Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Pilar Viladas, Celebrated Design Journalist, Dies at 70
Pilar Viladas, a distinguished writer and editor renowned for her empathetic approach and extensive knowledge of architecture, design, and art history, passed away on March 15 at a hospital near her residence in Southbury, Connecticut. She was 70 years old. Throughout her illustrious career, Viladas became a pivotal figure in design journalism, shaping discourse around modern aesthetics and influential designers.
Cause of Death
The cause of death was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to her sister, Luisa Viladas.
A Career Spanning Decades of Design Trends
Beginning her career at Interiors magazine in 1979, a trade publication, Ms. Viladas charted the fluctuating design movements of the latter half of the 20th century. Her work covered diverse styles, from the playful eccentricity of the Memphis movement in early 1980s Italy to the opulent extravagance of late-1980s interiors, the minimalism of the 1990s, and the prominent era of star architects at the dawn of the new millennium.
Editorial Roles and Approach to Design
Ms. Viladas held editorial positions at Progressive Architecture, HG, and The New York Times Magazine, and contributed to numerous publications including Town & Country and Architectural Digest. These magazines meticulously documented the symbols of affluence and lifestyles of the privileged. However, Ms. Viladas transcended a mere interest in fleeting trends, though she observed them with amusement. Her discerning taste favored enduring expressions of exceptional design.
Joining The New York Times Magazine
Holly Brubach, former style director of The Times Magazine, recruited Ms. Viladas in 1997, after she completed a Loeb Fellowship in advanced environmental studies at Harvard University.
Focus on the Human Element in Design
“It was the age of the starchitect, and all those polished, modern, and glamorous structures,” Ms. Brubach stated in an interview. However, she elaborated that Ms. Viladas “was more fascinated by how individuals lived and the function of design in their lives — and I don’t mean just the aerodynamic shape of a chair.”
“It was about how people arranged their homes and created spaces for their cherished possessions,” Ms. Brubach added. “She brought a human perspective to it that I deeply admired.”
Coverage of Design Luminaries
During her tenure at The Times Magazine, Ms. Viladas profiled a pantheon of design stars. Her subjects included modernist architect Deborah Berke and the diverse home interiors of Calvin Tsao and Zack McKown. She toured the San Remo apartment of fashion designer Donna Karan and her husband, sculptor Stephen Weiss, located on Central Park West. Furthermore, she chronicled the work of Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando for fashion icons like Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani.
Favorite Design: The de Menil Residence
Ms. Viladas often cited the Houston residence of John and Dominique de Menil, heirs to the Schlumberger oil fortune and esteemed art collectors, as her favorite house. This iconic home, a sprawling glass and brick structure designed by Philip Johnson, featured interiors by fashion designer Charles James. During a 1999 visit, a few years after Ms. de Menil’s passing, she lauded the home’s “material richness — refined contemporary architecture, stunning art, and sophisticated furniture — and its relaxed, unpretentious ambiance.”
Appreciation for Cinematic Design
Ms. Viladas also expressed admiration for her ideal apartment: “the impossibly chic London flat” of Ingrid Bergman’s চরিত্র in “Indiscreet,” the 1958 romantic comedy featuring Cary Grant. She appreciated the vibrant blend of color and texture in the apartment’s gracefully proportioned living room, as well as the film’s sharp wit.
Discerning Eye and Judgement
“Because she was so knowledgeable, she could discern intent in design, and for her, that was consistently valued,” remarked writer William Norwich, a former colleague at The Times Magazine. “She was discerning, and she maintained high standards, yet she was not elitist.”
Collaboration with Photographers
Photographer William Abranowicz, who captured the de Menil residence for Ms. Viladas’s 1999 article and many subsequent pieces, shared his perspective:
“She trusted you to enter a space, to perceive what she could articulate, and to create an image. Another aspect I admired about Pilar was her assertiveness. When a designer attempted to manipulate the narrative of a story, her resolve emerged — and she was quite firm.”
Early Life and Education
Maria Pilar Viladas was born on May 6, 1954, in Greenwich, Connecticut, the eldest of four children to Angeline (Schimizzi) Viladas and Joseph M. Viladas, a market research analyst. She graduated from Greenwich High School and pursued art history at Harvard University, earning her degree in 1977.
Family and Legacy
In addition to her sister Luisa, Ms. Viladas is survived by another sister, Mina Viladas. Her brother, Jordi, predeceased her in 2022.
Ms. Viladas authored and contributed to numerous books on design and architecture, including “Los Angeles: A Certain Style” (1995) and “Domesticities: At Home with The New York Times Magazine” (2005).
Viladas’s Design Philosophy
“I hold an aspirational view of design,” she conveyed to Whisper Editions, the former art and design auction site where she served as a consultant, in 2014. “Design is a much broader concept than the functionality of a lamp. It embodies a perspective on the world.”