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The World by Design: The Story of a Global Architecture Firm Hardcover – October 8, 2019

by A. Eugene Kohn (Author), Cliff Pearson

4.4 29 ratings

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"Name any city that has seen explosive growth in the past century—Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur—and he's had a hand in the making of its skyline. Name any 'old world' financial metropolis—New York, London, Frankfurt—and he's had a hand in designing its skyline, too.” (Juan Sebastian Pinto for Forbes.com)

In a series of fascinating tales, Gene Kohn explains how he helped build one of the most successful architecture firms in the world, offering inspiring lessons on business leadership and design innovation that can be applied to many fields.

Founded on July 4, 1976, Kohn Pedersen Fox quickly became a darling of the architectural press with groundbreaking buildings such as the headquarters for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, 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 architecture 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 a field that changes all the time and 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, Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, 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.

Print length

328 pages
Language

English
Publisher

RosettaBooks
Publication date

October 8, 2019
Dimensions

7 x 0.9 x 10 inches
ISBN-10

1948122499
ISBN-13

978-1948122498
See all details

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

“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

“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

“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

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, and the Alumni Award of Merit by the University of Pennsylvania—the highest university-wide award presented to alumni. He has also been recognized with the Wharton Real Estate Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the University of Pennsylvania - PennDesign Dean’s Medal of Achievement, the highest honor awarded by the institution, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He is an Executive Fellow of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, the first architect to be awarded this title, and has taught at schools such as Harvard, Penn, and Columbia. He currently serves as an emeritus board member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, a trustee of the Urban Land Institute, and chairman of Publicolor, a nonprofit youth development organization, and is a former a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania.

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).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ RosettaBooks (October 8, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1948122499
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1948122498
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.95 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.9 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,916,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,448 in Individual Architects & Firms
- #3,630 in Biographies of Artists, Architects & Photographers (Books)
- #18,126 in Leadership & Motivation

Customer Reviews:
4.4 29 ratings

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Jose Morales Jimenez

A must read for anyone who has or is planning to have their own firm.

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

Very well written, this story surprised me. Even thought i have mixed feelings about KPF's architecture (especially their post modernist era) this book is fascinating and gives a first row view into the building of a world class player. The most interesting parts are the difficulties he faced and how he dealt with them. I truly enjoyed this book and especially recommend it to anyone who is looking to start their own or have their own firm.

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

“The World by Design” by Eugene Kohn is astonishing and a “must read” for every architect young, old and students of architecture too. I found all of the 13 chapters to be credible, thoughtful and profound.

Gene Kohn has unselfishly shared his wisdom and knowledge of his famous global firm KPF and our profession as a whole. We learn from him that if your contribution to architecture has been vital, there will always be somebody to pick up where you left off, and that will be your claim to immortality.

John P. Sheehy, FAIA, RIBA
San Francisco

One person found this helpful

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Francis Pisani

Architecture by team goes a long way.

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

Probably the most successful architectural firm of the last forty years and Gene Kohn, Bill Pedersen and Shelly Fox were the ideal partners for this success. Each one complimented the other and they were completely on board with their individual contributions to the firm's development.

Each one a complete architect, nevertheless put the needs of the client and firm as a whole, above their individuality.

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Adam Pfeifer

An Architect’s Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

I’ve followed KPF for a number of years being a younger, 30-something year old architect. This book was great at learning the rise of KPF and also giving me some great insight on how to continue to grow my own book of business. Definitely recommend it to any architect that wants to learn how to grow their business - whether it be small growth or international growth.

2 people found this helpful

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Musa

The book is filled with wisdom and true life experiences

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

I love how Eugene kohn described his transition from the navy back to the university. His experience, the word “demotion” was hilarious and apt. I am glad he pushed through and achieved all these.

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Diana Reid

wonderful book - new copies not clean!

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a wonderful book, great stories, but all my couples - for myself and for gifts - were purchased NEW and arrived with smudged and dirty book jackets.

One person found this helpful

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Architect 1

Amazing

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2019

excellent review, made by an even better person in Gene Kohn. Great book and a must read!

One person found this helpful

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