Kpf: The Latest Architecture and News

KPF with NYCHA created a resiliency and renewal program for the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The redevelopment plans aim to reduce the vulnerability of the area and its community.

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Humanity has become obsessed with breaking its limits, creating new records only to break them again and again. In fact, our cities’ skylines have always been defined by those in power during every period in history. At one point churches left their mark, followed by public institutions and in the last few decades, it's commercial skyscrapers that continue to stretch taller and taller. 

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has developed their own system for classifying tall buildings. In March 2020, the world’s 25 tallest buildings are:

Spring City 66, one of the largest commercial complexes in the city of Kunming in China has just opened. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the 430,000 m2 mixed-use development includes a retail podium and office tower, integrated into the unique landscape of the Yunnan Province.

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KPF and the Chiofaro Company have released images of their latest project The Pinnacle at Central Wharf, a high performance and resilient mixed-use development on the Boston Harbor waterfront. Aiming to reconnect Downtown Boston to the waterfront, the project also puts in place a new public space.

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Zaha Hadid Architects partnered up with Southbank Tower, for the company's first interior refurbishment project, in order to renovate the building’s lobby. The office structure, designed by Richard Seifert in 1972, had already gone through massive renovation works, led by KPF in 2015.

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The highest outdoor observation deck in the western hemisphere is set to open in March of 2020 in New York City. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the Edge cantilevers 80 feet from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards. At a record-setting height of 1,131 feet, Edge will reveal never-before-seen views of The City, Western New Jersey and New York State spanning up to 80 miles.

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Design:ED Podcast is an inside look into the field of architecture told from the perspective of individuals that are leading the industry. This motivational series grants unique insight into the making of a successful design career, from humble beginnings to worldwide recognition. Every week, featured guests share their personal highs and lows on their journey to success, that is sure to inspire audiences at all levels of the industry. Listening to their stories will provide a rare blueprint for anyone seeking to advance their career, and elevate their work to the next level.

In this episode, host Aaron Prinz speaks with Gene Kohn, Founder and Chairman of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Gene founded KPF in 1976 along with William Pedersen and Sheldon Fox. He served as the original President of KPF, developing its global strategy, shaping it into a world leader in all aspects of architectural practice, and leading it to become the youngest firm recognized with the AIA’s Architecture Firm Award. Kohn also published a memoir “The World by Design: The Story of a Global Architecture Firm” that can be purchased on Amazon.

The 528 meters CITIC Tower, was inaugurated, standing tall as Beijing’s highest building to date. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the supertall innovative architecture remains culturally appropriate, drawing inspiration from the “zun”, a ritual vessel originating in Bronze Age China.

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The Robinson Tower, a 24 000 m² boutique retail and office tower, was inaugurated in Singapore. Designed by the international firm KPF or Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, and executed in collaboration with Associate Architect A61, the building addresses the cultural and social aspects of the city, creating a singular and refined experience. The tower stands out from its context showcasing novelty in form and function, changing the city’s skyline.

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) has celebrated the groundbreaking of their first residential tower in Philadelphia, titled Arthaus. The 47-story condominium tower is situated at Broad and Spruce streets along the famed Avenue of the Arts, and directly across the street from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The scheme aims to create a rich, holistic experience from top to bottom, inside and out, an in the interiors for all residences and amenities.

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Brooklyn Point, the tallest building in Brooklyn, has topped out at 720 feet. Designed by KPF, the 68-story scheme will feature a mixed-use program of apartments, food, shopping, and entertainment functions. After undergoing a three-year design process, construction at Brooklyn Point began in the summer of 2017.

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) has announced the completion of the SOHO Gubei office tower in Shanghai. Inspired by the proportions of Constantin Brâncuși’s “Endless Column” sculpture, the tower manifests as an undulating obelisk with a diagonally canted zig-zag profile.

Each side of the tower’s sculptural form consists of four stacked volumes, with a series of shifted grids creating a density of wall surfaces that offer shade, reduce glare, and create a sense of urban solidity.

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Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) has announced the completion of the third-tallest building in Shenzhen. The China Resources Headquarters, a 400-meter-tall commercial office tower, stitches together retail, residential, and office functions surrounded by 2,000 square meters of public space.

The tower, inspired by the shape of winter bamboo shoots, seeks to “invigorate Shenzhen’s urban fabric while providing one of the country’s premier companies with a visual icon symbolizing its historic growth and prominent stature.”

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Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) has unveiled details of Huamu Lot 10 in Shanghai. The three-tower scheme, totaling 279,000 square meters, is dedicated to commercial offices and a future museum, positioned around a central grand plaza.

Described as a “new form of participatory urbanism,” the scheme has been designed to accommodate large-scale artwork in a public setting, thus activating the central plaza as a cultural hub.

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A new infinity pool offering unparalleled views of New York City is to be constructed atop KPF’s upcoming Brooklyn Point tower. At 680 feet above grade – nearly 100 feet higher than the iconic infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore – when completed the pool will become the “highest residential infinity pool in the Western Hemisphere."

The City of London has released new visualizations showing how its fast-changing skyline will look by 2026, as 13 schemes are currently under construction or due to begin construction in London’s Financial District.

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At one of the last remaining waterfront sites in Manhattan, the topping out of a luxury, five-acre, three tower mega-structure dubbed Waterline Square marks the end of a 25-year process for the 77-acre Riverside South Master Plan. Each of the three towers has been conceptualized by a different architect, with One Waterline Square by Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Two Waterline Square by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) and Three Waterline Square by Viñoly Architects. The towers were developed concurrently, but each reflects the vision of its architect, contributing to a harmonious complex while still remaining distinct.

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