traveling in Europe and returned to the U.S. to join Neuhaus & Taylor in Houston where many other SOM alumni worked in the senior ranks and taught at the University of Texas.

Natalie De Blois was nearly invisible during her career but was later credited for many of her astonishing works and for transforming the world of corporate architecture. While many projects proudly display the names of her male colleagues, they feature her notable and extremely thoughtful design signature.

This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Women in Architecture presented by Sky-Frame.

Sky-Frame is characterized by its empathic ability to take on different perspectives and points of view. We are interested in people and their visions, whether in architecture or in a social context. We deeply care about creating living spaces and in doing so we also question the role of women in architecture. From the arts to the sciences, women shape our society. We want to shed more light on this role, increase the visibility of Women in Architecture and empower/encourage them to realize their full potential.

Initiated by Sky-Frame, the “Women in Architecture” documentary is an impulse for inspiration, discussion, and reflection. The film’s release is on 3 November 2022.

Editor’s Note: This article was published on October 11, 2022.