New York is arguably the epicenter of the architectural industry in the United States, with more than 20,000 licensed architects and well over 1,000 firms working in the state. With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Here we look at some of the top architecture firms in the city of New York.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is a collective of architects, designers, engineers and planners, responsible for some of the world’s most technically and environmentally advanced buildings and significant public spaces. SOM’s designs anticipate change in the way we live, work, communicate, and have brought lasting value to communities around the world. The firm’s approach is highly collaborative, and its interdisciplinary team is engaged on a wide range of international projects, with creative studios based across the globe to serve its wide client base.
Some of the notable projects by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) are;
- Poly International Plaza, Beijing, China
- P.S. 62 The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability, New York City, United States
- JTI Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
- Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2, Mumbai, India
- Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters, Shenzhen, China
Founded by Steven Holl in 1977 and led with partners Noah Yaffe, Roberto Bannura and Dimitra Tsachrelia, Steven Holl Architects is an internationally recognized, innovative architecture and urban design office with locations in the Hudson Valley, New York and Beijing.
The firm is known for its ability to shape space and light with impeccable contextual sensitivity to catalyze the unique qualities of each project, creating concept driven designs at multiples scales, ranging from minimal dwellings to university works and new models of urbanism. The firm mainly specializes in educational facilities, residential work, mix use office design, public works and master planning.
Steven Holl Architects emphasizes sustainable building and site development as fundamental to innovative and imaginative design. Their projects combine sustainable technology and forward-looking approaches to urbanism and architecture. They see a sustainable approach to design and construction as an obligation to the future of the built environment and are committed to this vision in each project.
Some of the notable projects by Steven Holl Architects are;
- Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
- Sliced Porosity Block
- Daeyang Gallery and House, Seoul, South Korea
- Maggie’s Centre Barts, London, United Kingdom
- Abstracting Morphology, NY, United States
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) is a global architecture practice dedicated to clients that represent the most forward-thinking companies and institutions around the world — visionaries that believe that value is not just producing return on investment but also in contributing to our urban environment and communities. Their portfolio spans more than 40 countries and includes a wide range of projects such as office and residential buildings, civic and cultural spaces to educational facilities.
Some of the notable projects by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates are;
- Centra Metropark, Woodbridge Township, NJ, United States
- 18 Robinson, Singapore
- Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, South Korea
- 10 Hudson Yards, New York, NY, United States
- One Crown Place, London, United Kingdom
Rockwell Group takes a cross-disciplinary approach to its inventive array of projects as a way of creating immersive environments. Based in downtown New York and with a satellite office in Madrid, our innovative, internationally acclaimed architecture and design firm specializes in hospitality, cultural, healthcare, educational, product, theater and film design. Crafting a unique and individual narrative concept for each project is fundamental to Rockwell Group’s successful design approach. From the big picture to the last detail, the story informs and drives the design. The seamless synergy of technology, craftsmanship and design is reflected in environments that combine high-end video technology, handmade objects, special effects and custom fixtures and furniture.
Some of the notable projects by Rockwell Group are;
- Sage by David Rockwell for Benchmark
- Moynihan Train Hall Ticketed Waiting Room, New York, NY, United States
- Edge, New York, NY, United States
- NeueHouse, New York City, NY, United States
- Warner Music Group, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Established by Daniel Libeskind in Berlin, Germany in 1989, Studio Libeskind went ahead to win the World Trade Center design competition in February 2003 and shortly moving its headquarters to New York City. The office is now headquartered two blocks south of the original World Trade Center site. Since 1990, the office has been fortunate to be involved in a diverse array of urban, architectural and cultural projects. The firm has won commissions for major cultural buildings and significant urban projects in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Canada, the United States, Japan, Spain, Israel, Mexico, Korea, Singapore and China.
Some of the notable projects by Studio Libeskind are;
- National Dutch Holocaust Memorial of Names, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Jewish Museum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- MO Modern Art Museum, Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Zlota 44, Warsaw, Poland
- National Holocaust Monument, Ottawa, Canada
All of MeierPartners Architects’ work stays true to the same fundamental ideas and values. They are guided by the clarity and rigor of their formal vision, their mastery of geometry and architectural composition, and passion for craft and meticulous detailing. Each project is an essay in composition, a harmonious organization of elements, spaces and circulation that can be felt on multiple levels. From lyrical combinations of solid and void to vibrant oscillations between surface and depth their buildings create dynamic visual and spatial rhythms that are a pleasure to look at and to move through.
Some of the notable projects by MeierPartners Architects are;
- Reforma Towers, Mexico City, Mexico
- Oxfordshire Residence, England, United Kingdom
- Malibu Beach House, Malibu, CA, United States
- Villa Gardone, Gardone Riviera, Italy
- Neugebauer House, Naples, FL, United States
Field Operations is a leading-edge landscape architecture and urban design firm with offices in New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia. The firm is best known for its strong contemporary design across a variety of project types and scales, from large urban districts and complex post-industrial sites, to small well-crafted, detailed design projects. Deep in their work there is a commitment to the design of a vibrant and dynamic public realm that integrates ecology, program and people. Major projects in our portfolio include the design of the High Line in New York City; Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square in Santa Monica; Chicago’s newly redesigned Navy Pier and Polk Bros.
Some of the notable projects by Field Operations are;
- Qianhai’s Guiwan Park, Shenzhen, China
- The Underline’s Brickell Backyard, Miami, FL, United States
- West End Square, Dallas, TX, United States
- High Line, New York, NY, United States
- High Line at the Rail Yards, New York, NY, United States
With 24 offices, HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. HOK designs buildings and spaces that respond to the needs of people and the environment. HOK designers are rooted in technical excellence, driven by imagination and focused on a solitary goal: to deliver solutions that inspire clients and communities.
Some of HOK’s most prominent projects include:
- LaGuardia Airport Terminal B, New York, NY, United States
- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar
- LaGuardia Airport Terminal B Concourse Parks, New York, NY, United States
- Workday + BART Innovation Plaza, Pleasanton, CA, United States
CannonDesign is an integrated design solutions firm focused on helping people continuously flourish. Whether designing for innovations in health, new scientific discoveries, equity in education or the next big idea in business, they use their Living-Centered Design approach to improve human life and catalyze widespread, systemic change. Their ability to help organizations solve challenges and seize opportunities is why they were named a World Changing Company and one of the most innovative design firms in the world by Fast Company.
Some of the notable projects by CannonDesign are;
- St. Louis Public Library, Central Library Renovation, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
- Kaleida Health System Clinical and Medical Research Building, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Pratt Institute Residence Hall : Void Tower, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Richard J. Daley College Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Center, Chicago, IL, United States
Founded in 1981, Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) is a design studio whose practice spans the fields of architecture, urban design, installation art, multi-media performance, digital media and print. With a focus on cultural and civic projects, DS+R’s work addresses the changing role of institutions and the future of cities. The firm is based in New York and is comprised of over 100 architects, designers, artists and researchers, led by four partners — Elizabeth Diller, Ricardo Scofidio, Charles Renfro and Benjamin Gilmartin.
DS+R’s cross genre work has been distinguished with TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” list and the first grant awarded in the field of architecture from the MacArthur Foundation, which identified Diller and Scofidio as, “architects who have created an alternative form of architectural practice that unites design, performance and electronic media with cultural and architectural theory and criticism.
Some of the notable projects by Diller Scofidio + Renfro are;
- High Line, New York, NY, United States
- Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Vagelos Education Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- The Shed, New York, NY, United States
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