Black History Month Profile: Architect Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926–2012)
The “Blue Whale” Pacific Design Center. Photo: Gruen Associates
In 1975, when first built, the Pacific Design Center's iconic Blue Building looked out of context as if it fell from the West Hollywood sky—inspired by London's Victorian Crystal Palace, the massive six-story modernist structure contrasted with the surrounding flat streetscape. Nicknamed the "Blue Whale," the cobalt glass skinned edifice shaped like a section of architectural molding is now a landmark. African American architect Norma Merrick Sklarek acted as project manager for the center designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli. Sklarek's career as a trailblazing black woman in a white male-dominated field is just as noteworthy as L.A.'s design mecca.
Norma Merrick Sklarek with a model of the Pacific Design Center’s Blue Building
The pioneering architect was born in 1926 in Harlem to parents who emigrated from the Caribbean. As a child, Sklarek showed an aptitude for mathematics and design; her father, who taught her carpentry, saw this and suggested she pursue architecture, an unusual profession at the time for a black woman. Walter Ernest Merrick worked as a physician, and his wife Amy was a seamstress. The family took in lodgers, which allowed their only child a better education. Sklarek went on to study architecture at Columbia University. After graduating, she experienced racism and sexism when she applied for jobs, finally finding a position in Public Works.
California Mart. Photo: Gruen Associates
Sklarek exhibited spirit and tenacity throughout her life and career, always facing and surpassing challenges. In 1954, she became the first African American woman to earn an architecture license in New York and landed a job at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. After five years, she moved to Los Angeles and joined Gruen Associates. During her two-decade tenure, she rose to be a director and earned her California architecture license as the first African American woman. In addition to the Blue Whale, Sklarek worked on many other prestigious civic projects, including the California Mart and US Embassy in Tokyo. In 1980, she was the first African American woman elected to the College of Fellows- AIA for her outstanding contributions to the profession.
Norma Merrick Sklarek in the meeting room at Gruen Associates (ca.1960). Photo: Gruen Associates
The following year, Sklarek joined Welton Becket Associates as a vice president, overseeing the Los Angeles International Airport's Terminal 1 project. She later co-founded the firm Siegel Sklarek Diamond and was the first African American woman to co-own an architectural practice. In 2019, the AIA, Los Angeles chapter awarded her a posthumous Gold Medal. Along with her litany of firsts and achievements, Sklarek left a legacy mentoring minority architects. She redefined the architectural landscape much as the Blue Whale changed West Hollywood's streetscape.
