BUFFALO, N.Y. — This month, Western New Yorkers will have the chance to get to know more about a Buffalo architect who designed many buildings in Western New York.
Robert Coles was an architect who is known for his work with public buildings that are designed to serve the local community. Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) is offering a tour of 22 sites he designed in Western New York.
Coles was born in Buffalo in 1929 and started the first architecture firm owned by an African American in the state. He was also known for his activism and was quoted in American Architects in Current Practice in 1991 as saying:
“Because they have the ability to see things as they can be, today’s architects have a special task which goes beyond simply designing the physical environment. They must be activists involved in the social and political life of the community. […] They must truly be revolutionaries who see their architecture as a broad movement to enhance the quality of life of urban people.”
Local buildings designed by Coles include the JKF Recreation Center, Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library and Utica metro rail station. The Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library was modeled after an African village.
Through the month of September, a self-guided tour is available for purchase on the PBN website. The travelogue costs $25 for PBN members and $30 for the general public.
