Architecture and Urbanism
In October 2012, Rizzoli will be releasing the fourth volume in a series of monographs documenting the work of International architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF). The book represents the work of KPF completed between 2002 and 2012. Unlike previous volumes, only built projects are shown. The intention is to focus on the craft of architecture, the manifestation of design in specific material solutions. The only exception to this rule is the last chapter on city planning efforts, where completion of work is marked by the beginning rather than the end of a construction process. The book depicts buildings of various scales and uses, and covers a broad geographic range. There is, however, a common spirit that binds the body of work together. In each project, underlying programmatic challenges are interpreted in terms of the relationship of the building to the larger urban or landscape context. Even in the case of sites that are removed from city centers, reference to the larger urban construct provides a framework for the design. Thus, airports are city gateways, and campuses can be seen as abstracted models of urban form. Ultimately, the success of these many KPF projects lies in the way that they add to the energy of urban life. The book’s interviews were conducted by British architect and journalist Peter Murray, co‐founder of Blueprint magazine, Chairman of the New London Architecture Centre and Founder Director of the London Festival of Architecture. He speaks with KPF founders Gene Kohn and William Pedersen, current KPF leaders Paul Katz and James von Klemperer, and firm friends and clients Chris Ward, former Executive Director of the New York Port Authority, Iris Weinshall, Vice Chancellor for Facilities Construction and Planning at the City University of New York (CUNY), William Ko, Executive Director of Hang Lung Properties, and Ian Hawksworth, Chief Executive of Capital & Counties.
KPF