Editing Robert Venturi (section)

== Later Work ==

Venturi's practice, conducted with partner Denise Scott Brown as Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, produced buildings that applied theoretical principles to varied programs and scales. Guild House (1964), an elderly housing project in Philadelphia, incorporated "ordinary" elements—a conventional facade organization, an antenna sculpture acknowledging television's importance—that challenged modernist aesthetics while serving practical purposes. Later projects including museum additions, academic buildings, and houses continued exploring historical reference and popular culture within architectural design.<ref name="schwartz"/>

The firm's work generated debate about the relationship between theory and practice, quality and populism, architecture and decoration. Some buildings achieved sophisticated integration of Venturi's ideas; others seemed to apply ornament arbitrarily. Critical assessment varied widely, with some viewers finding the work profound and others superficial. This varied reception reflected postmodernism's broader trajectory, as ideas that seemed revolutionary when introduced became familiar and subject to criticism.<ref name="venturi"/>