Peter H. Christensen

Peter H. Christensen is a Professor of Architectural History at the University of Rochester. His research focuses on 19th-20th century architectural history across Europe, North America, and Islamic world contexts, emphasizing infrastructure, materiality, and critical digital humanities. He has held prestigious fellowships including the Berlin Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, and Clark Professorship. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates on urbanism, colonialism, and ecological impact.

Key publications include Prior Art: Patents and the Nature of Invention in Architecture (MIT Press, 2024) and Germany and the Ottoman Railways (Yale, 2017). He teaches courses such as Islamic Architecture in Context and Art and Infrastructure. Recent grants total over $600,000, supporting research on global architectural exchanges and material culture.