Between the colonial cottages and 19th-century Federalist revival homes on Edgewood Avenue near Roger Williams Park, one particular house sticks out: streamlined, angular, geometric. The Wax House, built in 1950, is one of over 70 designs by mid-20th century architect Ira Rakatansky — arguably Providence’s preeminent modernist. 

Though the clean lines of modern architecture were once controversial in New England — a region known for its traditional architecture — Rakatansky’s Rhode Island homes represent the peak of his career. As mid-century modern design, furniture, and architecture see a surge in popularity, many Rhode Island modernists hope that it may finally be time for Rakatansky to get his spot in the limelight.

By all accounts, modernism seems to be on the rise in Providence. Modernist homes that go up for sale get snapped up quickly, often by city transplants coming from places where the style is popular. Last week, PPS’s screening of New England Modernism drew a healthy crowd of about 70 people who were excited to see this new documentary. 

A Rhode Island native, Rakatansky designed dozens of modernist buildings throughout the state, and many are located in neighborhoods across Providence, including South Providence, the West End, Blackstone Boulevard, and beyond. There is growing interest in learning more about Rakatansky and his work – this interest comes as mid-century modern design, furniture, and architecture are seeing a surge in popularity, though some say the aesthetic never really left.

A Carpenter’s Son and A Seamstress’ Nephew

Rakatansky was exposed to construction at a young age; he often accompanied his father, Benjamin Rakatansky, on construction sites throughout Rhode Island, where he built some of the state’s classic “triple-decker” homes. Lynnette Widder and John Caserta, editors of the Ira Rakatansky monograph As Modern As Tomorrow, also note that Ira’s aunt was “a seamstress who explained to him the relationship between two-dimensional representation and three-dimensional volumetric development by means of pattern-making,” which combined with his father’s building experience were “the roots of his interest in architecture.”

“[Ira’s] father was a contractor and a developer,” said Ira’s son Mark Rakatansky, Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia GSAPP and principal of Mark Rakatansky Studio. Ira went on to attend RISD to study design and later attended Harvard Graduate School of Design for a Bachelor of Architecture and his Master of Architecture.

Professors at Harvard “realized right away he knew all about the materials. He was actually helping the other students,” said Lynn Rakatansky, Ira’s daughter and a long-time math teacher, “because he knew the difference between a three-penny nail and a five-penny.”

“On the one hand, he learned the craft of building because he worked on some of his father’s construction crews, and even RISD when he was a student was more of a trade school,” Mark said. “So going to Harvard under [Walter] Gropius and [Marcel] Breuer was a revelatory moment for him. Unlike many of his classmates, he didn’t have any prior knowledge about modernism, but suddenly he was exposed to a whole innovative way of conceiving of design.”

Ira could draw upside down and to scale, Mark added. His familiarity with the material dimensions of construction gave him a solid foundation to explore innovative and cutting-edge ideas.

“Rhode Island was his home, so he wanted to bring that back to Rhode Island, back to his community and his context, in spite of the fact that there was no desire or market for such things in the area,” Mark said. “But luckily, there were individuals that did not feel like they had to adhere to certain conventional regimes and who wanted to be contemporary.”

“The title of the Providence Sunday Journal’s 1957 Home Section feature on the Franek Residence [in East Greenwich] says it all: ‘Neighbors Look Twice,’” he said. “As the third paragraph of the article states: ‘Reactionaries in town looked on in apprehension as the new structure took shape. The modern-minded openly expressed approval.’”

Ira opened his own practice in 1949 and pioneered bringing modernism to Providence, Rhode Island, and New England more broadly.  He left a legacy of over twenty buildings in Providence alone from the late 1940s through the ’90s, including the Teamster Administration Building, the Church of God and Saints of Christ, and several single-family homes throughout the state.

‘As Modern as Tomorrow’: Function and Form at the Core of Design

Lynn is a long-time Providence resident and knows the city like the back of her hand — she was also kind enough to take me on a driving tour of the various Rakatansky buildings scattered in and around Providence.

As we approached each house, Lynn would jokingly ask if I could guess which one on the block was Ira’s — with sleek angles, flat roofs, intentional focus on nature, and interesting shapes, Ira’s modernist homes stood out. But they also managed to delightfully complement the surrounding homes, bringing variety for the passersby.

Lynn drove us past her childhood home on Everett Avenue, which Ira designed. She pointed to her childhood bedroom on the second floor of the house and noted where Ira had a skylight installed. She described how the home’s design had changed to align with the family’s use of the building, as family members moved in or out.

Throughout his career, Ira created a series of unique homes and buildings that emphasized function, spaciousness, and strong geometric forms. Barbara Sokoloff and Herb Rakatansky, Ira’s cousin, have lived in an Ira-designed house near Blackstone Boulevard for several years now. 

Barbara had long admired Ira’s work. “It’s funny that I married a Rakatansky,” she said. Barbara mentioned that she had lived in not just one but two Ira-designed homes throughout her time in Rhode Island.

She and Herb “were looking for a house,” Barbara said, reflecting on their move to this home. “Not an Ira house, a house.” But when they first saw the house in the Blackstone neighborhood, they quickly fell in love with its expansive design. It was perfect for entertaining a large group, they shared — including a 22-person seder for Passover, which they hosted recently.

“There is a sense of sequencing in that space. So even within the large space of the living room, there’s a telescoping condition,” Mark said. “Rather than giving it all away at once, it leads you through in a more processional way. You get a sense of going around the corner and even further going outside at the same time.” It creates an anticipatory sense of both what is coming next and what is just barely out of view, he explained.

“What’s nice about Ira is he’s a local. He wasn’t imported from New York City or San Francisco,” Herb remarked.

Ira also brought a striking level of intention to his designs. Lynn described a home he designed for a psychologist that had a subtle facade, with exits that allowed each successive patient to come in without running into the previous one.

Function was a core tenet of Ira’s design philosophy, Lynn explained. “Dad sometimes would critique work at RISD. I remember he told me one story where he was looking at a young man’s work. Dad said to the young man, ‘Pretend that you’re sitting on the toilet. Now reach for the toilet paper,’” she said. “And the kid gasped just across the room. He couldn’t get it!”

Ira was passionate about making spaces people could not only live in but thrive in. Each detail was purposely designed to create a visceral experience of space. 

“But for me,” Mark said, “there were also some really intriguing moments in his work that put into play certain tectonic, structural, material ideas, but he would never talk about them, even though I would always try to tease it out of him. But they are there for those ready to look and find them, and they were as inspirational to me as the more overall modes of his work.”

Rakatansky’s Legacy and Modernism in Providence

Ira passed away in 2014 at the age of 94, but his work and legacy remain crucial to Providence’s fabric and its architectural history. 

His son Mark is a designer, teacher, and writer in the fields of architecture and art. His design work ranges from houses in America and Indonesia to institutional designs. He also works across urban design, graphic and product design, and multimedia art.

He reflected on how the environment he grew up in brought him to his current work. “I was immersed in a modern environment, not only from [Ira] but also my mother,” Mark said. Lenore Gray Rakatansky “ran a gallery in Ira’s office dedicated to contemporary artwork. So seeing and experiencing design and art were the fundamental exposures for me.”

This gallery and office, located at 15 Meeting Street, was another Ira project.

Herb noted that around Blackstone and throughout Providence, “there’s a variety of houses, and Ira’s houses, modernist houses — they all fit in.” 

“I think that the variety is what makes neighborhoods interesting,” Barbara added.

Ira always stayed true to his own design sensibilities and values. “If you didn’t like his style, he would say you can find someone else,” Herb joked.

Today, the Rakatansky house on Everett Avenue is occupied by RISD faculty Nancy Skolos and Thomas Wedell. They have made renovations to the exterior and interior of the house, removing a grove of overgrown shrubs and trees to let more light into the house. Skolos and Wedell made other changes on the inside as well, which they felt were in sync with Ira’s overall design intentions. They recall feeling during the renovation that they were in conversation with Ira and imagined what he might say about many of their changes.

“With the passing of half a century, Rakatansky’s homes dwell comfortably in their neighborhoods,” wrote architecture critic William Morgan for GoLocalProv in 2021. “But studying the houses of Ira Rakatansky should remind us that you cannot erect tomorrow’s landmarks by restricting an architect’s creativity.”

And though tomorrow has come and gone and come again, Ira’s designs meet the present moment and serve as an indelible reminder that Providence’s architectural landscape is varied and dynamic. And though his buildings may not turn heads as they used to — and have even helped shape what is now the norm — these homes remain liveable, expansive, and fresh for those who take a look.

By Katy Pickens / Planning & Preservation Writer / kpickens@ppsri.org