William Pulgram

1921 - 2020

PULGRAM, William 1921 - 2020 William Leopold Pulgram, internationally known architect, passed peacefully in Atlanta on April 16, 2020, with his four children by his side. He was 99 years old, with vitality and acuity that defied his age. His beloved wife, Lucia, had died 70 days earlier. Born January 1, 1921, in Vienna, Austria, to Sigmund Pulgram and Giselle Bauer Pulgram, Bill fled in 1939 to escape the Nazi occupation. With the help of Quakers, he traveled to England, and after a year and a half received papers to come to the United States to join his brother, Ernst Pulgram. His parents, younger sister, Lili, and most of his extended family were murdered in the Holocaust. In the US, Bill enlisted in the Army and served three years. Following his military service, Bill attended Georgia Tech, graduating in Architecture in 1950. He continued studies in Paris at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts, winning first prize in design. He married Atlantan Lucia Walker Fairlie in 1952. Their marriage sustained them for 68 years. Bill joined Finch Alexander Barnes Rothchild & Pascal, where he gravitated towards interior architecture, an emerging discipline for which he became an advocate and innovator. In 1963 he founded the interior design firm, Associated Space Design, and over 25 years led it to national prominence. Bill used his sharp aesthetic sense to inventively pair design and utility. He believed that interior design was properly a continuation of the architectural process, responding to the needs of the people who work, as well as to their increasingly automated workplaces. This pioneering concept was expressed in the award-winning book he jointly authored (with Richard Stonis of ASD), Designing the Automated Office. Acclaimed ASD projects included headquarters for Southern Bell, Coca-Cola, Black & Decker and the Old Post Office Pavilion multi-use renovation in Washington, DC, the first of its kind in the country. His revolutionary design for the 1972 McDonalds' headquarters near Chicago included open space planning modules and a sound proof "think tank" for incubating new ideas. Bill was the first chairman of the American Institute of Architecture's ground-breaking Interiors Committee in 1975. He was a fellow in the AIA and was selected to the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 1987. He consulted for the U.S. State Department around the world. A bit of trivia: he stumped the celebrities as the subject of "To Tell the Truth" - a TV game show. And he designed a half dozen private homes, defined by open plans and woodland vistas, including his family home of 50 years in Northwest Atlanta. Despite his intense professional focus, Bill made time for his community. He served as President of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. He was a lover of classical music, member and supporter of the Atlanta Music Club, Atlanta Symphony Associates, the Pro-Mozart Society, and a fixture at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts for 50 years. Once retired, Bill never slowed down. He became active in Architects Without Borders and offered expertise to organizations including The Mountain and Lenbrook, where he lived for 9 years. Intensely curious about what humankind has created in the world, he cherished learning and adventure, and for more than 20 years led groups of friends on excursions around the globe. He will be remembered for his personal and authentic connections with those he encountered, honoring their dignity and worth, and finding great satisfaction in helping them realize their dreams. Bill loved sitting on the beach in the sun, jumping through waves, baking linzer torte, cutting a rug and driving his convertible. More than anything, Bill loved his family. He adored his wife Lucia and treasured his four children, their partners, and his grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by his wife Lucia Walker Fairlie Pulgram and his brother Ernst Pulgram. He is survived by his children: Lucia Deirdre Pulgram-Arthen, husband Andras Corban-Arthen; Laurence Fairlie Pulgram, wife Kathleen Ann Murray; Anthony Ernst Pulgram, partner Sunita Mohabir; and Christopher Leopold Pulgram; grandchildren: Donovan Andru Arthen; Lucia Isobel Arthen-Long, Daniel Laurence Murray Pulgram and Mara Lilli Murray Pulgram; and sisters-in-law: Frances McSparran and Mary Ann Fairlie. A celebration of life will be held for all friends once the current health crisis permits. Memorial donations may be made to William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, The Mountain Learning and Conference Center Endowment Fund (Highlands, North Carolina) or the Peachtree String Quartet.