William Pedersen Awarded 2013 AIANY Medal of Honor
With a strong passion for successfully integrating tall buildings into their surrounding communities, William Pedersen, FAIA, FAAR has played a significant role as founding design partner in transforming Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) into an international powerhouse, whose diverse portfolio is executed by over 600 staff members in six global offices.
In honor of his undeniable success, the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects announced Pedersen as recipient of the 2013 AIANY Medal of Honor during a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City Wednesday.
More information and an interview with William Pedersen after the break…
Centra Metropark / KPF
Architects: KPF
Location: Iselin, NJ, USA
Area: 10,000 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs: Michael Moran
Infinity Tower / KPF
Architects: KPF
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Project Year: 2012
Photographs: Leonardo Finotti
CTF Guangzhou / KPF
KPF recently shared with us their latest design for a 530 meter mixed-use tower in Guangzhou’s Zhujiang Xincheng CBD – the CTF Guangzhou – which is currently under construction. Joining an already impressive skyline, the new tower will form an urban triumvirate with its immediate neighbors – the 440 meter International Finance Center and the 600 meter Canton Tower.
In Progress: Lotte World Tower / KPF
Construction of the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea designed by high-rise architectural firm KPF is well underway. Won via an international design competition, this new tower will rise up to a pinnacle height of 555 meters. Organized around a mixed-use program including retail, office, hotel and an observation deck at the peak, the tower pulls inspiration from historical Korean arts of ceramics, porcelain, and calligraphy. More details after the break.
Ping An Finance Center / KPF
Soon to be Shenzhen’s tallest tower at 660 meters, the Ping An Finance Center by KPF will anchor the city’s new Central Business District. Positioned at the southwest corner of the intersection of Yi Tian Road and Fu Hua Road in the Futian District, the tower will connect with neighboring properties in addition to Shenzhen Line 1 Gou Wu Gong Yuan metro station. More details after the break.
International Commerce Centre / KPF
Hong Kong is often referred to as one of the densest cities in the world, lined with an impressive array of skyscrapers along its shores. The latest supertall addition by architects KPF reaches an altitude of 484 meters above the Victoria Harbor in Kowloon. Located atop the new Kowloon Station, a transportation hub that feeds a network that ferries over 11 million passenger journeys per day, the International Commerce Centre is an integral part and centerpiece of the Union Square reclamation project. Internal programming includes office space, 2 hotels, and an observation deck amongst other mixed-use functions. More details after the break.
Abu Dhabi International Airport / KPF
The new Midfield Terminal Complex at Abu Dhabi International Airport was just approved by the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi. Within master plan, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the terminal is conceived as a gateway to the city. The design creates large, unimpeded internal zones that will enhance the passenger experience, and can accommodate long‐term adaptability to industry demands. More images and architects’ description after the break.
KPF Honored with Five MIPIM Asia Awards
The 2011 MIPIM Asia Awards recently announced that Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) garnered five awards out of the 29 awarded, the largest number of awards won by a single architectural firm. Recognized for the Inernational Commerce Centre in HongKong, Wheelock Square in Shanghai, the Abu Dhabi International Midfield Complex, the Xintiandi Hotels, and Singapore’s Marina Bay Financial Centre, KPF will receive their prizes at the prestigious Awards Gala Dinner on November 16.
KPF was one of the first US architecture firms to start working in China, and has had a strong presence there for over 20 years, including growing offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong. These five awards serve as an affirmation of KPF’s unmatched experience and leadership in the region.
ArchDaily sat down with Eugen Kohn and Bill Pedersen back in February. The AD interview with KPF can be viewed here.
Architecture City Guide: Shanghai
This week, with the help of our readers, our Architecture City Guide is headed to Shanghai. Shanghai is noted for having more Art Deco buildings than any other city, including László Hudec’s Park Hotel, which is not on our list but will be added in a future guide. Like many cities in China, Shanghai’s rapid growth has meant a boon in contemporary architecture styles. We put together a list of 12 modern/contemporary buildings that we feel provides a good starting point. It is far from complete. There are dozens of other great buildings that are not our list, and we are looking to add to the list in the near future. Please add your favorites in the comment section below so we can add them on the second go around. Again thank you to all our readers who sent in their suggestions and photographs. The city guides would not be possible without your help.
To check out other cities visit our world map or our Architecture City Guide page.
The Architecture City Guide: Shanghai list and corresponding map after the break.
The Key to South Korea’s Future Growth
After many years of political turmoil, South Korea has now gained enough economic stability to begin working on its goals of becoming the world’s next major international business hub. This stability has allowed large Korean companies to travel to foreign countries, constructing some of the tallest buildings in the world. Now, however, these companies are taking their designs to their own soil by strategically focusing on areas that will allow for the greatest opportunities for future development. One such area is the city of Songdo. More on this city’s development after the break.
Architecture City Guide: Beijing
This week, with the help of our readers, our Architecture City Guide is headed to Beijing. Beijing has a range of architectural styles, but the three most prevalent are the traditional imperial style (the Forbidden City), the “Sino-Sov” style (boxy structures built between the 1950s and 70s), and lastly the explosion of a modern corporate style that is punctuated with Starchitect buildings like OMA’s CCTV TV Station HQ. We put together a list of 12 modern/contemporary buildings that we feel provides a good starting point. It is far from complete. There are dozens of other great buildings that are not our list, and we are looking to add to the list in the near future. Please add your favorites in the comment section below so we can add them on the second go around. Again thank you to all our readers who sent in their suggestions and photographs. The city guides would not be possible without your help.
To check out other cities visit our world map or our Architecture City Guide page.
The Architecture City Guide: Beijing list and corresponding map after the break.
Foreign Development in China’s Growing Cities
With China’s high level of exports and booming real estate market, it is predicted that the country is on its way to becoming the world leader in economic performance. As a result, the Chinese government has been taking steps to show the world its growing economy and the newfound modernity that has come with it. China’s largest cities have already spent hundreds of billions of dollars on new development and infrastructure projects, ranging all the way from from roads, bridges and buildings to new financial districts. In fact, the country is expected to lay down a total of 4.7 billion square feet of construction in this year alone. More information after the break.
Tour First / Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Location: Paris, France
Project Year: 2011
Photographs: Hufton+Crow
Architecture City Guide: Portland
This week our Architecture City Guide is headed to Portland, Oregon. As one of the greenest cities in the world, it is a leader in sustainable architecture. Even though Portland is only the 29th most populous city in the U.S., it has the second highest number of LEED-accredited buildings. Only Chicago, a city more than four times the size of Portland, has more green buildings. Beyond its contemporary and green architecture it has a good variety of historic buildings that are worth visiting. We have put together a list of 12 contempory buildings to visit, but since we limited it to 12, it is far from complete. We would like you, our readers, to suggest other “must not miss” in the comment section after the break.
Architecture City Guide: Portland list and corresponding map after the break!
Architecture City Guide: Miami
This week we are taking our Architecture City Guide to South Beach. Miami’s architectural styles range from austere corporate architecture, as it has the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, to colorful and playful architecture that reflects its beach and Latin American culture. Architecture lovers can’t miss Miami Beach’s Art Deco District or its old Spanish heritage. We have put together a list of 12 contemporary buildings that range from a small park pavilion to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. There is plenty more to see in Miami so please add your “must not miss” in the comment section below.
Architecture City Guide: Miami list and corresponding map after the break!
Architecture City Guide: Philadelphia
This week our Architecture City Guide is headed to Philadelphia. The list of influential architects that have either worked, studied, or taught in Philadelphia is perhaps the only list that challenges the numbers of Founding Fathers that descended on this city of “Brotherly Love.” A brief list includes Sullivan, Kahn, Wright, Pei, Rudolf, Corbusier, Latrobe, Gropius, Mumford, and Furness. That being said, our list of 12 barely scratches the surface of buildings worth seeing in this great city. We would like to hear about your must not miss buildings in the comment section below.
The Architecture City Guide: Philadelphia list and corresponding map after the break!
Songdo International Business District / KPF
Songdo International Business District (IBD) occupies over 1,500 acres of reclaimed land on the West Coast of Incheon, Korea. This waterfront master plan includes a diverse array of programmatic elements and is designed to be a pedestrian friendly city with walkable streets and an urban density that allows for an active street life. Signature features include, the New Songdo City First World Towers, Northeast Asia Trade Tower, the 100-arce Songdo Central Park, and the Songdo City International School.
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox
Location: Incheon, Korea
Photographs: H.G. Esch, KPF, Jaesung
China National Offshore Oil Corporation Headquarters / KPF
Located at a major crossroads along the Second Ring Road in Beijing’s eastern Dongcheng district, the CNOOC headquarters building acts as an urban counter-point to the massive Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building situated on the opposing corner.
Project description, images, and drawings after the break.
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Location: Chaoyangmen North Street, Dongcheng, Beijing, China
Associate Architect: China Architecture Design & Research Group
Project Area: 940,000 sqf
Photographs: Zhang Guang Yuan and H.G. Esch
INCS Zero Factory / KPF
The INCS Zero Factory and showroom is a building focused on merging landscape with architecture and art with technology. Designed by KPF, it is located within the Japanese Alps in Nagano. The new factory also needed to include offices and a demonstration facility, as well as provide areas of focused experimentation for research and development.
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Location: Nagano, Japan
Client: INCS
Project Area: 86,000 sqf
Photographs: H.G. Esch, Iijima
FIU Chapman Graduate School of Business / KPF
The Florida International University Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business serves as an academic mixed-use facility accommodating faculty and administrative offices, conference rooms, auditorium, as well as two open public courtyards. Architects KPF developed a two phase design creating two distinct communities of students and faculty, the courtyards being the linking element between them.
Photographs and drawings of the academic building following the break.
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Location: FIU Campus, Miami, Florida, USA
Associate Architect: BEA International
Client: Florida International University
Project Area: 92,000 sqf (phase 1)
Photographs: H.G. Esch and Claudia Uribe
