Reed Kroloff Lecture

Reed Kroloff is the Director of the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Museum in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and an independent architectural consultant and commentator.

Mr. Kroloff was Dean of the Tulane University School of Architecture in New Orleans, Louisiana from Fall, 2004 through Spring, 2007. He arrived at Tulane just before Hurricane Katrina and helped lead the School to recovery and prominence in the poststorm environment, including raising a record $3 million in gifts and research grants; retaining 97% of the School’s students and 100% of its’ faculty after the storm; and playing a significant role in citywide planning and rebuilding efforts.

The recipient of the American Academy in Rome’s 2003 Rome Prize Fellowship, Mr. Kroloff previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of Architecture magazine. Under his direction, Architecture received more awards for editorial and design excellence than any magazine of its type, and quickly became the leading design publication in the nation. His writing has appeared in many other magazines and newspapers as well, ranging from Metropolis to Artforum, and he has been profiled by publications such as the New York Times.

Mr. Kroloff advises a range of clients on architect selection and design strategy, including, among others, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Ministry of Culture of the Federal Government of Mexico, Case Western Reserve University, The City of San Antonio, The Archdiocese of Chicago, and the History Channel. The combined construction value of the projects on which he has advised now exceeds $500 million. Through his firm Jones Kroloff, Mr. Kroloff has led dozens of design competitions and selection processes, including the Aspen Art Museum, Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, Indianapolis Art Museum, The Highline in New York, The National AIDS Memorial Grove, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Mowtown Center, and Las Vegas’ Lied Children’s Museum and Discovery Center.

Mr. Kroloff writes and lectures widely, and is a regular visiting critic at architecture schools and professional organizations across the country. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Yale University, and has practiced architecture in Texas and Arizona. Mr. Kroloff serves on numerous boards and advisory councils, ranging from the Register of Peer Professionals of the United States General Services Administration to the Public Architecture Foundation.

Photographed by Laura Bustillos