Cesare Birignani

Cesare Birignani serves as an Associate Professor at the Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York (CCNY), within the City University of New York (CUNY) system. He joined CCNY in 2013 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2021. Prior to CCNY, he held teaching positions at Columbia University (as Preceptor and Teaching Fellow) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (as Visiting Assistant Professor).

His educational qualifications include a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2013), a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University's Mahindra Humanities Center (2012-13), and a Laurea in Architettura from the University of Florence (1997).

Birignani's research interests lie at the intersection of architectural history, criticism, and theory. He specializes in Italian architectural criticism, particularly the work of Giulio Carlo Argan, historical urban cartographies, Vitruvian studies, and the relationship between architecture and cultural events such as festivals. His scholarly approach combines historical analysis with critical theory to examine the evolution of architectural thought and practice.

His publications from 2008 to 2018 demonstrate a sustained investigation into architectural criticism and history. Key themes include the critical practices of Italian theorists, the mapping of historical urban forms, and the application of classical architectural principles in contemporary contexts. His work often bridges historical scholarship with current architectural discourse.