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| KPF (architecture firm) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Founders | A. Eugene Kohn, William F. Pedersen, Sheldon Fox |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Notable projects | International Commerce Centre, IFC South Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, One Vanderbilt |
| Awards | AIA National Honor Award, CTBUH Best Tall Building |
| Employees | 700+ |
KPF (architecture firm) is an international architecture and design firm founded in 1976 with headquarters in New York City and offices in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Dubai, Helsinki, and Los Angeles. The firm has designed prominent skyscrapers, mixed‑use complexes, cultural institutions, and corporate headquarters for clients including Mitsubishi Estate, Cheung Kong Holdings, Tishman Speyer, Silverstein Properties, and Hines. KPF’s work appears in major urban contexts such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, London, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
KPF was established in 1976 by principals A. Eugene Kohn, William F. Pedersen, and Sheldon Fox after earlier careers at firms connected to projects like World Trade Center planning and commissions for Bankers Trust. During the 1980s the firm expanded through commissions in Tokyo and Los Angeles, collaborating with developers such as Mitsui Fudosan and Trammell Crow Company. In the 1990s KPF executed large financial towers for clients including Citigroup and HSBC, and produced competition entries for civic projects in London and Madrid. The 2000s saw international growth with major engagements in Hong Kong (e.g., International Commerce Centre), Shanghai (e.g., Shanghai World Financial Center), and Beijing (e.g., master plans for mixed‑use precincts). KPF’s recent timeline includes supertall towers and transit‑oriented projects in partnership with entities such as MTR Corporation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and global investment firms including Blackstone Group.
KPF’s portfolio spans high‑profile projects and urban masterplans. High‑rise landmarks include the Shanghai World Financial Center in Pudong, the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon, the IFC South Tower in Central, Hong Kong, One Vanderbilt adjacent to Grand Central Terminal in New York City, and corporate campuses for Sony, Morgan Stanley, and Bloomberg L.P.. Institutional and cultural works feature contributions to projects with Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and civic commissions in London and Singapore. Mixed‑use developments include collaborations with Tishman Speyer on The Spiral and with Cheung Kong Holdings on waterfront precincts. Urban infrastructure and transit projects have been completed for JFK International Airport, Heathrow Airport planning studies, and transit hubs related to Crossrail and East Side Access. Residential towers and hotel projects appear across Manhattan, Shanghai, Seoul, and Dubai, often integrated with retail anchors such as flagship stores for Apple Inc. and luxury brands represented by LVMH and Swatch Group.
KPF emphasizes context‑responsive modernism with an approach that blends High-tech architecture precedents, corporate programmatic efficiency, and urban placemaking influenced by architects and movements exemplified by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, and I. M. Pei. The firm pursues tectonic clarity, curtain wall engineering, and sustainable strategies consistent with standards by LEED, WELL Building Standard, and guidance from the U.S. Green Building Council. KPF’s work often balances glazed supertall façades, structural expression, and public realm activation in partnership with landscape designers influenced by practices associated with James Corner Field Operations and Gustafson Porter. Research‑driven studio practices adopt computational design techniques akin to those in BIM environments used by leading practices and incorporate performance modeling common to consultants such as Arup and WSP Global.
KPF operates as a partnership with a leadership team of design directors, managing principals, and regional studio heads in offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. Executive leadership has included principals who previously worked at firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, and Foster + Partners. Governance involves project delivery groups for architecture, interiors, urban design, and sustainability, coordinating with consultants including Woods Bagot, Gensler, and engineering firms such as Thornton Tomasetti. The firm maintains collaborations with developers like Hines, institutional clients including Columbia University, and public agencies such as New York City Department of City Planning and metropolitan transit authorities.
KPF has received numerous industry accolades including awards from the American Institute of Architects, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and RIBA commendations. Specific honors include AIA National Honor Award recognitions, CTBUH Best Tall Building awards, and regional design prizes from organizations like Urban Land Institute and the American Council of Engineering Companies. Individual projects have been profiled in publications such as Architectural Record, Dezeen, The Architectural Review, and The New York Times design sections.
KPF projects have attracted criticism typical for large commercial developments: debates over urban scale in New York City and London, concerns about shadowing and wind impacts studied by municipal bodies such as New York City Council and environmental review panels, and discussions about corporate tenancy tied to global capital flows involving firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs. Critiques from preservation groups including Landmarks Preservation Commission and civic organizations have focused on massing near historic assets such as Grand Central Terminal and waterfront contexts in Battery Park City. Labor and procurement controversies have arisen in the context of megaproject delivery in regions regulated by entities such as Hong Kong Buildings Department and construction authorities in Shanghai.
Category:Architecture firms Category:Companies based in New York City