The Power of Place: Artist Talk with Antonio Fiol-Silva in conversation with Maurice D. Cox
The Power of Place is an artist talk connected to the exhibition *En Su Sitio / In Its Place: Antonio Fiol-Silva: Architecture + Urbanism*. Antonio Fiol-Silva, founding principal of Philadelphia-based SITIO architecture + urbanism and lead architect of Taller Puertorriqueño’s El Corazón Cultural Center, will discuss the social role of architecture in conversation with Maurice D. Cox, an urban designer and Harvard professor known for combining design, civic engagement, and equitable urban development.
The exhibition explores how the built environment shapes collective life, identity, and storytelling through architectural models, drawings, and narrative works. It also marks the 10th anniversary of Taller’s award-winning building project.
When: Saturday, November 7.
Showtimes: The talk runs from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tickets: Free. Registration is requested, with options to indicate the number of people attending.
Venue: Taller Puertorriqueño, 2600 N. 5th St., Philadelphia, PA 19133.
Exhibition: *En Su Sitio / In Its Place: Antonio Fiol-Silva: Architecture + Urbanism.*
Speakers: Antonio Fiol-Silva appears in conversation with Maurice D. Cox.
Antonio Fiol-Silva: Fiol-Silva is the founding principal of SITIO architecture + urbanism and the lead architect of Taller’s El Corazón Cultural Center. His career includes serving as director of urbanism for the City of San Juan, president of AIA Philadelphia, chair of ULI Philadelphia, commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority and the Philadelphia Historical Commission, and a trustee or board member of several arts, planning, and urban-development organizations. He currently serves on multiple design-review boards. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University, and was a Fulbright Fellow in Barcelona.
Maurice D. Cox: Cox is the Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. He previously served as director of planning and development for Detroit from 2015 to 2019 and commissioner of planning and development for Chicago from 2019 to 2023. His public-sector work has included serving as mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, and as design director for the National Endowment for the Arts under two presidents.
Cox’s work: Cox’s career spans public service, private practice, and higher education, with a focus on design excellence, public participation, and equitable urban revitalization. In Detroit, he created an interdisciplinary planning department and helped develop neighborhood framework plans. In Chicago, he developed INVEST South/West, an initiative supporting mixed-use affordable housing and renewed civic life in neighborhoods on the city’s South and West sides. He has also worked on community design and post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts in New Orleans.
Cox’s teaching and honors: Cox has taught at Syracuse University, the University of Virginia, Tulane University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology, and has held visiting professorships at the University of Maryland and Harvard. He received the 2024 Henry Reed Hope Award, two honorary doctorates, and a 2005 Loeb Fellowship from Harvard. He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2023 and serves on the board of trustees of Cooper Union.
Registration: Attendees can register by providing a full name, email address, and the number of additional people in their party.