The World by Design: The Story of a Global Architecture Firm

Sharing stories and inspiring lessons on leadership and design, one architect explains how he helped build one of the world's most successful firms Founded on July 4, 1976, Kohn Pedersen Fox quickly became a darling of the press with groundbreaking buildings such as the headquarters for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in New York, 333 Wacker Drive in Chicago, the Procter & Gamble headquarters in Cincinnati, and the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, DC. By the early 1990s, when most firms in the U.S. were struggling to survive a major recession, KPF was busy with significant buildings in London, Germany, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia--pioneering a model of global practice that has influenced architecture, design, and creative-services firms ever since. Like any other business, though, KPF has stumbled along the way and wrestled with crises. But through it all, it has remained innovative in an ever-changing field that often favors the newest star on the horizon. Now in its fifth decade, the firm has shaped skylines and cities around the world with iconic buildings such as the World Financial Center in Shanghai, the International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong, the DZ Bank Tower in Frankfurt, the Heron Tower in London, and Hudson Yards in New York. Forthright and engaging, Kohn examines both award-winning achievements and missteps in his 50-year career in architecture. In the process, he shows how his firm, KPF, has helped change the buildings and cities where we live, work, learn, and play. "A must-read for all of those who love cities and the buildings and skylines that define them." --Stephen M. Ross, chairman and founder of The Related Companies

About the Author :
A. Eugene Kohn is a founding partner and chairman of Kohn Pedersen Fox, one of the world's top architecture firms. He has been recognized with prestigious awards, including The National Building Museum Chairman's Award, The Skyscraper Museum Award, The Soane Foundation Honors, the Alumni Award of Merit by the University of Pennsylvania, and the Kanter Tritsch Medal for Excellence by PennDesign. He is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Graduate School of Design and has taught at schools such as Yale, Penn, and Columbia. He currently serves as an emeritus board member of the Council on Tall Buildings and the Urban Habitat, a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, a trustee of the Urban Land Institute, and chairman of Publicolor, a nonprofit youth development organization. Clifford Pearson is the editorial director of Kohn Pedersen Fox. He had been deputy editor-in-chief of Architectural Record for many years and was the director of the University of Southern California's American Academy in China. He is the author of Indonesia: Design and Culture (Monacelli, 1998) and the editor of Modern American Houses (Harry N. Abrams, 1996 and 2005).

Review :
"The World by Design is a must-read for all of those who love cities and the buildings and skylines that define them. It will encourage you to not only look up, but to think differently about our built environment and those who shape it." --Stephen M. Ross, chairman and founder of The Related Companies "Anyone who cares about the built environment should read The World By Design. Gene and his partners at KPF are defining the New York skyline with One Vanderbilt and this book provides fascinating insights into how they have built cities around the world." --Marc Holliday, chairman and chief executive officer, SL Green Realty "Great buildings give cities shape and character, and they inspire us to set our sights higher. This book pulls the curtain back on how they are brought to life." --Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th mayor of New York City "In The World by Design, Gene Kohn captures the excitement and camaraderie of architecture as a team sport. The book takes us inside one of the world's most significant architecture practices with a most congenial guide. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the business and culture of design." --Frederick Steiner, dean of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design